Charlevoix & Petoskey
Charlevoix
For boaters, beachgoers and first-timers: a harbor town where three lakes meet, with a summer drawbridge, a pier lighthouse and Earl Young's stone houses.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Round Lake (Charlevoix)
Charlevoix's slow no-wake downtown harbor between Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan, with the city marina, fuel next door and the Channel for trout.
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Round Lake is Charlevoix’s harbor, and it is slow no-wake from end to end. Tie up at the city marina, fuel up next door, walk up into East Park for a summer concert, or fish the Channel for steelhead and brown trout.
It is the downtown harbor that links Lake Michigan with Lake Charlevoix, so every boat traveling between the inland lake and the big lake passes through. The Pine River, about a mile long and locally just called the Channel, carries Lake Charlevoix’s outflow through Round Lake and out to Lake Michigan, where the South Pier Lighthouse marks its mouth.
The city marina sits at the foot of East Park, a downtown park between Bridge Street and the water, and Ward Brothers’ Boats next door sells fuel and handles pump-outs. In summer the park is the town’s gathering place, with a music pavilion and a children’s fountain looking over the boats. Book a slip early around festival time, since events can fill the marina.
If you fish or boat the Channel, watch the current. It can run strongly in either direction when wind pushes Lake Michigan water inland.
On the water
Motorboats and rules
The whole of Round Lake, from the railroad bridge at the east end of the Pine River out to the Lake Michigan pierheads, is slow no-wake.
Boating
The Charlevoix city marina lies on Round Lake at the base of East Park in the middle of downtown, with floating docks and a boaters' lounge. Because Round Lake connects both ways, you can travel from Lake Michigan through Charlevoix to Boyne City, East Jordan and other Lake Charlevoix ports. The north side of the lake, off the municipal wharf toward Park Island, is a federally designated special anchorage area.
Fishing
The Pine River channel is a known spot for anglers, with steelhead and brown trout. Check current Michigan DNR rules before fishing.
Connected waters
Round Lake is the boat route between Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan. The Pine River Channel runs from the lake out past the pierheads to the big lake.
Marinas
- Charlevoix City Marina
City-run marina at the foot of East Park with 77 floating-dock slips, most reservable for short stays through the DNR system. The city warns that summer festivals can fill it.
Ward Brothers' Boats
Family-run boatyard on Round Lake next to the city marina, listed with gas and diesel and pump-out at its dock and seawall, a ship's store and repair service. Overnight dockage is at the city marina.
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
East Park, on the Round Lake waterfront, hosts festivals and a summer concert series at its music pavilion, with the marina and harbor as a backdrop.
Location
Map of Round Lake (Charlevoix)
2 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Places to stay near Round Lake (Charlevoix)
Lakefront cottages and homes are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Mid-range
The EarlListed by Visit Charlevoix
Budget
Weathervane Terrace Inn and SuitesAAA Approved
Search all hotels in Charlevoix: 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 Charlevoix
- The Belvedere Bed and Breakfast · A Charlevoix bed and breakfast in a house built in 1887, formerly the Inn at Grey Gables, a walk from downtown, the lakes and the beaches.
- Bridge Street Inn · A bed and breakfast in an 1895 Colonial Revival house that began as an overflow cottage for Charlevoix's Beach Hotel, a short walk from Lake Michigan.
- Visit Charlevoix accommodations and lodging · Visit Charlevoix's directory of B&Bs, hotels, inns, motels and rental homes in and around Charlevoix.
Vacation rentals
- Holiday Vacation Rentals · holidayvacationrental.com
A Harbor Springs area rental manager with homes, condos and cottages around Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix and Boyne City.
- Northern Michigan Escapes · northernmichiganescapes.com
A Charlevoix-based vacation rental and property management company serving Charlevoix, Petoskey, Harbor Springs and nearby areas.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
Lighthouse
Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse
A red steel pierhead light where Charlevoix's Pine River Channel meets Lake Michigan, beside Michigan Beach and a favorite place to watch the sunset.
Under a mile away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Lake Charlevoix
An all-sports lake of 17,200 acres linking Charlevoix, Boyne City and East Jordan, with town marinas, a channel to Lake Michigan and walleye through the ice.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Walloon Lake
A deep, clear all-sports lake south of Petoskey with marinas at Walloon Lake village, small township beaches and launches, and ice fishing in winter.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Bay · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Little Traverse Bay
A Lake Michigan bay with marinas in Petoskey, Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor, swim beaches at the state park and Zorn Park, and Petoskey stones in the shallows.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch