Lake Dubonnet State Forest Campground Boat Launch

Lake Dubonnet is a flooded forest — the reservoir was created by damming the Platte River in 1956 over cut-down woods. There are submerged stumps and tree structure all over the bottom, especially as you move away from the launch. Great for panfish and bass habitat, terrible for props. Keep your motor trimmed up and go slow until you know the lake.

Nine trailer spots is all you get, and by mid-day they're spoken for — especially on weekends and holidays. If you're launching here, get there early morning or plan a weekday trip. There's no real overflow option; once it's full, it's full.

This is not a deep-water fishery. The whole lake runs shallow with a soft, mucky bottom — it was literally called Big Mud Lake and Little Mud Lake before the dam went in. Larger boats are overkill here. Kayaks, canoes, and small aluminum jon boats are the move.

Weekdays are peaceful, but holiday weekends — especially around the Fourth of July — can get rowdy. The campground surrounds the launch area, and big groups roll in with generators, music, and fireworks. DNR patrol is sparse out here. If you just want to launch and fish, stick to Tuesday through Thursday.

You're heading down a dirt road to get here, so after heavy rain it can get soft and rutted. Nothing impassable for a truck and trailer, but it's not exactly a paved state park entrance. The upside is you're only a couple miles from Interlochen if you need gas or supplies.