Openo Park

One lane and 18 trailer spots means you're fine on weekdays, but Saturday mornings in July can stack up fast. If someone's struggling on the ramp, you're just waiting — there's no way around them.

This is your gateway into the Elk River Chain of Lakes from Intermediate Lake. You can run upstream or downstream through the chain, which makes this a surprisingly versatile launch for a small park. Way less hectic than launching at Elk Rapids or Torch Lake.

The water right off the ramp can get skinny in late summer, especially close to the edges. Stick to the center line when backing in and you'll be fine, but a deep-V hull might kiss bottom if you wander off the lane in August.

Openo is a Kearney Township lease, so don't expect anything fancy — no courtesy dock, no fish cleaning station. It's bare bones but well-maintained enough. The tradeoff is you get a peaceful put-in on a lake that doesn't get hammered like Torch or Elk.

Spring levels keep the ramp perfectly usable and the lake sees almost no pressure in May and early June. Smallmouth fishing is excellent then, and you might have the whole launch to yourself on a Tuesday morning.