Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the link above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more.
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
BIG BASS, LOON AND HARPER LAKES - R281.743.2 - Hours of high-speed boating and water skiing.
2. (1) On the waters of Big Bass lake, sections 27, 33, and 34, T20N, R14W, Elk township, and sections 3 and 4, T19N, R14W, Sauble township, Lake county, it is unlawful, between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. of the following day, to:
(a) Operate a vessel at high speed.
(b) Have in tow, or otherwise assist in the propulsion of, a person on water skis, a water sled, kite, surfboard, or other similar contrivance.
(2) On the waters of Loon lake, section 3, T19N, R14W, Sauble township, Lake county, it is unlawful, between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. of the following day, to:
(a) Operate a vessel at high speed.
(b) Have in tow, or otherwise assist in the propulsion of, a person on water skis, a water sled, kite, surfboard, or other similar contrivance.
(3) On the waters of Harper lake, sections 10 and 15, T20N, R14W, Elk township, Lake county, it is unlawful, between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. of the following day, to:
(a) Operate a vessel at high speed.
(b) Have in tow, or otherwise assist in the propulsion of, a person on water skis, a water sled, kite, surfboard, or other similar contrivance.
History: Eff. July 6, 1977
BIG STAR LAKE - R281.743.3 - Hours for high-speed boating and water skiing.
3. On the waters of Big Star lake, town 17 north, range 14 west, Lake township, Lake county, it is unlawful between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. of the following day, to:
(a) Operate a vessel at high speed.
(b) Have in tow, or otherwise assist in the propulsion of, a person on water skis, water sled, kite, surfboard, or other similar contrivance.
History: Eff. August 28, 1975
BIG STAR LAKE, BAY, EXTREME WEST PORTION OF LAKE - R281.743.4 - Slow-no wake speed.
4. On the waters of Big Star lake located in the north half of the northwest quarter lying north and west of a line from the southernmost point of land on the north side of Big Star lake, to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, section 34, town 17 north, range 14 west, Lake township, Lake county, it unlawful for the operator of a vessel to exceed a slow-no wake speed.
History: Eff. August 28, 1975
COOL LAKE - WC-43-07-002 - Slow-no wake speed.
On the waters of Cool Lake, all within sections 2 and 3, T20N, R14W of Elk township, county of Lake, state of Michigan, it is unlawful for the operator of a vessel to exceed a slow-no wake speed.
Slow-no wake speed means a very slow speed whereby the wake or wash created by the motorboat would be minimal.
The boundaries of the area described immediately above shall be marked with signs and/or with buoys. All buoys must be placed as provided in a permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources and be in conformance with the State Uniform Waterway Marking System.
History: Eff. October 18, 2007
GIFFORD LAKE - WC-43-07-001 - Motors prohibited.
On the waters of Gifford Lake, sections 14 and 23, town 17 north, range 14 west, township of Lake, county of Lake, state of Michigan, it is unlawful to operate a vessel propelled by a motor.
The boundaries of the area described immediately above shall be marked with signs and/or with buoys. All buoys must be placed as provided in a permit issued by the Department of Natural resources and be in conformance with the State Uniform Waterway Marking System.
History: Eff. May 3, 2007
IDLEWILD LAKE - R281.743.9 - Hours for slow-no wake speed.
9. On the waters of Idlewild lake, sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, T17N, R12W, Yates township, Lake county, it is unlawful for the operator of a vessel to exceed a slow-no wake speed between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. of the following day.
History: Eff. November 8, 1978
NORTH LAKE - WC-43-94-001 - Slow-no wake speed.
On the waters of North lake, all within section 15, T17N, R13W, Pleasant Plains township, Lake county, it is unlawful for the operator of a vessel to exceed a slow-no wake speed.
History: Eff. August 5, 1994
ORCHARD LAKE - WC-43-91-001 - Slow-no wake speed.
On the waters of Orchard lake, section 21, T17N, R14W, Lake township, Lake county, it is unlawful for the operator of a vessel to exceed a slow-no wake speed.
History: Eff. February 18, 1992
PÈRE MARQUETTE RIVER, PORTION OF - R281.743.8 - Operation of vessel powered by motor.
8. On the waters of the Père Marquette river, Lake township, Pleasant Plains township, and Sweetwater township, Lake county, it is unlawful to operate a vessel powered by a motor except an electric motor used to propel a vessel in an upstream direction.
History: Eff. August 29, 1978
REED LAKE, CHANNEL; RAINBOW, BASFORD, CECILIA, AND GIFFORD LAKES - R281.743.5 - High-speed boating and water skiing prohibited.
5. On the waters of Reed lake, the channel connecting Reed lake and Rainbow lake, Rainbow lake, Basford lake, Cecilia lake, and Gifford lake, township of Lake, county of Lake, state of Michigan, no operator of any motorboat shall:
(a) Operate such motorboat at high speed, which means a speed at or above which a motorboat reaches a planing condition.
(b) Have in tow, or otherwise assist in the propulsion of, a person on water skis, water sled, surfboard, or other similar contrivance.
History: Eff. May 15, 1969
WOLF LAKE - R281.743.1 - Rescinded: June 15, 1971
Publisher's Note: This watercraft control was for Wolf Lake, Peacock township, Lake county.
WOLF LAKE ADJACENT TO SHORELINE - R281.743.6 - Slow-no wake speed.
6. On the waters of Wolf lake, sections 26, 27, 34, and 35, town 19 north, range 13 west, Peacock township, Lake county, an operator of a vessel shall not exceed a slow--no wake speed when within a distance of 200 feet from the shoreline except when picking up or dropping off water skiers which shall be on a line perpendicular to the shoreline. Slow-no wake speed means a very slow speed whereby the wake or wash created by the vessel would be minimal.
History: Eff. June 15, 1971
WOLF LAKE, SOUTHWEST PORTION - R281.743.7 - Slow-no wake speed.
7. On the waters of Wolf lake lying within the west ½ of the northwest ¼, section 34, town 19 north, range 13 west, Peacock township, Lake county, an operator of a vessel shall not exceed a slow-no wake speed, which means a very slow speed whereby the wake or wash created by the vessel would be minimal.
History: Eff. June 15, 1971
