A couple of friends and I are looking to go camping in the late spring/summer up in the U.P. and I am just posting here to see if anyone has some personal preferences with campgrounds up that way. I am obviously going to do a good amount of research on the web, but thought any personal experience would help too. Not looking for anything really busy and we will be camping in a tent. We would also like to catch fish (panfish, walleye, pike) for some meals so a site with a nice lake would be great, but not looking for a huge body of water as we will only have a canoe.
I camp at Pentoga Park every year. The park sits right on Chicagon Lake but has close(less than an hour) access to several other Muskie lakes as well as non Muskie lakes. The time of year you're looking at shouldn't be too busy. $20/night for out of county residents. On top of the you're 15 minutes from Riverside Pizza in Iron River, can't beat that!
"BMF" said:
What type of camping are you considering: All amenities, electricity, water(hand pump), vault toilets, or full rustic?
Basically full rustic, but a site with a hand pump and bathroom facilities wouldn't be bad. We don't want a state park where people are 'camping' with campers. We want wilderness with hiking trails, fishing options, wildlife, etc.
If water levels are back up Kingston is a very nice experience. Good fish and great cabbage. Real chance at 50 inch fish with many mid 40,s . Quiet and remote. If ging over by the west side skip Pentoga as its a smoky dust bowl. Instead camp at Bewabic state park which is just outside of Crystal Falls. Lots of shade and a much quieter campground. You will be close to Chicagon, Emily, The Paint river, Smokey and Stanley lakes. Smokey is a must fish if you get out that way. Mike
Van Riper State Park on Lake Michigamme just west of Marquette is a great place to camp non rustic style if you have a camper and whatnot and it also has some rustic sites further back in the woods but theres showers/restrooms and everything so its not very rustic at all really. The lake is great for walleye, smallmouth, big pike as well as muskie. The lake is fairly big for a canoe tho so you would have to target the smaller bays and hope the wind isnt bad. Never stayed at this place but have used it alot for the showering facilities after a long week in the woods nearby.
In the same area right off of highway 41 is some state land also part of Van Riper that goes along the Peshekee River that you can tent on and they also have a small cabin you can rent. Its alot more rustic than the actual state park campground but youll see hikers from time to time. The river can be some good fishing too for walleyes and pike. Theres a water pump up by the cabin nearer to the road that you can walk to when you need it and an outhouse there too.
Craig Lake State Park is a little further west and is one of the most rustic places to camp in the state. Craig Lake is pretty big but motorized boats are not allowed so canoes are your best bet. You can tent anywhere on the lake or rent one of the 2 cabins on the lake and the fishing is awesome. There are special regulations on the lake tho where the minimum size for bass is 18 inches I think and pike are catch and release only. Muskies are catch and release only as well which is real nice. Walleyes have a smaller size limit of 13 inches I think, but you might want to double check that first. Theres tons of crappie there too for food. Scenery is amazing, wildlife the best. Loons all over the place, several pairs of eagles nesting in the area, seen a pretty rare falcon up there once too. Always a chance to see moose and bear too. There are also 2 other great fishing lakes with a portage from Craig called Crooked and Clair. Crooked has monster pike and millions of crappie. Clair has millions or smallmouth and some big pike and muskie as well. Cant camp on Clair but you can portage in for a day of fishing. Crooked has several campsites with fire rings and a picnic table and raised dirt for tenting.
Sorry for the long winded post…I run on sentence alot. Long story short, Craig Lake is my favorite place in the world so I could talk about it for hours…
Big Island Lk canoeing area(near Steuben) is pretty cool. We stayed there a couple of years ago, and is 100% rustic. Foot traffic only which means its canoe only, just like Craig lk state park except you have about 1/4 mi. walk to the lake. We actually stayed on Coatail lk and is about 1/3 mi. walk but was worth it because we were the only ones on the lake. We caught plenty of pike and there's supposed to be some nice muskies too on Big Is. Lk. There's special minimum size regulations and creel limits that apply for that area which aids the trophy potential.
Ross lk, Gemini lk, and Cusino lk are all in the same area NW of Seney. These are semi-rustic ( if still open) with hand-pump and vault toilets. All three are awesome sites and probably won't be that busy any time of year. Gemini is a walleye lk. Cusino is musky lk, with pike and panfish im sure, although never fished for them. Ross is a pike, bass, panfish lk, and probably my favorite of the three. Plus they're not that far across the bridge, unless that's not an issue.
"Kingfisher" said:
If water levels are back up Kingston is a very nice experience. Good fish and great cabbage. Real chance at 50 inch fish with many mid 40,s . Quiet and remote.
Kingston is an awesome campground. I was there this fall and moved a couple low 40's just fishing from shore. (Didnt have my boat with me…long story) Hopefully the water is up a bit. I probably would have had some trouble getting my boat in even if I did have it with me (alot of sand). That said it is an absolutely awesome area.
Also McKeever Lake has a cool campsite just west of the launch on a point that juts out into the lake. You'll have to carry your stuff in on a trail that starts and is marked with a sign at the launch (or you could boat it in). I think you may need to reserve this site in advance also. <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
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Yep! Kingston lake has a real nice campground with 16 sites. I've camped there with my boys a few times when they were young and a few times more recently. There is a nice trail leading to Superior from Kingston and is in close proximity to other lakes. There are some great spots along the western UP as well. Not sure how far you want to travel.
"TimD" said:
Yep! Kingston lake has a real nice campground with 16 sites.
Used to be one of my family's favorite camping desitinations. Unfortunately, spearing has raked it to a pittance of what the fishing was circa 2005. Others in the club can testify to the serious overharvest going on there…think 5 or 6 fish/day sounds bad?? – try 3 times that!!! Still a fun place to visit…but between the walleye stocking/sucker crash and the HEAVY spearing take…we have crossed it off our list. If you are not big fish crazy, still a good place to go. Bring wide, deflated tires on your 4X4 though unless the water comes up 3'!
I'm not really looking for a musky lake, just any lake that I can catch a meal from pretty easily. I did look at kingston and it is one of my choices, but would I be able to catch a handful of hammer-handles there pretty easily and would I be able to fish it pretty easily just in a canoe with no motor of any kind?
"MattG_braith" said:
You cant tent anywhere on the lake or rent one of the 2 cabins on the lake and the fishing is awesome. There are special regulations on the lake tho where the minimum size for bass is 18 inches I think and pike are catch and release only. Muskies are catch and release only as well which is real nice. Walleyes have a smaller size limit of 13 inches I think, but you might want to double check that first.
Did you mean I CAN tent anywhere or CAN'T?
"jasonvkop" said:
[quote="Pete"]Bring wide, deflated tires on your 4X4 though unless the water comes up 3'!
Is this if you are launching a boat from a trailer or just getting to the campsite?
Just launching. But you know, if you are looking mostly for an all species focus, I would avoid Kingston. Long story, but some poor management of that lake has really nixed the other options that once existed. I would look further west…tons of good choices near the border. Or do the Michigamme deal and let your buddies crush the world class rockbass!
"Pete" said:
But you know, if you are looking mostly for an all species focus, I would avoid Kingston.
Okay, thanks! As I said, the lake doesn't even need muskies in it at all. My friends aren't fishermen and would only be able to reel in a spinnerbait on a spinning rod so I am just looking for a lake that they can have good action from pike/walleye. However, if there is a lake that has good action from little pike with the chance of catching a musky, that would be a plus. I'm really leaning towards Craig Lake right now as the portages and scenery sound great, but if the pike fishing is all catch&release then we probably wouldn't be able to go there.
Blind Sucker Flooding just east of Grand Marais would be a good choice. Nice canoe water, rustic campground on the water and can't miss for pike action. Kingston and Cusino do not have any pike. You are not going to be able to beat the Superior shore and especially the Pictured Rocks area for hiking trails.
"jasonvkop" said:
[quote="MattG_braith"]
You cant tent anywhere on the lake or rent one of the 2 cabins on the lake and the fishing is awesome. There are special regulations on the lake tho where the minimum size for bass is 18 inches I think and pike are catch and release only. Muskies are catch and release only as well which is real nice. Walleyes have a smaller size limit of 13 inches I think, but you might want to double check that first.
Did you mean I CAN tent anywhere or CAN'T?
Ooops. Definitly meant CAN tent anywhere. Sorry.
"jasonvkop" said:
[quote="Pete"]
But you know, if you are looking mostly for an all species focus, I would avoid Kingston.
Okay, thanks! As I said, the lake doesn't even need muskies in it at all. My friends aren't fishermen and would only be able to reel in a spinnerbait on a spinning rod so I am just looking for a lake that they can have good action from pike/walleye. However, if there is a lake that has good action from little pike with the chance of catching a musky, that would be a plus. I'm really leaning towards Craig Lake right now as the portages and scenery sound great, but if the pike fishing is all catch&release then we probably wouldn't be able to go there.
Yeah Craig has tons of good eater sized pike in there in that 24-30 range but the C&R regs check them off the list on possible food fish but in a way the rule serves its purpose as I have never been to a lake that has produced more 40+"ers pike wise which are just as fun to catch as any 40 inch muskie.
"Pete" said:
[quote="TimD"]Yep! Kingston lake has a real nice campground with 16 sites.
Used to be one of my family's favorite camping desitinations. Unfortunately, spearing has raked it to a pittance of what the fishing was circa 2005. Others in the club can testify to the serious overharvest going on there…think 5 or 6 fish/day sounds bad?? – try 3 times that!!! Still a fun place to visit…but between the walleye stocking/sucker crash and the HEAVY spearing take…we have crossed it off our list. If you are not big fish crazy, still a good place to go. Bring wide, deflated tires on your 4X4 though unless the water comes up 3'!
Pete, I was merely referring to the camping aspect. Kingston is a great spot for camping. There is also the little Beaver campground not to far away that's near Superior and offers better fishing.
"MattG_braith" said:
Yeah Craig has tons of good eater sized pike in there in that 24-30 range but the C&R regs check them off the list on possible food fish but in a way the rule serves its purpose as I have never been to a lake that has produced more 40+"ers pike wise which are just as fun to catch as any 40 inch muskie.
Since we are not able to keep pike to eat, is the pan-fishing good enough to feed us on multiple days just using little curly-tail jigs as the lake is artificial bait only? Not being able to keep pike might be a good thing as my friends would easily be able to fish for panfish without any trouble and it would also cut down on the fishing gear.
Is the road into Craig decent enough for a regular car or do you need a 4-wheel drive truck/SUV?
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