Named for John Porter and his cousin Miles Porter who settled on the eastern and northern shore of this lake in 1857, the surface area of this lake is approximately 25 acres (100,000 m2) and has a surface elevation of approximately 989 feet (301 m) above mean sea level.

The township includes the following cemeteries: North Saint Johns and Ohio.

The racial makeup of the township was 99.61% White and 0.39% Native American.

18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

About 5.8% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.