Anybody boat in the chicago/northwest indiana region?

Merc_man77

Cadet
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
21
Just bought my first boat and would like to know of a good lake to learn the ropes on, decent ramp and not terribly busy. Does anybody knows if a lake this this exists in the northwest indiana region?
 

TheRuckus

Recruit
Joined
Aug 18, 2019
Messages
1
Hey man, just got my first boat, myself. I live over in the SW suburbs and was wondering the same thing. Any luck with locations? I've been out on the Kank with a buddy, that seemed gross for tubing and I've heard it can get pretty sketchy as far as downed trees, depth, floating refrigerators (?), Etc. The guy I bought from would run down to Cedar Lake in Indiana, but was wondering if you've found any good spots for amateur hour to play out with relatively minimal risk of damage to self and others. I've also heard there's a nice stretch of the Fox by Genieva.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
A friend of mine lives in Plymouth IN, likes to head into MI, about 30 miles NE of Elkhart to a city called Three Rivers.

I wouldn't suggest the Fox Lake region, or Lake Geneva. They are both a zoo.

Lake Beulah in east Troy WI is a relatively peaceful lake.

Both are probably a little farther than either of you want to drive, but your other choice is to move 150 miles north and become a cheesehead.

Go Packers ! :)
 

Merc_man77

Cadet
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
21
Ruckus, sorry it took so long. I went out to cedar lake a few afternoons but the public access on that lake is crazy busy and only 2 small ramps. I waited for almost a hour to get my boat back on my teailer and its a small busy lake. I went up to hardy dam on the muskegon river in newago michigan a few times. It's a drive but well worth it. It's a dammed up river with about 14 miles of boatable waterway going through a state forest. It's beautiful and so big it never seemed busy, no houses on the river either which is awesome. I ended.up keeping my boat at my parents place on lake Chapman in Warsaw indiana for most of the summer, again a tiny.lake packed with people. I love getting out but it seems we live In a area with very few good lakes. I wanted to try the kankake but have heard its risky. Where did you put in when you went on the river?
 

Merc_man77

Cadet
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
21
Roscoe, I bought my boat from a guy in niles michiga. which I believe is near 3 rivers. only a about a hour and a half away pulling a boat. What lake does he go on as there are alot of lakes in that area
 

Harritwo

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Messages
586
If you are close to Peru IN, then go to the Mississenaw Reservoir. Good Boating, Good Fun.
 

floater212

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
145
cedar lake is a toilet bowl, ran on it 1 time, that was the last time, water so bad if you make 1 run around the whole perimeter, by the time you get back to where you started from you can still see and follow your blackish turd infested waterbubbles you made going out! Biggest toilet i've seen!
 

Winerocks

Cadet
Joined
Jun 20, 2015
Messages
6
I boat regularly in the Kankakee, DesPlaines and Illinois rivers. There are a few free launches that are in great shape. The boating is great, lots of room for sports, lots of beaches and sand bars. Less congested and fewer flooding shutdowns than the Fox River and Chain of Lakes.
 
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