Ludington & Manistee · Small town
Pentwater
A laid-back Lake Michigan village on the channel to Pentwater Lake, with a state park beach, piers, a marina and a dune trail a short walk from downtown.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Lake · Ludington & Manistee
Pentwater Lake
An all-sports harbor lake at Pentwater with two marinas and a channel to Lake Michigan. Swim at Mears State Park; ice fish the lake in winter.
Pentwater Lake is the village’s front door to Lake Michigan. Past the no-wake stretch inside the channel it is an all-sports lake, so you can ski, tube and cruise. Keep your boat at the village marina or Snug Harbor (both list transient slips and pump-out, and Snug Harbor sells gas and diesel), or launch on Lake Street, then run the channel out to the big lake to fish.
For a swim, walk over to the Lake Michigan beach at Charles Mears State Park. In winter, the lake is ice-fished, and the village’s Winterfest has held an ice fishing derby on it.
It lies at the village of Pentwater in northern Oceana County, joined to Lake Michigan by a man-made channel. The lake covers 431 acres, with a maximum depth of 50 feet, an average depth of 27 feet and about 6.2 miles of shoreline. Its main inflow is the Pentwater River.
The village marina serves both pleasure boats and fishing charters headed out to Lake Michigan. On the big-lake side, Charles Mears State Park covers 50 acres on land once owned by Charles Mears, a founding member of the Pentwater community, which became a gift to the state in 1923.
At the Mears beach, watch for structural currents near the breakwall, especially when northwest winds push water toward shore. Stay in the buoyed area and well away from the breakwall.
On the water
Motorboats and rules
Slow no-wake from the channel pierhead into the lake as far as a line from Popp's Point to the west shore. The rest of the lake has no local limits.
Swimming
Most swimmers head to Charles Mears State Park, a Lake Michigan beach steps from the village with a buoyed swim area. Watch for currents near the breakwall and stay inside the buoys.
Public access
The Village of Pentwater runs a municipal marina on the lake, just off Hancock Street downtown, and a village boat launch on Lake Street. Charles Mears State Park, a 50-acre Lake Michigan beach park with a buoyed swim area and fishing pier, is just steps from the village.
Boating
The village marina has seasonal, transient and charter slips for boats up to 45 feet, and Pentwater is a Lake Michigan fishing and recreation port. The lake's level rises and falls with Lake Michigan.
Stocking
No DNR stocking recorded since 2015 for Pentwater Lake. Rainbow trout (steelhead) go into the Pentwater River most years.
Connected waters
A channel joins the lake to Lake Michigan, and the lake level rises and falls with the big lake.
In winter
Pentwater Lake is ice-fished in winter, and the village's Winterfest has included an annual ice fishing derby on the lake. The Pentwater River runs through, so check ice conditions locally before you walk out.
Public boat launches
Pentwater municipal launch
Village of Pentwater single-lane ramp with a courtesy pier and a small lot.
Marinas
- Pentwater Municipal Marina
Village marina off Hancock Street downtown with seasonal, transient and charter slips for boats up to 45 feet, a pump-out, water and electric, restrooms and showers and a fish cleaning station. Reservations go through the state system, with same-day slips as space allows.
Snug Harbor Marina
Private marina on Hancock Street in business since 1979. It lists transient and annual dockage, gas and diesel, pump-out, a ship's store, full engine and body repair, a 35-ton travel lift and winter storage.
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
Summer
Summer centers on the marina, the channel out to Lake Michigan and the beach at Charles Mears State Park. Get to the park early on nice days, because the lot can fill by afternoon.
Location
Map of Pentwater Lake
2 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Places to stay near Pentwater Lake
Lakefront cottages and homes are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Budget
Days Inn by Wyndham PentwaterListed by the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Search all hotels in Pentwater: 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.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
State park
Charles Mears State Park
A small Lake Michigan beach park at the edge of Pentwater, with a buoyed swim beach by the harbor pier, a campground and a trail up Old Baldy.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Trail
Hart-Montague Trail
A 22-mile rail trail state park between Montague and Hart, through woods, orchards, farms and the village of New Era.
About 6 miles away (straight line)
Attraction
S.S. Badger
A 1953 coal-fired steamship and National Historic Landmark that carries passengers and vehicles across Lake Michigan between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
About 10 miles away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
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
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
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.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals