Craft & Seasonality
✓
Motorboat ✓
Kayak / Canoe ✓
Jet Ski / PWC ✗
Large 22ft+ ✗
Winter Access Site Details
Conditions change rapidly due to water levels, prop wash, and weather. Always visually inspect before backing down.
RampPaved, 1 lane
Dock1 boating pier · ADA
Trailer Parking7 spots · gravel
Vehicle-Only5 spots
FeeMI Recreation Passport (annual, on vehicle registration)
Hours4 AM – 11 PM
RestroomsVault toilet (1)
PierYes
AIS StationDecontamination tools on-site
AccessibilityAccessible piers, restrooms.
Not Available Fish cleaning · Fishing pier
Scout's Notes
Ramp Quirks & Etiquette
Difficult Launch
Multiple reviewers warn about this site. The ramp is very shallow, the dock is too short, and getting a larger boat out of the water is genuinely difficult — one reviewer couldn't retrieve a 24-foot pontoon without getting in the water. Several reviewers recommend going to the county park instead.
Access Road Problems
Bumpy road with low-hanging trees getting to the ramp. When leaving, do NOT turn right — it's a dead end with no turnaround. Impossible to turn a trailer around. Turn left only.
Submerged Hazard
A large rock sits to the south of the dock just below the surface. Easy to float into, especially when launching or retrieving. Stay to the north side.
Only DNR Launch
Despite the issues, this is the only DNR launch on an 8,194-acre lake with only 7 trailer spots. Whitewater Township Park on the west shore is the recommended alternative. For a lake this size, the launch infrastructure is seriously inadequate.
The Lake Itself
Once you're past the ramp, Elk Lake is spectacular — Michigan's second deepest at 195 feet, emerald green water, crystal clear. The launch struggles don't reflect the lake quality.
Sources: Google Reviews (2015–2025), DNR GIS data, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
About This Lake
Elk Lake →