Places to boat in your state.

[Instigator]

Been thinking of doing this for yrs and never have.

With almost all of us having trailer boats we can travel.

So what and where??

Im going to start a thread on my home state of Ohio.
I’ll post what I know snd where.

If you guys think this is a good idea, those of you that know your area, post it up.
I would say keep it to a thread per state though as that’s what’s slowed me down on doing this.

Can see it easily going sideways w/10 threads per state.

Maybe Greg Will weigh in w/ideas.

When I was selling boats I always told my customers to use your boat for what it was intended not for what you want.

As in, don’t take a little boat to big water or a big boat to little water.

Our huge bonus is being able to go wherever we want.

My next-door neighbor just bought a 22 foot sea ray cuddy cabin and we have a weekend planned a couple of weeks from now for Lake Erie and the weather forecast is for ****.

So as we get close, when we watch the weather forecast and see sunshine in different areas and know where to go that would be huge.

So, post what you know as in:

Ramps, size, condition.

Size/shape of body water, depth etc.
Calm, rough, busy times.

Places to stay.

How bad is the law.

Types of boats that frequent there.

Popular events/activities etc.

Manor towns that it’s close to.


Gary

[Michael J Giesler]

Well Wisconsin has over 15,000 lakes and countless rivers

[David]

Unlike you, I keep the boats on lifts at the cottage on a good sized lake. We are on the Trent Severn system so I can do day trips without trailering.

Some years my brother does towing and we run a different part of the Trent system or take a Muskoka lake tour. Now that we are retired, he would like to explore lakes/ rivers further away. I would like to get a vehicle to tow with and perhaps meet up with other fast boaters.

Basically I have it made. Is gloating bad form?

[G-Train]

Hardy Dam pond, Newago County, Michigan.
17 Miles of River backwater. Some very open, and some normal river width toward north end.
All types of boats, STV, Skater, Eliminator, HTM, Cigarette, etc. As well as houseboats, runabouts, plenty of pontoons.
Gets pretty choppy on a warm weekend. All holiday weekends are very busy. 1st weekend after Labor Day is Hot Boat (Hardy Gras). literally 1000 boats of all types...drunk fest in some spots.
Lodging would be best in Big Rapids, MI. plenty of nice campgrounds with good launches and camping if you prefer to camp.
Cops are pretty reasonable, but they have to keep the mayhem to a minimum at times.
Love it there, can find open water, or a calm spot for speed runs...Just not very many beaches to pull up to. Any sandy spot is usually full at the shore.
Have fun Gary...I miss the Rumble sooo much.
G

[JPEROG]

Gary,

Trailer that boat down to Lake Cumberland (Summerset KY.). There are several launches, crystal clear water, tons of coves to overnight in. You are headed South so temps should be better then in OH. I am guessing its a 4 or 5 hour drive for you guys. We will be there for the poker run week in Sept. It is as clear as the lakes in Northern Michigan but much warmer (I dare to say its some of the best boating I have ever experienced). If you want big time activity, then head to LOTO but it would be a full day run (9 hours or so).

Joe

[Instigator]

Great info guys, thanks!!

Exactly what I’m looking for.

Was trying to remember the Hardy Dam gig…..
And I miss the Rumble too.

Joe, been to Dale Hollow.
Same area, same style/surroundings.
And agreed on all.

Started this thread for everybody else’s information but now that my Convincor conversion is mechanically functional I’m liking the idea of where we can go with it on weekend trips.

I think I have scared the Mrs one too many times on Lake Erie in a small boat so someplace with a little bit more predictable water conditions would probably get me brownie points :-)

[rgsauger]

Very cool thread. Dittos on Cumberland in ky and dale hollow.

[moatorbotin]

Michigan.

Burt Lake
Mullet Lake
Lake St Clair - The channels, muskamoot and fisher bays, the lake on good days
Saginaw River
Higgins Lake
Torch Lake
Hardy Dam

[FUJIMO]

Having lunch on Lake Murray SC today. That’s one lake I would love to run on. So lake Norman NC or Lake Murray SC….up in the air which one I retire on��. Either way I like both lakes and I am an East coast person, never thought I could live without the ocean. Good thread.

...any enforced speed limits on those two lakes?...

[JPEROG]

Having lunch on Lake Murray SC today. That’s one lake I would love to run on. So lake Norman NC or Lake Murray SC….up in the air which one I retire on��. Either way I like both lakes and I am an East coast person, never thought I could live without the ocean. Good thread.

Both are great, (Norman is pricy), but it still gets cold up there and it gets really hot as well. Central and Northern FL. is hard to beat if you are going to have one house. I am very fortunate and thankful to have FL. and LOTO to bounce between and I am pretty sure that I have less in 4 houses then I would have in one nice one on Lake Norman.

Joe

[David]

If you really want an adventure, you could do the loop. Lake Erie to Welland Canal to Lake Ontario to Trent Canal to Lake Couchiching (visit me) to Georgian Bay to Lake Huron to St Clair River to Lake St Clair to Detroit River to Lake Erie. I used to have a customer who's family did that loop in the 70s. Except that they did not stop to visit me.

A Trent-Severn Mini-Loop Adventure (canadianyachting.ca)

[Instigator]

I have looked at that.

Only logistical part I didn’t like was all of the locks in the canal.

BTW, ran my first Sonic on Rice Lake in Ontario and loved it.

As a kid on pops cruiser, we did 3wk cruises every summer.

Cross Lake Erie, up the Detroit River, cross Lake St Clair, up the Sinclair River and into Lake Huron.
Then we would do west shoreline up to Mackinaw Island and the next yr the Canadian coast line, east shore line, and into Georgian Bay, North Channel etc.

Ive been trying to replicate that trip since.

Never had the boat, time, money and weather all at the same time.

Now pondering trailering to Port Huron, throw the Convincor in and follow the Canadian shore line as far as we have time and weather for.

If you really want an adventure, you could do the loop. Lake Erie to Welland Canal to Lake Ontario to Trent Canal to Lake Couchiching (visit me) to Georgian Bay to Lake Huron to St Clair River to Lake St Clair to Detroit River to Lake Erie. I used to have a customer who's family did that loop in the 70s. Except that they did not stop to visit me.

A Trent-Severn Mini-Loop Adventure (canadianyachting.ca)

[Lake X Kid]

Pickwick where Alabama, Tennessee, and the state of Mississippi come together.

This is the last place my late, Dad had the opportunity to enjoy his last lakeshore adventure.

[Instigator]

Great post!
Thank you.

On our southern road trip last fall, we stopped to see Rob King, a boat racing friend who recently retired to a mountain top in Tennessee, 10 mins from the river.

We followed it south from his place and some of it was stunning!

Pickwick where Alabama, Tennessee, and the state of Mississippi come together.

This is the last place my late, Dad had the opportunity to enjoy his last lakeshore adventure.

[Krazymaan]

Minnesota has quite a few lakes and rivers.