State Park Fishing - Help !!

[Mojo]

 

My co-addicts - this is where I REALLY need your help. We are looking to go camping somewhere in Michigan. I am dragging a camper so no boat, but I can slap on a canoe. Can EVERYONE please give me camp sites where the canoe and shore fishing is great for bass Any electric only camp sites ?

Is the camp site also good for playgrounds, activities ? Everyone chime in cause I bet this is a really good topic the we all can learn from.

Thanks in advance gents. Mike

[Durand Dan]

Mike,
This is an interesting campground by Durand. It has a swimming hole and access to the Shiawassee river for Smallie fishing.
Dan

http://www.michcampgrounds.com/walnuthills/

[Cheetam]

I think Interlochen State Park near Traverse city is great.  You can take a canoe on either duck or green and there is great fishing in both.

[djkimmel]

Sleepy Hollow State Park

[Firefighter Jeff]

Ludington State Park.  Located between/on Hamlin lake and Lake Michigan.  When ya going??  I'll take ya fishing if I'm there.  July 12th thru the 26th

[River Walker]

 Hard to beat Mitchell State Park.Cadillac is great for smallies,while Mitchell is an awesome largemouth lake.Both lakes are decent for walleye,and Mitchell is awesome for big crappies.There's also a ton of stuff right near the park for the familt to do,there's a wildlife museum practically right at the park,a bunch of mini-golf places and waterslides right by there too.Some of the best rivers anywhere to canoe on are also nearby,like the Pine,or the Little and Big Manistee Rivers.

[Mojo]

     THIS IS THE GREATEST WEBSITE EVER !!!!

Keep em coming ... It will be awesome to research and choose from these recommendations.

Thanks, Dave, Dan's, & Jeff's ..

[fiker]

Bruin Lake on the Half Moon Chain.  If that park gets boring, you can drive around the chain, and go to the Half Moon State park / beach / playground. 

I'm not too far away, and we could hook up and fish for a couple of hours if you wish.

There's a couple of places around Chelsea but their names escape me.

[rsaid19fish]

I second Ludington State Park.  Good fishing on Hamlin for bass........canoe access is easy......great swimming on Lake Michigan beaches if it gets hot.  And don't forget to get some good House Of Flavors ice cream while your there.

[Firefighter Jeff]

I second Ludington State Park.  Good fishing on Hamlin for bass........canoe access is easy......great swimming on Lake Michigan beaches if it gets hot.  And don't forget to get some good House Of Flavors ice cream while your there.

Don't forget Chuckwagon Pizza  !!!

[TritonTR20]

Ft. Custer State Park. Three lakes, all no wake. One lake is shallow any weedy, the second lake is clear and gravel bottom, the third lake is the largest with an island and deep water. Very nice sandy beach. Miles of mountain bike trails and hiking trails. Large shady campsites.

[Dan]

Interlochen
Ludington
Cadillac and Mitchell
Whitewater Township Park
Aloha State Park

Interlochen is a beautiful state park. The music camp has big name concerts all summer, you are 20 minutes from Traverse City. The park has a playground and has great fishing on Duck and Green. You are also only a few miles from Long Lake which is super fishing as well. Boone's Long Lake Inn is a must stop for dinner if you go to Interlochen. There are also several other good places to stop with a range of prices in terms of eats in and around Interlochen.
Ludington gives you both the inland lake, Hamlin and the big lake, Lake Michigan. Also, Ludington has a great small town downtown. Hamlin is probably the easiest to fish and you got every species there, including muskie. Ludington is also about 40 minutes from Michigan Adventure, which is a small version of Cedar Point. It's quite a nice ride and water ride park.
Cadillac and Mitchell are good fishing, but there are always a ton of people. The lakes have a water park adjacent to them and the downtown is not a bad walk from the park. Cadillac, also has some of my favorite eateries (If you decide on Cadillac and Mitchell I'll give you my favorite eats list) and Pilgrim's Village is one of the best little bait shops, I would say the best little bait shop in northwest Michigan. On lake Mitchell there is a really nice National Forest Campground with Lake Mitchell access. Much less crowded than the state park , but you are not within walking distance of many things like you are in Cadillac.
Whitewater Township Park is a pretty little park set on the shores of Elk Lake directly across from the entrance in to Skeemog. They have a cement ramp and probably not much shore fishing but none of the aforementioned lakes
really have great shore fishing. Cadillac and Mitchell offer the most. Elk is part of the Torch Chain and is only minutes away from Elk Rapids, which is on Grand Traverse Bay. Right off the harbor at Elk Rapids very near shore is some good smallie fishing. Whitewater is only a few minutes from the Turtle Creek Casino and about 20 minutes from Traverse City.
Aloha State Park is a beautiful park with a long beach are for swimming or shore fishing. Easily accessed with a canoe. You couldn't see much of the lake, and like all big lakes has some rough water when it blows, but in a canoe all these lakes would be a pain in rough weather. Aloha is a short jaunt from Mackinaw City and a trip to the island would be a great day trip.
My one and two would be #1 Ludington, and two Interlochen, but they all would be great for a vacation and you could rotate through them all.