State park
Petoskey State Park
A mile of Lake Michigan beach on Little Traverse Bay between Petoskey and Harbor Springs, with wooded dunes and the climb up Old Baldy.
About 4 miles away (straight line)
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Crooked Lake
A broad, shallow all-sports lake east of Petoskey that starts the Inland Waterway, with marinas and rentals in Oden and Alanson and slow channels at each end.
Crooked Lake is an all-sports lake and the start of the Inland Waterway. Ski, tube or sail on the open lake, rent a pontoon or WaveRunner in Oden or Alanson, or set out from here toward Burt and Mullett lakes and on to Lake Huron.
The open water has no special local limits. Take it slow in the channel to Pickerel Lake and on the Crooked River through Alanson, where no-wake rules apply.
The lake is broad and mostly shallow. It covers about 2,371 acres in Emmet County east of Petoskey, roughly three and a half miles long and nearly two miles wide. The average depth is under 10 feet, with wide weedy flats that shelter fish, but a basin west of Oden Island drops to about 61 feet.
There are two marinas on the shore. Ryde Marine at Alanson rents slips, sells fuel and rents everything from fishing boats to Sunfish sailboats, and Windjammer Marina in Oden rents pontoons and WaveRunners. The DNR launch is small and shallow, so it suits smaller trailered boats.
The route east leaves by the Crooked River, passing Alanson on the way to Burt Lake. On the other side, a channel connects to Pickerel Lake, and the two lakes together form the headwaters of the chain. From there it crosses the tip of the Lower Peninsula to Lake Huron at Cheboygan. The small communities of Oden and Conway sit along the shore.
On the water
Motorboats and rules
The open lake has no special limits listed, but the channel to Pickerel Lake is slow no-wake, and so is the Crooked River where it runs through Alanson.
Boating
This is where the Inland Waterway starts: a 38-mile chain of lakes and rivers that runs through the Crooked River, Burt Lake, the Indian River, Mullett Lake and the Cheboygan River to Lake Huron. Boat, kayak and sailing businesses operate on the lake, so you can rent or learn here before you set out.
Connected waters
Crooked Lake is the start of the 38-mile Inland Waterway. From here you can boat down the Crooked River, across Burt Lake, along the Indian River, across Mullett Lake and down the Cheboygan River to Lake Huron.
Good to know
Known invasive species in Crooked and Pickerel lakes include curly-leaf pondweed and zebra and quagga mussels.
Public boat launches
Crooked Lake boating access site
DNR launch with one hard-surfaced lane in shallower water, where larger boats may struggle, 10 trailer spaces and a vault toilet. Recreation Passport required.
Marinas
- Ryde Marine
Marina on Crooked Lake at Alanson with 39 boat slips for rent, non-ethanol fuel and a parts department. It also rents boats, including sailboats.
- Windjammer Marina
Marina in Oden at the head of the Inland Waterway, renting Yamaha WaveRunners, pontoons and tritoons.
Boat, kayak and paddleboard rentals
- Windjammer Marina
Pontoon, tritoon and WaveRunner rentals for the Inland Waterway from its marina in Oden.
- Ryde Marine
Fishing boats, ski boats, pontoons, kayaks, canoes and Sunfish sailboats, as listed, from its marina in Alanson.
Listed because their own sites say they rent on this water. Not an endorsement, and we have no ties to them. Check with them for what is available.
Fishing, launching at a state site or parking at a state park? See licenses and passes for what you need before you go.
Anything not listed here is unverified. Do not assume public access across private shoreline. Check the Michigan DNR boating access listings and the current fishing regulations.
Location
Map of Crooked Lake
1 place on an OpenStreetMap map
Places to stay near Crooked Lake
Lakefront cottages and homes are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Mid-range
Bay View InnFeatured by the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau among historic hotels and inns
Search all hotels in Bay View: Booking.com · Expedia · Hotels.com · Google Hotels
We don’t take bookings or earn anything from these links. Rates, availability and any booking problems are handled by the booking site.
More places to stay in Bay View
- Terrace Inn · A historic hotel in the Bay View Association that opened on June 1, 1911, and still houses the 1911 Restaurant.
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
Ski area
Nub's Nob
A family-owned ski hill near Harbor Springs with 53 runs on 248 acres, 427 feet of vertical, terrain parks and night skiing.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
Historic site
Bay View Association
A Victorian summer community above Little Traverse Bay and a National Historic Landmark, with summer concerts and lectures open to the public.
About 5 miles away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Round Lake (Emmet County)
A small, shallow all-sports lake behind the Petoskey State Park dunes, with a small DNR launch and a nature preserve with easy trails and a boardwalk.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Pickerel Lake
Crooked Lake's deeper all-sports neighbor east of Petoskey, with a free county park beach and a short channel onto the Inland Waterway.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
River · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Bear River
A short, fast river through Petoskey, with a quarter-mile whitewater course, a canoe livery for easy family floats and brook trout above the dam.
- Rentals