The Lake County Chamber of Commerce Welcomes You to

Michigan’s Outdoor Recreation Paradise

Lake County, Michigan is an outdoor recreation paradise of endless nature and boundless adventure located in the northwestern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, 80 miles north of Grand Rapids. Home to 200,000 acres of public-owned land, Lake County is intersected by two major highways, US-10 and M-37.

Are you an avid fisherman? Then you need to discover Lake County. We have several blue ribbon class trout rivers known for their trout and salmon fishing including quality “flies only” sections with special regulations. The Pere Marquette, the Pine, and the Little Manistee are the most popular, but there are many great brookie feeder streams as well. The Pere Marquette and the Pine are two of the 16 National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Michigan, and the Pere Marquette draws fishermen from all over the world because of it’s reputation as one of the finest trout rivers in the Midwest. The first planting of the German brown trout in the U.S. occurred here in 1884 in the Baldwin River, a tributary of the Pere Marquette. These rivers and their many tributaries also provide wonderful scenic canoeing and even some whitewater kayaking.

Lakes? That’s why it’s called Lake County. We are blessed with over 100 lakes of all shapes and sizes. Big Star Lake and Wolf Lake are the largest, and they both offer fishing for pike, bass, and panfish. Stop by our Chamber office on the main street in Baldwin for public access information.

How about motorsports? Lake County has over 300 miles of ATV/ORV trails with easy on/off access. There are the four trail systems within Lake County, complete with trailhead parking and staging areas. A quick link to comprehensive ORV trails information is here: www.lakecountyorv.com

Snowmobile trails? Lake County has over 300 miles of groomed snowmobile trails thanks to the Trail Riders Snowmobile Association and the Iron’s Area Tourist Association. A quick link to maps and info is www.baldwinsnowmobiling.com. See our winter sports page for more information.

Other outdoor pursuits? The Manistee National Forest and the Pere Marquette State Forest cover over 48% of Lake County and offer limitless hiking, hunting, birding, cross country skiing, and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Lake County also has a wide variety of lodging, shops, galleries, and restaurants to offer in the towns of Baldwin, Branch, Chase, Idlewild, Irons, and Luther, as well as many lodges with dining located around the lakes.

In addition, Lake County is well known for its many annual events including Baldwin’s “Original” Blessing of the Bikes in May, the Irons Flea Roast and Ox Market in June, West Michigan’s Longest Yard Sale also in June, Troutarama and Luther Days in July, and the Salmon Run (5K & 10K) in October.