Southern Gateway
Grand Haven
A Lake Michigan beach city on the Grand River: a state park beach, a pier walk to two red lights, a riverfront boardwalk and free Musical Fountain shows.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
Lake · Southern Gateway
Spring Lake
A bayou-lined lake by Grand Haven with marinas, a public beach and a river route to Lake Michigan. Boats 26 feet and up stay no-wake; kayak the coves.
Spring Lake suits slow boating and kayaking. It is not a free-for-all: boats 26 feet or longer stay at slow no-wake everywhere, and smaller boats must go slow within 200 feet of any shore or dock, with the bayous no-wake for everyone. Its shoreline is broken by bayous and coves to explore, a paved trail circles the water, and the Grand River leads you down to Grand Haven and Lake Michigan when you want open water.
Swim at Lakeside Beach at the north end of Lake Avenue. Boaters can find slips, fuel and a pump-out at marinas such as Barrett Boat Works in the village, and paddlers can rent a kayak from the self-service kiosks at Tanglefoot Park.
The lake stretches northeast from the Grand River in Ottawa County, beside the village of the same name and just upstream from Grand Haven. The village began in 1849 as Mill Point and took the name Spring Lake in 1869. Grand Valley State University researchers class it as a drowned river mouth lake.
You have plenty of ways onto the water, from village and DNR launches in the bayous to Lakeside Beach and a string of parks along the Lakeside Trail, a paved bike path that circles the lake. If you bring a boat 26 feet or longer, plan on a slow cruise: the whole lake is slow no-wake for you, and the bayous are no-wake for everyone.
The lake has also been the subject of long-running water quality work. Grand Valley State University found that phosphorus released from the lake bottom made up most of its nutrient load, and an alum treatment in November 2005 was applied to reduce that internal loading and the algae it fed.
On the water
Motorboats and rules
Boats under 26 feet must go slow no-wake within 200 feet of any shore, dock or pierhead, and boats 26 feet or longer must go slow no-wake everywhere on the lake. The bayous (Petty's, Jerusalem, Stahl's and Smith's), the entrance channel from the Grand River and the south end by Ferrysburg and the village are slow no-wake for everyone, as is the bayou at the Fruitport end.
Swimming
Lakeside Beach, at the north end of Lake Avenue in the Village of Spring Lake, is the lake's public beach.
Public access
Public launches are at Petty's Bayou and at Mill Point Park at the end of School Street, plus DNR access launches at Indian Channel, Bruce's Bayou East and West, and Lloyd's Bayou. Lakeside Beach sits at the north end of Lake Avenue.
Boating
Several marinas sit on the lake and on the Grand River inlet that leads into it, with a yacht club on the north bank. Boat tours run on Spring Lake, the Grand River and Lake Michigan.
Paddling
You can launch a kayak from several access points to explore the lake's coves and bayous, and Tanglefoot Park has self-service kayak rental kiosks.
Connected waters
An entrance channel links the lake to the Grand River, which carries you down to Grand Haven and Lake Michigan.
Public boat launches
Petty's Bayou boating access site
Two-lane hard-surface ramp with a courtesy pier, parking for about 20 trailers and toilets. Shallow water can make launching the largest boats difficult. You need a Recreation Passport for vehicles at state boating access sites.
Mill Point Park launch
Village of Spring Lake launch at the end of School Street.
Fruitport launch (Pomona Park)
Village of Fruitport launch at the lake's east end.
Marinas
Barrett Boat Works
Year-round marina on Savidge Street in the village of Spring Lake. It lists slips for boats up to 60 feet including transient slips, gas and diesel, pump-out, a ship store, a pool, and hull and engine repair with a 25-ton travel lift. Check the bridge clearance on the way in.
Boat, kayak and paddleboard rentals
- Tanglefoot Park kayak kiosks
Self-service kayak rental kiosks at Tanglefoot Park.
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 Spring Lake
3 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Places to stay near Spring Lake
Lakefront cottages and homes are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Mid-range
Harbor House InnListed by the Grand Haven Area Visitors Bureau · Listed by Pure Michigan, the state travel bureau
Budget
Best Western Beacon InnListed by the Grand Haven Area Visitors Bureau
Search all hotels in Grand Haven: 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 Grand Haven
- Boyden House Inn · A bed and breakfast in a restored 1870s house around the corner from downtown Grand Haven, once the home of lumberman Charles Boyden.
- Washington Street Inn · A Grand Haven bed and breakfast in a 1902 American Foursquare house built by H.J. Dornbos, run by the same innkeepers since 1987.
- Grand Haven Area Visitors Bureau lodging directory · The visitors bureau's guide to hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs, vacation rentals and rustic cabins around Grand Haven and Spring Lake.
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.
- Unsalted Vacations · unsaltedvacations.com
A West Michigan rental company with homes, cottages and cabins in areas including Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Manistee and Traverse City.
Nearby towns
Southern Gateway · Small town
Spring Lake
A water-first village beside Grand Haven, between Spring Lake and the Grand River, with a public beach, a paved loop trail and plenty of ways onto the water.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
Beach
Lakeside Beach
The Village of Spring Lake's sandy public beach on Spring Lake itself: calm inland water, picnic shelters and a viewing deck, near the Lakeside Trail.
About 1 miles away (straight line)
Trail
North Bank Trail
A paved rail-trail of about six miles east from Spring Lake to Nunica, linked to the Lakeside Trail loop through Spring Lake and Ferrysburg.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Beach
North Beach Park
Ottawa County's seven-acre Lake Michigan park in Ferrysburg, north of the Grand Haven channel, with a playground, dune overlook stairs and a beach wheelchair.
About 4 miles away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
River · Southern Gateway
Grand River
The lower Grand River at Grand Haven: a city marina with transient slips, launches, kayak rentals, fall steelhead off the piers and a boardwalk to the lights.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Southern Gateway
Muskegon Lake
A big all-sports harbor lake at Muskegon: ski, tube and sail, with full-service marinas, five launches, a channel to Lake Michigan and winter perch.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Lake · Southern Gateway
White Lake
An all-sports lake between Whitehall and Montague: ski, tube and cruise, with marinas, pontoon and kayak rentals and a channel out to Lake Michigan.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals