Maxton Bay Boat Launch

This launch is on Drummond Island in Maxton Bay (also called Scott's Bay), so you're taking the DeTour ferry to get here. Factor in ferry wait times during peak summer weekends — Friday afternoons can stack up. Once on the island, the roads to the launch are straightforward but unpaved in spots.

Maxton Bay is well-sheltered, which makes this a fantastic launch when Lake Huron is kicking up. You can fish walleye, smallmouth, and lake trout in the surrounding waters without fighting a big chop just to get off the ramp. Early summer herring and whitefish runs draw a crowd, but by mid-July the pressure drops off.

One lane and 23 trailer spots — that's fine most of the time since Drummond Island isn't exactly overrun. But during walleye opener and the first couple weeks of July, you'll want to launch early. By 8 AM on a Saturday in peak season, the lot can fill up and there's no real overflow option nearby.

The ramp can get shallow at the end, especially later in the season when Lake Huron levels dip. If you're running anything with a deep draft, check how far you need to back in before committing. Smaller boats and aluminum rigs are no problem, but a heavy walleye boat might scrape in low-water years.

Even though the bay is protected, sustained north or northwest winds can make conditions out past the bay mouth pretty ugly. I've seen stretches of three or more days where you just can't get out to the good lake trout water. Plan a few extra days if fishing is the main goal.