Pleasurecraft Playground

Few ports of call have as interesting and eclectic a mix of attractions as Monroe County, which borders Ohio and stretches along nearly 30 miles of Lake Erie shoreline in the far southeastern corner of Michigan. The city of Monroe’s deep-water port — Michigan’s only port on Lake Erie — is 35 miles south of Detroit and 17 miles north of Toledo. It’s truly a pleasurecraft playground.

Monroe County has tons to offer, including: Primo perch and walleye fishing; frequent eagle and wildlife sightings; a late-summer abundance of threatened American lotus flowers; and the historic River Raisin National Battlefield Park showcasing the War of 1812. The area offers a laid-back, relatively affordable getaway for boaters, whether on day trips or longer adventures.

Something for everyone

With the cooling towers of the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant looming over Monroe’s maritime landscape, boats ply both Lake Erie and the River Raisin, with the option of docking in either.

Whether arriving by sail or powerboat, few visitors leave Monroe without tying up dockside on the river at The Clamdigger and sampling its near-legendary mashed potato pizza, washed down with a Clamato bloody mary. And it’s hard to miss tributes in local parks and museums to hometown hero General George Armstrong Custer, who, despite Civil War success, is best known for his infamous “Last Stand” at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Given its reputation for phenomenal fishing — Lake Erie’s western basin is known as “the Walleye Capital of the World” — Monroe County is chock full of charter boat services that welcome anglers from near and far, including many from international locales. Visitors typically catch their limit and leave with memories of both the hot fishing action and lovely Lake Erie sunrises.

On the city’s south side, Bolles Harbor is a state-maintained Harbor of Refuge with a busy public boat launch. It’s a focal point in the sprawling, semi-rural county whose shoreline is dotted with nearly 30 marinas and boat clubs. From mom-and-pop operations with a handful of docks to the full-service Safe Harbor Toledo Beach Marina that’s part of a national network, the old cliché, “there’s something for everyone,” rings true in Monroe County.

With 286 slips and a 400-foot-long side-tie transient dock, Toledo Beach Marina is a top destination, with amenities ranging from a heated pool and Amazon locker to horseshoes, beach volleyball and seasonal live entertainment. The SandBar and Grille is an appealing waterside spot for alfresco dining. Friendly bartenders serve up creative cocktails (try the frozen orange creamsicle) with appetizers, tacos, pizza, perch and walleye.

In protected Bolles Harbor, a cluster of marinas, service centers, bait shops and restaurants include Trout’s Yacht Basin, owned by the same family for 68 years, complete with hoist, mechanics, fuel, ice and a handful of transient docks; and Big Daddy’s Boat Yard, run by Terry Gerin, known in professional wrestling circles as Rhyno, who says he accommodates transient boats when there’s room.

Next to Trout’s, Monroe Boat Club reserves at least eight guest spaces for affiliated yacht club members only (Associated Yacht Clubs and Inter-Lake Yachting Association), according to Commodore Carl Butler. Describing the club as “nothing fancy [but] very friendly,” Butler says it holds Tuesday night summer sailing races and various other events.

Chip Harrington, the owner of Harbor Marine, a large rack and launch operation with guest boat docks, touts Bolles Harbor as a convenient jumping-off point. “This location is really neat nautically,” he says. “You can get to a lot of cool places in a very short amount of time. It’s 30 miles to Put-In-Bay (on Ohio’s South Bass Island), a seven-mile ride to the Toledo docks and restaurants and 13 miles to the Detroit River.”

Across the street, Grey Heron Grille & Spirits, with outdoor seating overlooking the water, is known for its tasty seafood bisque and shaved prime rib French dip.

Nearby, Sterling State Park, Michigan’s only state park on Lake Erie, is a favorite destination thanks to its public boat launch, beach campground and cottages, mile-long sandy beach with swimming and fishing areas, grills and fish cleaning station. It’s adjacent to a segment of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, a protected marshland for wildlife, waterfowl and migratory birds, as well as miles of walking and biking trails, including a new connector to the nearby River Raisin National Battlefield Park and its renovated visitor center.

Chris Milliron, captain of Detroit-based Blast N Cast Guide Service, is among boaters who use Sterling State Park’s boat launch for easy access to Lake Erie fishing.

“People flock to the western basin of Lake Erie from all over the country,” he says, adding that the fishery has thrived in the wake of industry cleanup efforts, though potential algal blooms are still a late summer/fall concern. “Just last year, in early April, I had customers come from Germany to fish Lake Erie. They got their limit of fish in a little over an hour,” then switched to catch and release.

Milliron is president of Vets with Nets, a Monroe area organization whose 2024 free fishing outing for military veterans is June 7 – 8. Based at the Detroit Beach Boat Club in Monroe, it’s a two-day affair with a fish fry, pig roast, prizes, DJ, band and military-jet flyover. This year’s event, the fifth annual, drew 300 vets on 150 boats, with boat captains from 17 states, he says.

With a shaded balcony deck, the Detroit Beach Boat Club is a great place to watch boat traffic heading to and from Lake Erie, and has a guest dock for affiliated yacht club members, according to Vilija Telycenas, commodore. This season, the club-sponsored poker runs along with its annual post Labor Day regatta and steak roast.