Ludington & Manistee
Ludington
A Lake Michigan harbor town for beach and lighthouse trips, with the S.S. Badger car ferry and a big dune state park just north of town.
About 6 miles away (straight line)
Lake · Ludington & Manistee
Hamlin Lake
Ludington State Park's big all-sports lake: ski and tube the open water, swim at the park beach, paddle the marsh trail, and ice fish for bluegill in winter.
Hamlin Lake is the boating and paddling half of a Ludington State Park trip. It is an all-sports lake outside its marked no-wake bayous, so you can ski, tube and cruise the open water. The DNR puts it at about 5,000 acres, and the western part runs almost 80 feet deep.
Swim at the park’s buoyed beach in the Hamlin Lake day-use area, or do what boaters do and anchor off the dunes at the north end for a swim and a climb. The park has a two-lane launch and rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards in season.
Fishing runs all year: walleye, bass, perch and bluegill in summer, and in winter Hamlin is known as a bluegill lake through the ice.
Paddlers should start on the west shore. The state park’s water trail traces it, and if you are new to paddling, the protected coves of Lost Lake inside the park are the place to begin. Boaters tend to head north, where the dunes draw people who anchor for a swim and a climb.
The park itself is big. It fills the land between the lake and seven miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, with dunes, three campgrounds and 21 miles of marked trails. The lake lies north of Ludington in western Mason County, and the DNR puts it at 5,000 acres. Below the dam, the short stretch of the Big Sable River through the park is used for fishing, paddling and tubing.
The lake owes its size to a dam on the Big Sable River. Lumberman Charles Mears built a wooden dam and sawmill here around 1856, raising the water 12 to 15 feet, and the settlement of Hamlin grew up around the mill. The dam gave way in 1888 and again in 1912, and the village faded away after that. A photo caption in the Mason County Press dates the third dam to 1913.
On the water
Motorboats and rules
Slow no-wake in the South and Middle bayous east of the Lake Shore Drive bridges, in Indian Pete's Bayou, and in the Sable River outlet area by Lost Lake. The open lake has no other local limits.
Swimming
Ludington State Park lists a buoyed swim area in its Hamlin Lake day-use area, with an accessible walkway to the water and floating beach wheelchairs; confirm with the park before you go if you need one.
Public access
Ludington State Park lies between Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan, and it is your way onto the water. The park lists a boat launch, a fishing pier, swimming, paddling, fishing and seasonal paddlesport rentals. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry.
Boating
Hamlin is a popular boating lake, and the state park lists seasonal boat rentals. Do what the regulars do: anchor along the dunes on the lake's northern edge to swim, climb the dunes or picnic on the beach.
Paddling
The 4-mile Ludington State Park Water Trail follows the lake's west shore beside the state park, winding through marshland. If you are new to paddling, start in the protected coves of Lost Lake inside the park.
Fishing
You can fish the lake and its bayous year-round for walleye, bass, perch and bluegill. Check current Michigan DNR rules before fishing.
Stocking
Walleye in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2026, and muskellunge in 2015, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024.
In winter
Hamlin Lake is open to fishing year-round and has long been a winter bluegill lake, with pike and walleye too. First ice usually comes on the shallower upper lake; wait for safe ice and check conditions locally before you go out.
Public boat launches
Ludington State Park boating access site
Two-lane hard-surface ramp that handles all trailerable boats, two courtesy piers and parking for about 44 trailers. An accessible canoe and kayak launch with gear racks is listed about 50 feet north. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry to the park.
Boat, kayak and paddleboard rentals
- Dune Grass Concessions (Ludington State Park)
Lists kayak, canoe and stand-up paddleboard rentals at the Hamlin Lake beach house, mid-May through early October.
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.
Through the seasons
Location
Map of Hamlin Lake
2 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Places to stay near Hamlin Lake
Lakefront cottages and homes are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Upscale
Cartier MansionFeatured by the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in its bed and breakfast guide
Mid-range
The Fresh Coast Inn at LudingtonFeatured by the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in its bed and breakfast guide
Budget
Ludington Pier HouseListed by the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau · Listed by Pure Michigan, the state travel bureau
Listed as open May through October.
Search all hotels in Ludington: 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 Ludington
- The Lamplighter Bed and Breakfast · A five-room bed and breakfast in an 1894 Queen Anne Victorian on Ludington Avenue, a few blocks from downtown Ludington.
- Pure Ludington lodging directory · The Ludington visitors bureau's list of hotels, inns, resorts, cabins, cottages and campgrounds in the Ludington area.
Vacation rentals
- Jaqua Vacation Rentals · milakeshorevacations.com
The rental arm of Jaqua Realtors, offering Lake Michigan shore cottages and homes in areas that include Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ludington.
- Michigan Lakeshore Rentals · michiganlakeshorerentals.com
A rental manager along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Silver Lake and Pentwater north to Ludington.
- West Shore Vacation Properties · myludingtonvacation.com
A local company managing vacation homes and cottages in Ludington, Manistee, Onekama and the surrounding lakeshore.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
State park
Ludington State Park
A big dune park between Hamlin Lake and 7 miles of Lake Michigan shore, with three campgrounds, 21 miles of trails and the walk to Big Sable Point Lighthouse.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Lighthouse
Big Sable Point Lighthouse
An 1867 lighthouse, 112 feet tall and banded black and white, on the Lake Michigan shore in Ludington State Park. You reach it on a 1.8-mile walk or ride.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
River · Ludington & Manistee
Big Sable River
A one-mile stretch inside Ludington State Park for tubing, paddling and salmon and steelhead fishing, with paddlesport rentals in the park in season.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Ludington & Manistee
Pere Marquette Lake
Ludington's harbor lake: a city marina with fuel and transient slips, a four-lane launch, open water past the no-wake channel, and the S.S. Badger dock.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Lake · Ludington & Manistee
Manistee Lake
An all-sports lake beside downtown Manistee: ski, tube and cruise, then take the bridge-free channel to Lake Michigan. Three launches and a lakeside marina.
- All-sports
- Public launch