Nepessing Lake Boat Launch

Only 16 trailer spots and they go quick — weekend mornings in summer you need to be there by 7 or you're out of luck. Worse, people park cars without trailers in the long spots, eating up space that trucks and trailers need. There's no signage separating car parking from trailer parking, so it's a constant headache.

The lake is shallow for a good distance off the ramp. You'll be idling for a while before it's deep enough to get on plane, so use your depth finder and don't try to hammer it early. Not a great lake for jet skis or bigger boats — it's more of a kayak, bass boat, and small outboard kind of place.

The dock is short and the road alignment means you have to pull across the roadway to straighten out with the ramp before backing in. With a longer trailer it's a bit of a dance. Single lane, so if someone's struggling, everyone waits.

Rattlesnakes have been spotted near the launch area — Metamora Hadley is known massasauga territory. Keep an eye on the ground when you're walking around the ramp, especially in tall grass on warm days.

By midsummer the lake gets weedy, particularly in the shallower bays. Great structure for bass and pike if you're fishing, but it can foul props and make navigation annoying. The sandbar area out on the lake is a popular hangout spot, so expect boat traffic to cluster there on hot days.