I've been going here for as long as I can remember. Apparently, it's one of the most popular…read moretourist places in Michigan... mainly just so your kids can jump off the dam and go swimming. The campground itself is very rustic: no electricity, hand water pump, outhouse toilets. The park is free to enter and is a popular fishing spot. The dammed side of the river is very rocky and strong current, and the water level fluctuates from flooding into the forest to a bunch of rocks depending on the season. It certainly offers a rewarding fishing challenge if you can fight off the crayfish, snags, and kids jumping in the way to splash in the water. For a better fishing experience, go to the lake side. Shore fishing is met with blobs of grass and minimal catches, but if you take a small boat out into the reservoir, it's filled with sizeable bluegill, smallmouth bass, and the elusive northern pike. I go to this area several times a year for fishing, photographs, and nostalgia.

Captain Todd and First mate Mike were great hosts on a clean and well run boat! We limited out on…read moreLake trout and caught a nice 22lb. King as well. My sons and I highly recommend this boat and crew!

My husband, 10 year old son, and I had a wonderful time fishing with Captain Todd and First Mate,…read moreAustin. We targeted King Salmon, & my son, who was afraid to let go of the seat on the boat at first, ended up reeling in 4 big fish by himself...altogether we caught more Salmon than our freezer will hold! (apparently this was not even what Captain Todd considers a big catch!) We stayed out later than promised and caught a gorgeous sunset as well as quite a few extra fish. Captain Todd and Austin cleaned them all for us so they were ready for our midnight meal. I wouldn't look anywhere else for charter fishing in Northwest MI! We are guaranteed to be back out on the boat with Captain Todd next time we're in Traverse City!

This is such a charming little village. We enjoyed a morning here, strolling around, checking out…read morethe bookstore coffee shop, grabbing lunch and having a picnic overlooking the water in the historic buildings. Definitely recommend give yourself a few hours to check out Fishtown and learn about the history of the fishing culture found in this village. For those into Coffee, I highly recommend checking out little boat Coffee. It was quite the delight. The neighborhood definitely reminded me of some of the fishing villages in New England.

We had such a fun time exploring Fishtown! I've been wanting to come here for such a long time! I…read moreenjoyed the little fishing shanties which have been turned into boutique shops. A must stop while you're here is grabbing a sandwich from the Village Cheese Shanty and stopping by the marina to eat. These sandwiches are amazing!!! I can't wait to come back and try a few restaurants one with a famous bloody Mary and white fish

If you are someone that enjoys all things fish & info this is a great self guided tour that we…read morereally enjoyed! Would do this again in different time of year. Super neat!

Free to visit. Self guided tour. Plenty of Free Parking. Open daily 8:00-4:00. Plenty of fish to…read moresee . Platte River is right behind the buildings. Picture museum is very interesting.

An amazingly calm lake. Came here to watch the sunset one evening and just had to come back the…read morenext day for some fishing. Seems to be somewhat of a "hidden gem," as our group was alone the whole time. There are some trails around the lake as well, so there are various other activities to do here. The lake is meant for only sixteen years or younger children to fish in as noted by the sign. We managed to catch a bass which was exciting. The water was very calm. We occasionally pulled out some weeds but that's to be expected. We will definitely be returning.

Captain Gage took us out on a half day trip last season and to say the least it was fantastic. Gage…read moreensured that not only did we have a good time, but also that we caught fish! He truly knows what he's doing out there and it shows with his professionalism and hospitable attitude. Thanks Gage!

From the owner: Cutler's Catch offers guided fishing trips on the pristine inland lakes along scenic highway M-22…read more We specialize in targeting four of northwest Michigan's inland lake species: lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, and perch, but often catch other species such as steelhead, northern pike, and rock bass.

Austin and Parker were the best captain and first mate duo! They were patient with our youngest…read morewith his questions. We caught several trout during our midday charter. Everyone caught at least one. We did catch and release since we didn't have means for cooking but they made sure we got pictures with our fish. Easy to park and board the boat. Would go with them again!

Had a great time with these guys. Only 3 of us went out for Trout fishing. Limited out in under 2…read morehours. Toked around the bay for another hour and came in for breakfast. The captain & mate were very good! Brought home more fish than we can eat anytime soon. Glad I prepared and brought my vacuum sealer!

Great Lake fun for everyone. Not super packed and great for water skiing and tubing. Lots of good…read morefishing out here as well.

One of the things I hate most about the breakup with the ex is not getting to go visit his family's…read morelake cabins on Lake Bellaire. When I used to come up here I would be so surprised that the lake bottom was sandy and that the water was clear. What a shocker right?? This lake is the perfect size. It's small enough that as a good swimmer you can swim across it, but large enough that you can take out the ski boat and ski, pontoon boat and relax, or sail on the catamaran. Being part of the Chain of Lakes means that it's connected, through a series of rivers, to multiple other lakes so you can spend the day boating through nature areas and rivers to gain access to other local lakes. You can also boat your way over to the Dockside, park, and hang out on the porch. The other great thing about this lake is that it is located next to some really cute little towns like Bellaire and Alden. Day trips out to Traverse City (the only large city around) take about 45 minutes and Charlevoix is close as well. For a slightly longer trip away, about 2 1/2 hours, you could go to Mackinac Island which is an island filled with historic houses and no cars, only horse and buggies are allowed (in the summer at least). Finally, my favorite thing about Lake Bellaire is the fact that the majority of lake cabins are truly cabins, not monstrosities of the like that line the shores of southern lakes. You really feel like you are going back in time and that there is nothing better than a day at the lake minus tv and outside influences.

My family and I have been on fishing charters with the awesome Captain Tony the past three summers,…read moreJune 2021, 2022, and 2023, and I can say he delivers a memorable charter fishing experience every time. The very first charter in 2021 we headed out to catch lake trout, and he knew exactly where to go. We took turns catching many excellent fish and then my father-in-law asked Captain Tony if there was any luck we could catch a king salmon. He knew a place, and the odds were against us since it was early in the season, but we pulled up a beauty. We took our haul to Carlson's in Leland to have the fish cleaned up, and took some of it to The Cove to have a "fish party" with the whole family. This repeated each year, but in 2022, we caught our record breaker, a 20+lbs Lake Trout. He had his new boat starting this year, and it was awesome, with comfortable places to sit out of the elements. And this year, 2023, we got up extra early at Captain Tony's advice in order to seek out king salmon! We traveled out to just off the shores of North Manitou Island, and sure enough, we caught 4 beautiful king salmon, including my father-in-law pulling up a 20lbs beauty! Captain Tony is always friendly, fun, makes great conversation, and always has friendly and helpful first mates. Both the Captain and mate are great with everyone of all ages who come aboard, asking questions, making conversation, and keeping people involved in the process. He shows you how he baits and put out his reels, can tell you how deep the fish are, a bit about the geology of the lake, and more. When the fish are biting, they are always excited, "Fish on!" and the next person in line, jumps up and gets to attempt to reel in that fish! If you are in to fishing, and want to have a great time, give Captain Tony a call with Reelin' Leland!

My Pack and I came up from Northern KY for the week got to go out twice. Captain Tony and his crew…read moreare top notch. We had some heavy winds and he made the correct decisions to play it differently, which landed us some of the biggest gains! Both days across multiple charters who also went out. Extremely knowledgeable/ifficent while being engaging in a brother you never met kind of way. Will be seeing you soon!!

Trip was awesome! My son and I could not have asked for a more relaxed outing. Getting on the fish…read moreright away and staying busy the entire trip out. Captain Dave answered every possible question a 12 year old could have asked. It was our first time on Lake Michigan and we will definitely be back to go out with Tiny Bubbles again!

Dave and crew never disappoint. Fished 3 days and caught our limit - even got back to dock early…read moreeach day!