Every Boat Ramp on Lake Leelanau

About Lake Leelanau

Lake Leelanau is the largest lake on the Leelanau Peninsula, consisting of North Lake Leelanau and South Lake Leelanau connected by a narrow channel at the village of Lake Leelanau. Together the lakes total 8,610 acres with depths reaching 121 feet in the North Lake basin. The lakes are surrounded by the rolling cherry orchards and vineyards that make Leelanau County one of Michigan's premier wine regions.

Fishing on Lake Leelanau offers diverse opportunities across the two connected lakes. Smallmouth and largemouth bass inhabit the rocky and weedy shorelines, while northern pike patrol the drop-offs and weed edges. Yellow perch and bluegill provide reliable panfishing, and walleye are present though less abundant than in some other northern Michigan lakes. The narrows between the two lakes concentrate fish and is a popular spot for shore anglers.

The village of Lake Leelanau at the narrows provides basic services, while the historic Fishtown in Leland at the north end — where the lake flows into Lake Michigan — offers restaurants, shops, and charter fishing. Suttons Bay on Grand Traverse Bay is a short drive east. Public launch facilities serve both the north and south lakes, making Lake Leelanau an excellent boating destination within easy reach of the region's wineries, beaches, and Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Nearest towns: Lake Leelanau, Leland, Suttons Bay