Looking for advice

[dashaver63]

I'm hoping to get to st. Clair a couple times this year. What launch ramps do you recommend close to the mile roads? I went out of Harley last year and it great for the North end but its a long run down to the mile roads.

[djkimmel]

Clinton River Cutoff is the MDNR ramp a little south of Metro. It is unusable right now as usual for spring due to huge amount of silt piled on it, but they began dredging a week ago. Might not be ready until beginning of May. Sometimes they surprise me though and get it done faster. The picture I saw recently was quite the mess though.

They are supposed to start the redesign/rebuild of that whole ramp this summer too, which includes moving the actual ramps. Probably take all season. The DNR says they will keep at least part of the ramp open most of that time.

There's also the three St. Clair Shores ramps at 11 Mile Road (behind the blue sea wall), Blossom Heath (just south of 10 Mile Road) and the 9 Mile Road ramp. The first two are supposedly for city residents only. I know some people still launch there anyways, and seem to pull it off. The one time I pulled in to Blossom Heath on my own, the attendant there told me I couldn't launch... but I'm a redhead, and that's just normal for redheads... Same for 11 Mile. I've only launched there a few times fishing with locals.

9 Mile Road ramp allows nonresidents. It's supposed to be open all season because they've delayed some work until next year. I can't guarantee that, but the locals are saying that's what they've been told. There still a fair amount of parking there. Can't quite remember if you can launch 2 or 3 boats at a time? In the early spring usually isn't an issue.

The things to know about 9 Mile Road ramp are the drive to the ramps from the parking lot is a long drive and a looonng walk from the parking lot to the boat docks. If fishing alone, don't leave valuables sitting in your boat where they are easily visible while you park and walk back due to the very occasional incidents with things disappearing from your boat in the time it takes you to make the drive and walk back.

Seems a shame that this happens sometimes - not sure if it is other boaters leaving the dock, or maybe people walking out on to the peninsula that happen to be there. In the early season, there might not be anyone else around so not much of a worry. There's very little reason for someone to boat back into that long canal other than to use the ramp, but maybe sometimes someone idles back there and sees a boat at the dock? Don't really know. Easy enough to just not get any stuff out onto your boat deck until you have parked and walked back. If you're fishing with someone else, then no problem.

I've launched there a dozen or so times, and did not have a problem. It's good exercise, and it puts you just N of the Ford Mansion, and just S of 10 Mile and up flats everyone fishes early. I think there's a fee ($15 for nonresidents), but early there's not always someone there to collect it. Seems like I rarely remember someone being there to monitor, though I launch more during the week for some time now. Make sure you remember which canal the ramp is in. They can all look alike when you're coming back in later in the day.

The 11 Mile and Blossom Heath are both more convenient, but there tends to be an attendant more often who might check residency, and will definitely collect the launch fee. There's a nonresident annual sticker you can purchase from St. Clair Shores for $100 (residents $65).

[dashaver63]

Thanks Dan, great information!

[fiker]

I talked to a guy today that said he was there yesterday.  The attendant at 9 mile said he had to be a resident and sent him to blossom heath.  They let him launch but said the launch would soon be under construction and will close. 
Crocker is closed. 
Metro park was still operational last I knew as is harley and st. Jeans.
It really grinds me that I live an hour away from one of the best lakes in the world and my state cant figure out how to put a couple of boat launches on it that are for everyone. 

[Rangerman]

How about Harley Ensign, Great ramp for Mile Roads

[Bigbass201]

Crocker had one ramp open, but the muck was horrible what a buddy told me.  He said his trailer was completely covered.

[Rangerman]

No problem with Selfridge or Clinton River Cut Off aka Crocker.    June 13-21 st.