Cedar River State Harbor Boat Launch

You're launching into the Cedar River but Lake Michigan is right there too. The harbor is well-protected, so even on days when the big lake is kicking up, you can get in and out without drama. Great staging point if you want to fish the river mouth or head offshore.

92 trailer spots plus overflow at the marina — I've never seen this place full. Even on summer holiday weekends there's room to spare. The facility is frankly oversized for the traffic it gets, which works in your favor.

Come September and October, this becomes a surprisingly quiet spot to target trout and salmon staging at the river mouth. Bring a kayak or small dinghy and paddle upriver — the Cedar is scenic and fishable well upstream of the launch.

For a U.P. launch, the facilities punch way above their weight: clean showers, bathrooms, electric hookups, even free loaner bicycles and a washer/dryer. Staff at the harbor are genuinely helpful. It feels more like a well-run small marina than a state ramp.

If you're trailering up US-35 along the Lake Michigan shore, this is the best break point between Menominee and Escanaba. Picnic tables, walking paths, dog-friendly grounds, and real restrooms — not just a vault toilet in a gravel lot.