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Fishing

Two people fishing on a pier with fall colors in the background.

Fishing

Accessible Fishing Piers

Bald Mountain Recreation Area

Two accessible piers makes fishing available to everyone. One pier is located East Graham and one at Lower Trout Lake.

Bay City State Park

The Tobico Lagoon provides pike, carp, bass and panfish. An accessible fishing pier makes shore fishing available to all.

Brighton Recreation Area

An accessible fishing pier is located along the Access-to-Recreation Trail between the Bishop Lake day-use area and boating access site. Parking is available at the boating access site or day-use area.

Burt Lake/Veteran's Pier

Fishing pier is in Tuscarora Township in the northern Lower Peninsula.

Dodge #4 State Park

Year-round fishing has an excellent reputation for largemouth and smallmouth bass, pike, bluegill, perch and trout. Dodge #4 has recently added a universally accessible fishing pier on Cass Lake.

Fort Custer Recreation Area

Bass, blue gill, crappie, pike and channel catfish are found in all three lakes. An accessible fishing pier is located on Whitford-Lawler Lake.

Fort Wilkins State Park

Excellent walleye and splake fishing in Lake Fanny Hooe and excellent splake fishing in Copper Harbor.

Grand Haven State Park

The pier and boardwalk along the Grand River–at the mouth of the river–on the north side of the park is popular with anglers.

Hartwick Pines State Park

An accessible fishing pier is located within the park boundary at both Bright and Glory lakes, which can be accessed by car or the quarter-mile trail from the campground.

Hayes State Park

Anglers can find bluegill, sunfish, crappie, pike, muskie, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass in Wampler's Lake. During the winter, ice fishing is the park's primary activity. Fishing pier is accessible for shore fishing.

Holly Recreation Area

A variety of fish species, such as bass, bluegill, walleye, northern pike and crappie, can be found in the park’s lakes. There is an accessible fishing pier located at Heron Lake.

Island Lake Recreation Area

Four lakes and the Huron River offer a variety of fishing opportunities. An accessible fishing pier is available at Island Lake.

Ludington State Park

A fishing pier is located on Hamlin Lake, just upstream from the Hamlin Dam.

Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area

In addition to the boat launch, there are two fishing piers located Lake Minnewanna. The pier in the day use area is ADA accessible.

Mitchell State Park

There are two accessible fishing piers located at either end of Clam Lake Canal. A  third accessible pier is located next to the playground area in the campground.

Muskegon State Park

An accessible fishing pier is available along the channel walkway.

Newaygo State Park

There is a small section of shoreline near the channel that is well suited for shore fishing.

Otsego Lake State Park

For those without a boat, the park has an accessible fishing pier. Fishing is generally good year-round. Species include bluegill, perch, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike and sturgeon. An ADA accessible boardwalk leads to the North Beach swimming area.

Pinckney Recreation Area

Pier fishing is available at Silver Lake and Crooked Lake. Shore fishing is available at Silver Lake.

Pontiac Lake Recreation Area

For anglers, Pontiac Lake offers excellent fishing for bass, pike and panfish. Two new accessible fishing piers are located at the Pontiac Lake Beach Area.

Port Crescent State Park

A universally accessible fishing deck is available at the day-use area along the Pinnebog River.

Rifle River Recreation Area

An accessible fishing pier is located on Grebe Lake.

Seven Lakes State Park

Bluegill, bass, pike, tiger muskie and catfish can be found in the various lakes to challenge anglers of all ages. An accessible fishing pier is located on Dickinson Lake.

Silver Lake State Park

Silver Lake is stocked with walleye; however, fishing is more popular during the non-summer months due to heavy boat traffic.

Sleepy Hollow State Park

Lake Ovid has proven to be a very popular fishing lake with a wide variety of fish such as muskie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, crappie, rock bass, perch, catfish and bullheads. Two fishing piers are available as well as access to various shore fishing sites.

Sterling State Park

The park is known for its walleye fishing. Shore fishing is possible at Sterling's three lagoons, three fishing piers and on the River Raisin.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Brown trout, walleye, northern muskie, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and more are frequently caught in the Tahquamenon River. ADA accessible shore fishing is available at the Rivermouth Campground.

Tippy Dam Recreation Area

Accessible to the Manistee River just below Tippy Dam Hydro Dam. Fall is great for salmon fishing and spring for steelhead fishing, open year round.

Waterloo Recreation Area

Fishing piers are located at Big Portage and Crooked lakes. The pier at Big Portage Lake is the only one considered universally accessible by ADA Guidelines. Bass, panfish and pike can be found in the many lakes in Waterloo Recreation Area.

Wilderness State Park

The southside of Waugoshance Point is a popular destination for smallmouth bass fishing and fly fishing for carp.

Yankee Springs Recreation Area

A barrier-free fishing pier provides access to the Gun Lake Channel.

Additional easy-access fishing locations

Looking for more fishing opportunities? The Family Friendly Fishing Waters project provides additional information about fishing places in Michigan that are easy to access.

Marine Exemption Certificate

People with disabilities may have the opportunity to operate a vessel using an electric motor at slow no-wake speed on portions of waterways in Michigan that prohibit motorized vessels.