# Family vacation



## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

Hi everyone, my wife has agreed to forgo the beach vacation this year to head north to stay in a cabin on a lake where I can fish for some smallies. As a kid we always went to canada and I loved it. We are trying to stay a little closer and are considering michigan, Pennsylvania or new york. We have two girls ages 3 and 6 so I would like to have the option to take them out to dinner; other entertainment like a regular vacation but still have some good fishing options available for myself and my 17ft tracker. Any thoughts and location help would be appreciated, I can't blow this guys, I need to pull it off so we can make an annual thing. Looking mostly for location ideas. Thanks


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Chatauqua


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

shanewolfe02 said:


> Hi everyone, my wife has agreed to forgo the beach vacation this year to head north to stay in a cabin on a lake where I can fish for some smallies. As a kid we always went to canada and I loved it. We are trying to stay a little closer and are considering michigan, Pennsylvania or new york. We have two girls ages 3 and 6 so I would like to have the option to take them out to dinner; other entertainment like a regular vacation but still have some good fishing options available for myself and my 17ft tracker. Any thoughts and location help would be appreciated, I can't blow this guys, I need to pull it off so we can make an annual thing. Looking mostly for location ideas. Thanks


try st clair !!!


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## Rich B (Feb 14, 2016)

Shane....first, how far do you wish to drive ? And secondly, with your daughters being younger, they may enjoy an hour or two pan fishing out in the boat (if the fish are biting). 

"Pine Hill Resort" (http://www.pinehillresort.com) is a nice clean family camp that you might consider if you go to Chautauqua.....while it's been a few years, I stayed at this camp a number of times and it is right on the water and has good docking for your Tracker (the State Launch ramp is just a few miles away up the lake).

When our 3 kids were young (your daughter's ages) my wife and I drove up to just north of Toronto, Ontario to a nice family camp (Sunnylea Resort) on the Trent-Severn Riverway and had some great family vacations there, though that was an 8 hour drive for us from North Canton.....the camp is located on the 1st impoundment back from the Georgian Bay (the locks are about 3 blocks walking distance from the camp) and there are several nice size towns in the area to visit. There is a nice restaurant about a mile from this camp, and the impoundment has good SM & LM bass and pike (as well as panfish) and a few walleyes. www.sunnylearesort.on.ca

I'm sure you'll have plenty more suggestions in the US for you on your post, once you mention how far you'd be willing to drive (there are several very nice lakes with family camps in the upper Michigan area, south of Mackinaw = though that would be a 5+ hour drive from the Toledo area).

Good luck with your search....don't take too long to decide, as the best camps are already booking up for the summer months.

Rich B


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## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

Appreciate the replies everyone. We are trying to stay within 8 hrs or so. The kids do well in the car and we try to travel at night so they sleep the biggest part of the ride. We have talked about the 1000 island region as well as traverse city area. St Clair would be pretty awesome as well. I want the girls to experience the beauty of the northern lakes, rocks and clear water. I plan on taking the family on the boat with me as much as they can handle but need a nice swimming area.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

shanewolfe02 said:


> Appreciate the replies everyone. We are trying to stay within 8 hrs or so. The kids do well in the car and we try to travel at night so they sleep the biggest part of the ride. We have talked about the 1000 island region as well as traverse city area. St Clair would be pretty awesome as well. I want the girls to experience the beauty of the northern lakes, rocks and clear water. I plan on taking the family on the boat with me as much as they can handle but need a nice swimming area.


Beach at St clair by 14 miles Rd I do believe


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## sharp33 (Mar 30, 2015)

Traverse bay is my choice . Traverse is a really cool town with lots to do and the beaches are really nice . Lots of different activities to get into also . The last two weeks in June well into July is a really nice time to fish that area. Surrounding inland lakes are also a blast to fish if the bay is too rough. Hands down some of the best smallie fishing around bar none !


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## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

We are definitly open to suggestion. Would consider going any direction, just want everyone to have a good time.


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

sharp33 said:


> Traverse bay is my choice . Traverse is a really cool town with lots to do and the beaches are really nice . Lots of different activities to get into also . The last two weeks in June well into July is a really nice time to fish that area. Surrounding inland lakes are also a blast to fish if the bay is too rough. Hands down some of the best smallie fishing around bar none !


OH yea the mouth of the boardman can be on fire......


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Other then what little bit Detroit and Windsor have to offer not much else in the way of "family stuff" that you can't get local. But for close and good fishing st.clair is hard to beat. 
If I go a tad further north its more scenic (I love that darn river) plus the barges are cool to watch especially at night.....
There are a lot of house for rent on the river as well.... 
The panfishinv is great! But if the smallies are on the kids won't have a problem in the world catching them.
A few years ago my uncle started taking live minnows out with him... said it was great action for the kids. Perch,rockbass,an smallies.... the rock bass run really big up there.


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## thebige22 (Oct 26, 2007)

I would second the Traverse City area. Something for everyone.


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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

Yeah traverse city area has my vote. Love it up there. Also a bit more north around Petoskey/Harbor springs is great. I go up to emmet county (Petoskey/harbor) every year and it is my favorite place in the world.


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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

The beaches up there are awesome too btw, better than 99% of ocean beaches


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Arcadia Bluffs..


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## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

Appreciate the information guys we are still looking. Having a hard time finding a cabin. Any ideas on a cottage would be appreciated. Online there are many but would really like to find something small, similar to the mom and pop places in Canada. Leaning toward traverae/ northern michigan area for the beautiful beaches and activities for the kids and wife. Any ideas or places to contact would be appreciated. Never actually planned the trip myself and its not as easy as I thought lol


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## allbraid (Jan 14, 2012)

Shanewolfe.....I made a trip to Northern Michigan last July. I stayed just south of Traverse city in the little town of Interlochen. Pretty area with a couple of fantastic small inland lakes. Great area and close to Traverse city. Sleeping Bear dunes are a short drive away. Beautiful country.


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## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

That's actually exactly where I have been looking today all braid thanks for the post


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## Mi-Mic-Kay (Jan 3, 2017)

Indian River Mi. is another nice location. Lays between Burt & Mullet lakes.


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## allbraid (Jan 14, 2012)

I stayed at the Interlochen Motel. Small, clean motel. I am sure if you called them they could recommend a nice family cabin rentals in that area. Just a thought.


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## Tom G (Sep 26, 2004)

Deep creek lake in Maryland is a REAL good smallie lake I mean REAL good it no more then 4 hrs from Cleveland. Depending when you want to go I can see if my friends place is open Also real good for hand size pan fish. we also catch a lot of wallyeye


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Back in the days of no internet, I called the area chamber of comerace or a realestate office for info and phone numbers.


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## joerugz (Feb 28, 2007)

I know everyone has their perfect place to suggest, but Hammondsport New York. Keuka Lakeside Inn. The lake has great pan fishing, Great SM, Pike, Perch, Rock bass. My wife, who put up with two trips to Canada and didn't want any more of that, agreed to go here. She even fished and had fun. When we pulled into the town, she instantly fell in love. It reminded me of Mayberry, but on the lake. The coolest small town in America! Everything is walking distance. Wife went for a spa day while I fished. When she did fish, we did lakeside dining.


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## sharp33 (Mar 30, 2015)

Tom G said:


> Deep creek lake in Maryland is a REAL good smallie lake I mean REAL good it no more then 4 hrs from Cleveland. Depending when you want to go I can see if my friends place is open Also real good for hand size pan fish. we also catch a lot of wallyeye


Those deep clear mountain lakes are beautiful but my experiences are they sure are a bugger to fish sometimes . You better have your A game and be willing to fish at night. Been to Watauga a couple of times and I think it is very similar to Deep Creek.


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## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

i would have considered it Tom G. but we have already booked a cabin in Interlochen Michigan on Duck Lake, I'm really excited to show my family what I did for vacation as a kid. Its like a half hour from traverse city. Any one ever been on duck lake? I believe green lake is really close too


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## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the posts. It was very helpful and will look into the other places for further years.


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## sharp33 (Mar 30, 2015)

shanewolfe02 said:


> i would have considered it Tom G. but we have already booked a cabin in Interlochen Michigan on Duck Lake, I'm really excited to show my family what I did for vacation as a kid. Its like a half hour from traverse city. Any one ever been on duck lake? I believe green lake is really close too


I have fished both Green and Duck several times . They are both very similar to each other . Find weeds and contour changes and you will find fish . Smallies , largemouth , rock bass , perch and pike . spinnerbaits and soft plastics are my lures of choice.


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## shanewolfe02 (Dec 7, 2012)

Thanks sharp 33


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## OnTheFly (Jul 30, 2010)

definitely check out sleeping bear dunes, pyramid point hike when you are in the area. empire and glen arbor are great little towns to visit (friendly tavern has good food). PM if you want any more specific info, never fished those lakes but am very familiar with the area. spent almost a month in the area every year as a kid up through high school, then my parents got a place further north after the place we stayed at was destroyed for the national lakeshore. I mainly fished north bar lake (which is not great for fishing but fun to hang out at) as it was walking distance down the beach and would drive to the betsie river for trout. Went out on lake leelanau a couple of time with a guide (dave rose i think) and did pretty good on eye and smallies.


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## MDBuckeye (Sep 29, 2009)

Tom G said:


> Deep creek lake in Maryland is a REAL good smallie lake I mean REAL good it no more then 4 hrs from Cleveland. Depending when you want to go I can see if my friends place is open Also real good for hand size pan fish. we also catch a lot of wallyeye


Love Deep Creek Maryland. Super lake with great fishing for most species. Huge panfish is an understatement. One 4th of July weekend on a year where we seemed to have a little later Spring, a buddy and I hammered big bull gills and perch on weed beds with leeches. We caught nice bass, smallmouth and large, as well as some nice eyes that weekend. The lake is said to have trout and huge pike as well. Fun little ski town with things to do with the family and good places to eat too.


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