Portage Township Park

For a single-lane UP launch, this one's surprisingly good at the waterline. The concrete goes deep enough that you won't be grinding your skeg even in late summer when some of these northern lakes drop. Ramp was replaced in '99 and it's held up well.

You're launching into Cooks Bay on the south end of South Manistique Lake. It's a sheltered spot, so you're not fighting wind and chop trying to load the boat — a real advantage over more exposed launches on a lake this size. From here you've got a straight run northeast into the main basin.

Eleven trailer spots and one lane, but this isn't a high-traffic launch. Even on a Saturday morning in July you'll find a spot. The lake's 4,000 acres with relatively light pressure compared to anything downstate.

Gate hours are 5am to 11pm. If you're planning a late walleye bite that stretches past dark, keep an eye on the clock — you don't want your trailer locked in overnight at a township park in the middle of Mackinac County.