Nature preserve
Green Point Dunes Nature Preserve
A 242-acre land conservancy preserve south of Elberta, with a trail of nearly three miles round trip through forest and meadow to Lake Michigan views.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Upper Herring Lake
A quiet 540-acre lake south of Frankfort, all-sports but shallow, for kayaking along a conservancy preserve and fishing for walleye to bluegill.
Upper Herring Lake is a kayak-and-fish lake. It covers about 540 acres and is only about 25 feet deep at most. There are no local speed or hour limits, but the shallow DNR launch suits small boats best. Put in off Herron Road, paddle the quiet, motor-free shoreline of a nature preserve, and bring a rod: the species list runs from walleye and northern pike to bass, crappie and bluegill.
It lies in Blaine Township in southern Benzie County, a short way inland from Lake Michigan and south of Frankfort. It is the upper of the two Herring Lakes, which are connected to each other and fed by Herring Creek, with Lower Herring Lake just to the west.
The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy has kept a nature preserve on the lake since 1991. Its 180-acre Upper Herring Lake Nature Preserve takes in meadow, marsh, ponds and lakeshore, and a two-track trail leads to a boardwalk through the marsh.
For now, see it from the water. The preserve is closed to visitors on land until work on a new viewing platform is finished, so check the conservancy’s page before you go. Along its shoreline, only non-motorized boating is allowed.
On the water
Motorboats and rules
No local speed, hour or horsepower limits apply on Upper Herring Lake, so state boating law is the rule. Along the nature preserve's frontage, only non-motorized boating is allowed.
Public access
Kayakers put in at the DNR boat launch off Herron Road, north of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy's Upper Herring Lake Nature Preserve. The preserve's own lakeshore can only be reached from the water.
Paddling
Launch a kayak at the DNR site off Herron Road and paddle south along the Upper Herring Lake Nature Preserve, where only non-motorized boats are allowed. The preserve is closed on land until a new viewing platform is finished.
Fishing
Upper Herring Lake is good water for bluegill, bullhead, catfish, crappie, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, walleye and yellow perch. Check current Michigan DNR rules before fishing.
Fish species
Species include bluegill, bullhead, catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, and yellow perch.
Connected waters
Herring Creek links Upper Herring to Lower Herring Lake, which sits between it and the Lake Michigan shore. Upper Herring was once an estuary of Lake Michigan before shoreline changes cut it off.
Public boat launches
Upper Herring Lake boating access site (Herron Road)
One hard-surface lane in shallow water, so large boats are hard to launch. A pier, gravel parking for 8 trailers and 2 cars, and a vault toilet. You need a Recreation Passport.
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 Upper Herring Lake
1 place on an OpenStreetMap map
Places to stay near Upper Herring Lake
Lakefront cottages and homes are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Upscale
Arcadia BluffsListed by Pure Michigan, the state travel bureau
Confirm details before booking.
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More places to stay in Arcadia
- Onekama Portage Lake Association places to stay · A community guide to motels, resorts, cottages and vacation rentals around Portage Lake, with nearby options in Arcadia and Bear Lake.
Vacation rentals
- Boardwalk Vacation Rentals · manisteevacations.com
A Manistee-based short-term rental manager with beach homes, condos and cottages around Manistee, Onekama, Bear Lake and Arcadia.
- Visit Up North Vacation Rentals · visitupnorth.com
A Traverse City rental company with homes, cottages and condos across Leelanau, Glen Arbor, the Benzie area and nearby Arcadia and Bear Lake.
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
Nature preserve
Arcadia Dunes: The C.S. Mott Nature Preserve
3,927 acres of dunes, forest and grassland on Lake Michigan, with more than 15 miles of trails and an accessible path to a lake overlook.
About 3 miles away (straight line)
Attraction
Arcadia Overlook
A state scenic turnout on M-22 north of Arcadia, with a lower viewing platform by the lot and stairs up to a high deck over Lake Michigan.
About 4 miles away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Lower Herring Lake
A small, clear, all-sports lake by the Lake Michigan shore south of Frankfort, with a DNR launch, sandy shores, smallmouth and walleye, and sunset paddles.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Betsie Lake
Frankfort's no-wake harbor at the mouth of the Betsie River, with marinas on both shores, a big city launch and a short run to Lake Michigan.
- Public launch
River · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Betsie River
A protected Natural River from Interlochen to Frankfort: paddle and portage Homestead Dam, fish salmon in fall and steelhead from late fall into spring.
- Public launch
- Rentals