Boating in Michigan

[RotaryRacer]

I have lived in Michigan pretty much my entire life. I have boated in Michigan pretty much my entire life. I think that anyone that has the honor to live in this great state has a responsibility to at least partake in exploring the waterways at some point in their life.

We had been without an operational boat since July of 2008. I have really missed having the ability to get out on the water with my family. We find spending a day on the water to be just about as relaxing and refreshing as anything can be.

Now we have a new boat and this summer looks like it will be a good one. It is my intention to be on the water as many weekends this summer as humanly possible. To that end I have decided that we need to explore a lot of new lakes, rivers and waterways. I have been trying to research new places via the internet. I find a lot information about fishing and stuff about lakes, but not a lot about how nice the lake is to spend an afternoon or day or weekend on the water for a family with relatively young kids. We aren't into fishing, tubing, skiing or wakeboarding. Watersports are a bit too much for my kids so far. What we like is to explore areas see the sights and then find a sandy spot to beach or toss out an anchor and play in the water.

We have been on plenty of lakes and/or rivers that we can do this, yet, we want to find more. In the process of finding more I would like to share with others what we discover so they too may be able to find a nice place to spend a day on the water.

I started a blog to kinda keep track of all the places we visit. It may only end up being a few entries, but I am hoping that we can continue to build on it and make it a nice place for others to get information about a particular desitnation.

To comply with the rules of the iboats forum I will add a link in my next post if you would like to follow along on our adventure.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Boating in Michigan

This past Saturday we visited Dumont Lake in Allegan County for the first time. It is a nice little lake and actually since it is close to home may end up being a good place for us to go when we only have a few hours.

I posted a short entry about the lake on my blog.

http://michiganboater.blogspot.com/

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Boating in Michigan

I have posted a bunch of new stuff in my blog.

Take a look if you are interested.

http://michiganboater.blogspot.com/

 

[jserb]

Re: Boating in Michigan

I would suggest coming to my neck of the woods. Were on an island 18 miles south of Detroit, surrounded by 15 islands where you can camp on the islands, just throw ancho (really calm ) get dinner, and have a great time with the family. The best part is like i said were only 18 miles south of Detroit, its only a 30 min trip up the river to Detroit to show the family the city from the river and cross under the ambassador bridge. The area im speaking of is Grosse Ile Township, you can Launch your boat right in Trenton, a great place to spend a weekend...


Also Put In Bay Ohio, in the middle of Lake Erie is another great spot

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Thanks for the tip. I may look into that. Probably not this summer though.

We're heading up to Cedarville/Hessel next weekend to explore the Les Cheneaux islands. I'm hoping the weather cooperates.

After that and 4th of July plans we'll probably stick close to home the rest of the summer.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Boating in Michigan

I think what you are doing is a fun thing and you really do see alot of beautiful areas in the midwest during the summer.
We try to do the same thing and there are also just a ton of little lakes around here and quite a few big ones. And all are very affordable to use with good accommodations and amenities.
The dinner cruise and sunset cruises are very enjoyable.

I noticed in one picture on your blog it almost looks as if there is early 80's Fours Winns maybe not unlike your "project" along side your new one. Any insight on that picture.
Nice new boat by the way. I just painted my old boat white with a navy strip kind of like yours. We just got it on the water and are really liking the new appointments.

Do you watch fireworks from the boat in your locale ?
We are enjoying Kenosha's on July 3rd and Racine's on July 5th, lake Michigan of course and a great time.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Boating in Michigan

I grew up boating on the Grand River, Holland, and Grand Haven.

I love the Texas lakes and Lake of the Ozarks, but my best boating memories may be in West Michigan.

 

[IGOTAIR]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Anytime you can be on the water in the boat is a good time...

My wife and I purchased our first boat last year and because we didn't know a lot of lakes we bought a Michigan fishing book, I believe they have four different books for the whole state. It shows all the lakes, and actually has fairly good depth charts. This book has been great for us to explore new places...It is called the Sportsman's Connection Fishing Map Guide, it was 19.99

Looks like their website is www.scmaps.com I think we got ours at Gander Mountain...

Good Luck, and safe boating.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Anytime you can be on the water in the boat is a good time...

My wife and I purchased our first boat last year and because we didn't know a lot of lakes we bought a Michigan fishing book, I believe they have four different books for the whole state. It shows all the lakes, and actually has fairly good depth charts. This book has been great for us to explore new places...It is called the Sportsman's Connection Fishing Map Guide, it was 19.99

Looks like their website is www.scmaps.com I think we got ours at Gander Mountain...

Good Luck, and safe boating.

Cool site and Welcome!
My brother lives up north on Butus Lake.
So he's a troll... barely.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Boating in Michigan

I noticed in one picture on your blog it almost looks as if there is early 80's Fours Winns maybe not unlike your "project" along side your new one. Any insight on that picture.
Nice new boat by the way.

Do you watch fireworks from the boat in your locale ?
We are enjoying Kenosha's on July 3rd and Racine's on July 5th, lake Michigan of course and a great time.

Hey windsor,

I still owe you for checking out that 2000 Four Winns for me. The one I ended up getting is in far better condition...of course I paid quite a bit more for it also.

Look closely at that picture with the old and new Four Winns. The new one isn't actually my boat...it is an I/O and it is a few years newer than mine. To be honest that picture was from 2008 (before my project boat was a project). The other boat is in the family also.

We'll be on Gun Lake for the fireworks. They usually put on a pretty good show. It is a family tradition to load up on the boat(s) to watch them.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Anytime you can be on the water in the boat is a good time...

My wife and I purchased our first boat last year and because we didn't know a lot of lakes we bought a Michigan fishing book, I believe they have four different books for the whole state. It shows all the lakes, and actually has fairly good depth charts. This book has been great for us to explore new places...It is called the Sportsman's Connection Fishing Map Guide, it was 19.99

Looks like their website is www.scmaps.com I think we got ours at Gander Mountain...

Good Luck, and safe boating.

Thanks for info. I had thought about getting something like that.

I have an iPhone so I got the Navionics chart apps for that.

http://www.navionics.com/MobileMarineFeatures.asp?MobileType=iPhone

Each region is only $9.99, I bought the Lakes North and Great Lakes regions. I am really happy with them so far. It really is amazing to me that I now I have a chartplotter in my pocket all the time. It is so much more convenient than having just 1 dedicated plotter in the boat. It is way less expensive also...if you have the phone anyways.

Here is a short track I gathered with the app when we were on the Grand River.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...41/1276442637552Marker.kmz/newdoc.kml&ie=UTF8

 

[mxzeatr]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Been on the forum a while, but was poking around and found this thread today.

My boat is stored in Jenison, where my fiance lives. We've done a ton of boating on the Grand river, we launch at Riverside Park just west of Allendale a few miles, and head West from there. Its a very good ride, lots of different types of boats, lots of idle areas, then you can go out into Grand Haven and drive along the pier and out into the big lake. If its calm we do that and go for a ride up the shore a ways and then maybe back to the state park to stop and swim etc...Hoping to head out Sunday, but I see a 40% chance of rain.....

I grew up on the lake in northern MI, Torch Lake, Elk, Lake Bellaire, etc....All my stompin' grounds, so boating south of there is new to me, as is my boat. I'd like to try the Hardy Dam area this summer as well.

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Interesting... I also launch at Riverside Park on the Grand River. Difference being that I launch at the one just north of downtown Grand Rapids. and head upstream. When I saw mxzeatr's post I thought he was launching at the same place I was. Another good spot here in Kent county is Wabasis Lake. Also have good camping there at a reasonable price. Even have a docking area to tie the boat off while you are camping.

http://www.accesskent.com/CultureLeisureAndTransit/Parks/campground.htm

TerryMSU

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Cool thread...I agree that not having a boat in Michigan is unnaceptable.

Nothing interesting here in the Lansing area to speak of...I spend my time on shallow, weedy lakes that get crowded on the weekends.

Gun Lake is on my list of places to go to as well. The Kalamazoo area has a plethora of lakes.

The Les Cheneaux islands are a serious boaters paradise and the Manitoulin Island area looks good to me too.

One destination you should add to the list also is the Inland waterway that runs thru a chain of lakes/rivers/locks from Cheboygan almost all the way to Petoskey.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Boating in Michigan

I have a lot of work to do to get the blog up to date. I have been too busy boating to keep up with the blog.

Just so you guys know I have been to many of the places you mention already. I plan to get posts added to the blog about the places I have visted over the last few years.

Here is a list:

2010:

Dumont Lake
Gun Lake...multiple times
Gull Lake
Green Lake
Grand River (Riverside park of Ottawa County out to Grand Haven)
Spring Lake
Les Cheneaux Islands
Mackinac Island
Lake Macatawa...out on Lake Michigan down to Saugatuck also
Kalamazoo River (Saugatuck)

2009:

nothing

2008:

Hamlin Lake (Ludington State Park)
Ludington Harbor out to Big Sable Point Light
Inland Waterway
-Mullet Lake
-Indian River
-Burt Lake
-Crooked River
-Crooked Lake
-Cheboygan River
Cheboygan Harbor out to Poe Reef Light
Saugatuck...multiple times
Lake Macatawa/Holland out and down to Saugatuck
Gun Lake...multiple times

2007:

Lake Charlevoix
Lake Bellaire
Clam Lake
Torch Lake
Saugatuck...multiple times
Gun Lake...multiple times
Gull Lake

I hope that eventually the blog includes most of the places we have been with our boat(s). I am always open to new sugestions.

Thanks.

 

[mxzeatr]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Cool thread...I agree that not having a boat in Michigan is unnaceptable.

Nothing interesting here in the Lansing area to speak of...I spend my time on shallow, weedy lakes that get crowded on the weekends.

Gun Lake is on my list of places to go to as well. The Kalamazoo area has a plethora of lakes.

The Les Cheneaux islands are a serious boaters paradise and the Manitoulin Island area looks good to me too.

One destination you should add to the list also is the Inland waterway that runs thru a chain of lakes/rivers/locks from Cheboygan almost all the way to Petoskey.

Agreed.

Thats a very good trip!!! We did that last year in our old 'fishin' boat!

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Ok...you've been to many of the places that I'd normally suggest...so here's one a bit off the beaten path.

Fletcher's pond west of Alpena. It is pretty unique, as it is the largest nesting grounds for osprey/seahawks in the midwest. They have built many towers to help them with locations and you can hang out there and watch them catch fish, to bring back to their young.

Excellent fishing too, if you hook a bluegill and reel it in slowly a huge pike will surely try to take it from you.

 

[mxzeatr]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Interesting!

That gives me a destination for my vacation in Rogers City in Aug. We won't be taking the boat though. Just R & R and some biking/hiking this trip!

 

[cheetah90]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Interesting!

That gives me a destination for my vacation in Rogers City in Aug. We won't be taking the boat though. Just R & R and some biking/hiking this trip!

A vacation "Biking/hiking" Thats sounds like work! not R&R

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Boating in Michigan

Interesting!

That gives me a destination for my vacation in Rogers City in Aug. We won't be taking the boat though. Just R & R and some biking/hiking this trip!

Don't let that stop you...there's a boat rental where you can get set up with a 14' tinny and check out the huge reservoir.

It's actually best to rent a boat like that if yours is bigger since it flooded a forest back in the 30s and it is notoriously bad for hitting stumps/submerged trees.

It's like 9,000 acres in size so lots to explore, my grandpa lived in Rogers City and it was one of his favorite fishing spots back in the day.