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Pleasurecraft Playground

By November 1, 2023March 30th, 2024No Comments

As Michigan’s most southeastern county — and the only one on Lake Erie — Monroe County is jam-packed with boating facilities, first-rate fishing, stunning wildlife and fascinating history.

By Susan R. Pollack

Few ports of call have as interesting and eclectic a mix of attractions as Monroe County, which borders Ohio and stretches along nearly 30 miles of Lake Erie shoreline in the far southeastern corner of Michigan. The city of Monroe’s deep-water port — Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie — is 35 miles south of Detroit and 17 miles north of Toledo. It’s truly a pleasurecraft playground.

Monroe County has tons to offer, including: Primo perch and walleye fishing; frequent eagle and wildlife sightings; a late-summer abundance of threatened American lotus flowers; and the historic River Raisin National Battlefield Park showcasing the War of 1812. The area offers a laid-back, relatively affordable getaway for boaters, whether on day trips or longer adventures.

Something for everyone

With the cooling towers of the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant looming over Monroe’s maritime landscape, boats ply both Lake Erie and the River Raisin, with the option of docking in either.

Whether arriving by sail or powerboat, few visitors leave Monroe without tying up dockside on the river at The Clamdigger and sampling its near-legendary mashed potato pizza, washed down with a Clamato bloody mary. And it’s hard to miss tributes in local parks and museums to hometown hero General George Armstrong Custer, who, despite Civil War success, is best known for his infamous “Last Stand” at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Given its reputation for phenomenal fishing — Lake Erie’s western basin is known as “the Walleye Capital of the World” — Monroe County is chock full of charter boat services that welcome anglers from near and far, including many from international locales. Visitors typically catch their limit and leave with memories of both the hot fishing action and lovely Lake Erie sunrises.

On the city’s south side, Bolles Harbor is a state-maintained Harbor of Refuge with a busy public boat launch. It’s a focal point in the sprawling, semi-rural county whose shoreline is dotted with nearly 30 marinas and boat clubs. From mom-and-pop operations with a handful of docks to the full-service Safe Harbor Toledo Beach Marina that’s part of a national network, the old cliché, “there’s something for everyone,” rings true in Monroe County.

With 286 slips and a 400-foot-long side-tie transient dock, Toledo Beach Marina is a top destination, with amenities ranging from a heated pool and Amazon locker to horseshoes, beach volleyball and seasonal live entertainment. The SandBar and Grille is an appealing waterside spot for alfresco dining. Friendly bartenders serve up creative cocktails (try the frozen orange creamsicle) with appetizers, tacos, pizza, perch and walleye.

In protected Bolles Harbor, a cluster of marinas, service centers, bait shops and restaurants include Trout’s Yacht Basin, owned by the same family for 68 years, complete with hoist, mechanics, fuel, ice and a handful of transient docks; and Big Daddy’s Boat Yard, run by Terry Gerin, known in professional wrestling circles as Rhyno, who says he accommodates transient boats when there’s room.

Next to Trout’s, Monroe Boat Club reserves at least eight guest spaces for affiliated yacht club members only (Associated Yacht Clubs and Inter-Lake Yachting Association), according to Commodore Carl Butler. Describing the club as “nothing fancy [but] very friendly,” Butler says it holds Tuesday night summer sailing races and various other events.

Chip Harrington, the owner of Harbor Marine, a large rack and launch operation with guest boat docks, touts Bolles Harbor as a convenient jumping-off point. “This location is really neat nautically,” he says. “You can get to a lot of cool places in a very short amount of time. It’s 30 miles to Put-In-Bay (on Ohio’s South Bass Island), a seven-mile ride to the Toledo docks and restaurants and 13 miles to the Detroit River.”

Across the street, Grey Heron Grille & Spirits, with outdoor seating overlooking the water, is known for its tasty seafood bisque and shaved prime rib French dip.

Nearby, Sterling State Park, Michigan’s only state park on Lake Erie, is a favorite destination thanks to its public boat launch, beach campground and cottages, mile-long sandy beach with swimming and fishing areas, grills and fish cleaning station. It’s adjacent to a segment of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, a protected marshland for wildlife, waterfowl and migratory birds, as well as miles of walking and biking trails, including a new connector to the nearby River Raisin National Battlefield Park and its renovated visitor center.

Chris Milliron, captain of Detroit-based Blast N Cast Guide Service, is among boaters who use Sterling State Park’s boat launch for easy access to Lake Erie fishing.

“People flock to the western basin of Lake Erie from all over the country,” he says, adding that the fishery has thrived in the wake of industry cleanup efforts, though potential algal blooms are still a late summer/fall concern. “Just last year, in early April, I had customers come from Germany to fish Lake Erie. They got their limit of fish in a little over an hour,” then switched to catch and release.

Milliron is president of Vets with Nets, a Monroe area organization whose 2024 free fishing outing for military veterans is June 7 – 8. Based at the Detroit Beach Boat Club in Monroe, it’s a two-day affair with a fish fry, pig roast, prizes, DJ, band and military-jet flyover. This year’s event, the fifth annual, drew 300 vets on 150 boats, with boat captains from 17 states, he says.

With a shaded balcony deck, the Detroit Beach Boat Club is a great place to watch boat traffic heading to and from Lake Erie, and has a guest dock for affiliated yacht club members, according to Vilija Telycenas, commodore. This season, the club-sponsored poker runs along with its annual post Labor Day regatta and steak roast.

Photo by Bea’s Photos

Above Photo by Mike Breslin

Resources

MARINAS AND BOAT CLUBS
RESTAURANTS
ATTRACTIONS
  • Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, 800-344-9453
  • River Raisin National Battlefield Park (Monroe), nps.gov/rira
  • Sterling State Park (Monroe), 734-289-2715
  • Vets With Nets (Chris Milliron/Detroit Beach Boat Club, Monroe), 734-289-3222

Above Photo Courtesy of Luna Pier Facebook

Photo Courtesy of City of Monroe Parks & Rec Facebook

River with grapes

Back in Bolles Harbor, 80-slip Anglers Cove Marina and bait shop offers fish cleaning, grills and eight transient docks, according to manager Nick Miller, a local history buff.

“There were American Indian tribes all over the shoreline around here. It’s crazy to think that a battle was fought right across the street from Wind Rose (Rack & Launch), our other marina on the river,” he says, citing the Battles of Frenchtown, also known as the Battle of River Raisin, which is detailed at the admission-free River Raisin National Battlefield Park Visitor Center nearby.

The bloody battles, a sequence of military actions during the War of 1812, concluded with the so-called River Raisin massacre when British-allied Native Americans returned on the third day, in January 1813, and killed dozens of wounded American soldier-prisoners. It was the biggest massacre of the War of 1812 and spawned one of America’s great rallying cries, “Remember the Raisin!”

Interestingly, it was early French explorers who named the waterway: They called it La Rivière aux Raisins (“The River with Grapes”) because of the wild grapes growing along its banks.

Located on the river next to The Clamdigger, Wind Rose Marina reserves a handful of slips for transients in its newly expanded dock space; there’s also a full-time mechanic, fuel and a pump-out station.

Just down the river, the rustic River Raisin Marina & Campground, with 80 deep-water docks, 100 tent and RV campsites, and ample space for transients, boasts a prime location across from Monroe’s deep-water port. Boaters enjoy watching the action in the port’s 1,500-foot Turning Basin that accommodates ocean-going and lake freighters loaded with everything from liquid asphalt to giant wind towers.

The marina offers easy access to nearby Sterling State Park, the wildlife refuge and the National Battlefield Park via the River Raisin Heritage Trail system, which also connects to downtown Monroe’s eateries, boutiques and bars. Photographers are drawn to the wildlife and lotus ponds, especially during the late-summer bloom season, according to the marina’s co-owner, Veronica Meyers.

Jam-packed calendar

Indeed, there’s no shortage of activities for boaters in Monroe County. Highlighted by the state park’s July 4 fireworks extravaganza, the region’s nautical calendar is packed all summer long with marina and boat club events including regattas, fishing tournaments, poker runs, burger nights, taco Tuesdays, live entertainment, luaus and pig roasts.

And if pot is something that floats your boat, Monroe is home to more than a dozen recreational marijuana dispensaries — all legal. Many are concentrated along the aptly named main road, Laplaisance (loosely translated to “pleasure boating”), which leads to Bolles Harbor.

For sailing buffs, North Cape Yacht Club, near Toledo Beach Marina in La Salle, offers a full agenda of sail regattas and race events, such as “Full Moon” and “Round the Buoys,” plus sailing lessons for adults, teens and kids. North Cape can accommodate three affiliated guest sailboats up to 50 feet, according to manager David Disbennett.

To the north, Swan Boat Club in Newport hosts a Feather Party on the third Saturday in October, auctioning baskets of donated food — originally chickens, turkeys and ducks (hence the name), but now also including steaks, roasts and ribs, according to Chris and Diane Wright, the husband/wife commodores. The club has space for 10 transients — up to 40-foot powerboats — from affiliated yacht clubs, they say.

Also in Newport, Brest Bay Marina’s new owners are upgrading everything, including the rack and launch building, according to office manager Erin Jacobs, citing ample dock space for transients.

“We have a big private beach that’s a huge hit with everyone, with chairs, firepits and picnic tables,” she says, adding that the fish cleaning station is also popular.

Near the far southern end of Monroe County, just over the Ohio line, Lost Peninsula Marina, with 721 boat slips and 30 campsites, offers temporary dock space only for transient boaters visiting its new restaurant, COTL. Owner Jill Tabbert notes that the marina’s Michigan location was established in the Toledo War, an 1835 boundary dispute.

“They just took pen and paper and went ‘swish’ and this little point went into Michigan instead of staying in Ohio,” she says, explaining the marina’s name. Six miles north of the Ohio border, the city of Luna Pier boasts a popular beach, fishing pier and several restaurants, including Chateau Louise with a one-pound Chateau burger, perch and live music. But shallow waters make Luna Pier a difficult destination for boats, according to Mayor James Gardner. However, the Luna Pier Harbor Club, a 10-minute walk from the beach, is accessible and keeps 30 of 400 slips for transient powerboats, says marina owner Mike Briskey.

“I tell people if they just come up to my gas dock, I’ll find them a spot,” he says. “If they come to Monroe County, we’re gonna take care of ‘em.”

Photo Courtesy of River Raisin National Battlefield Park

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