Emily Lake State Forest Campground Boat Launch

Emily Lake is best suited for canoes, kayaks, and small fishing boats — think 14-footers with trolling motors. It's a quiet little UP lake, not somewhere you're bringing a 20-foot walleye rig.

The lakeshore is weedy and full of submerged sticks and debris. Don't plan on wading near the ramp to guide your trailer — you'll tear up your legs. The dock is there, use it.

Only four trailer spots, but this lake sees almost zero traffic. You're in rural Houghton County at a 10-site rustic campground — I've never competed for ramp space here. Campers who fish tend to leave small boats beached at their sites anyway.

The road in gets plowed in winter, but nothing beyond that. If you're hauling in an ice fishing setup, bring a snow shovel and expect to do some work clearing the launch area and parking yourself.

Bass, perch, bluegill, and supposedly rainbow trout are all in here. Nothing trophy-sized, but steady action. The steady breeze off the lake keeps the bugs manageable most of the summer — most, not all. Mid-August mosquitoes are no joke.