Pine Lake Rd near Wellston, MI leads to Pine Lake Campground and boat launch in the Manistee National Forest. You can reach the ground by finding where Pine Lake Rd heads west off of Bosschem Rd. The road ends at the campground.
Pine Lake is a larger lake (compared to the ones that I normally kayak) and can get a little windy, but it has many coves and harbors which give you sanctuary from the wind and can be very calm, especially in the morning and evening.
The boat launch lacks a dock and is good for smaller fishing boats and canoes/kayaks. I have not yet stayed at the campground, but have used the facilities to picnic and they are nicely kept. I know this is a small detail, but the fire pits are extra cool because they have grills that can be spun around to cook or turned away to accommodate a larger fire. Cool, right!?
The shore just left of the launch area is not very exciting. There are a few cottages and unremarkable shoreline, but the far side of the lake is beautiful. The rest of the shoreline is forested and full of wildlife. You can see many fish in the water, turtles, ducks, geese, and maybe even an otter (I swear I saw one!).
It takes a while to kayak around the whole lake, but it is worth it. Just south of the campground and picnic area there is a very distinct cove that is full of lily pads and reeds. It is very shallow and home to many fish and turtles.
The campground is just over ten minutes from Wellston, MI, but I have not been into Wellston yet so I do not know much about the town. Pine Lake and Elbow Lake are only about twenty minutes apart so we have made the trip to the Irons/Wellston area a few times now and toured both lakes together. They make a nice pair and you should try to get out there some time during the summer. Have fun!
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