Black Lake State Forest Campground Boat Launch

The lake bottom is sandy but incredibly shallow — you'll be wading out a long way before it gets any depth. Low water periods in summer can make launching anything bigger than a small fishing boat a real chore off that single lane. Scout the ramp before you back in, especially late season.

Only 12 trailer spots, and this campground is genuinely popular — especially on summer weekends. The lower campground fills early, and the boat launch parking gets tangled up with campers, day-users, and ORV rigs from the upper area. If you're planning a Saturday morning launch, get there early or you're parking creative.

There's a bar right next door on the north end that cranks live music on weekends. It doesn't affect your launch, but if you're hanging around the ramp area or camping lakeside, expect it to carry well past dark on Friday and Saturday nights.

The road gets plowed in winter, which is unusual for a state forest campground launch. If you're chasing pike or walleye through the ice and need vehicle access to get gear lakeside, this is one of the few options on Black Lake that stays open year-round.

The upper campground is ORV-approved, so dirt bikes and side-by-sides are constantly rolling through the area. The lower campground near the lake and ramp prohibits them, but enforcement is spotty. Don't be surprised if you're sharing the access road with trail machines, especially on busy weekends.