Mona Lake Park

There's a lot of confusion here. The Mona Lake Boat Club operates right nearby and is members-only. The actual public launch at Mona Lake Park is a separate thing — look for the city-administered ramp, not the club. If someone turns you away, you're probably at the wrong spot.

$15 for residents, $20 for non-residents just to launch — that's steep for a smaller inland lake. If you're going out regularly, it adds up fast. No annual pass that I've seen, so every trip hits the wallet.

Two lanes, decent surface, and you can get in and out without much fuss. For a city-run launch it's surprisingly well maintained. 41 trailer spots means you're not fighting for parking on most days, though summer weekends can tighten up by mid-morning.

The courtesy piers aren't accessible, so loading and unloading passengers at the dock is awkward. You'll want to drop people at the shore or have them wade a bit. The fishing pier nearby is usable, but that doesn't help you tie off while you park your trailer.

Mona Lake flows into Lake Michigan through the channel, which is a nice bonus — you can run out to the big lake if your boat handles it. Sandy bottom throughout most of the lake keeps things clean. Decent pike and panfish water without the Muskegon Lake crowds.