Burt Lake State Park

This is the big one — head straight west out of the launch and stay in the 3-4 foot channel, or you'll be scraping bottom fast. There's no room to wander north or south until you're well offshore. The channel buoys are there but unlit, so evening retrieval in the fall can be tricky.

The whole launch area got a major upgrade — fresh pavement, three proper lanes, and dredging work in the channel. It's night-and-day compared to what it used to be. Even 24-foot pontoons slide in and out without drama. The docks are functional but packed tight together, so take it slow if you're wide.

Burt Lake is big and open, and this launch sits on the southeast shore. When the wind kicks up out of the north, it pushes right into the ramp area. Loading and unloading gets sloppy, and that shallow water near the launch stirs up even more. If a north blow is forecast, plan your retrieval earlier in the day.

76 trailer spots means you're almost never circling for a space, even on a peak July Saturday. You do need a Michigan State Park Recreation Passport — no separate launch fee, but no passport means no entry. Vault toilets near the ramp are functional but rough around the edges, so set your expectations accordingly.

There's no working light at the docks and the channel buoys are unlit. If you're fishing into the evening, pulling out after sunset is a white-knuckle exercise navigating that shallow stretch blind. Bring a good spotlight and have someone on the bow watching depth.