Bay Port, located on the western shore of Lake Huron in southwestern Michigan, is a quiet community nestled between the quiet Lake Michigan and the wild waters of the St. Lawrence River. Its easy proximity to Detroit and its location make it a popular destination for families looking for a vacation home or retirement getaway. For travelers, Bay Port offers great fishing and boating, but one more popular attraction that draws people here year round is the annual Fish Sandwich Festival.
In years past the festival was held annually during the late summer months. It brought large crowds of visitors to Bay Port, who would gather on the pier, along the harbor, and nearby restaurants and bars to watch as fishermen arrived with their catch. Those who didn’t make it to the festival in years past are treated to watching the spectacle again this year. The event is bigger than ever before with boatloads of fishermen and their family and friends coming to town to share in the joy of catching the biggest fish of the year! It’s a great excuse to enjoy a Guinness with some good company.
The beginning of the festival is at the beginning of August, with parades, lectures, live entertainment, and competitions throughout the rest of the month. The highlight of the month is the Herring Rodeo that occurs on the second weekend in August. Thousands of people turn out to watch as the world’s best fishermen take to the water to compete for the largest prize. It also marks the beginning of fishing season in the region, which runs from mid June through mid September. The festival is just as much fun for locals who love to vacation on Lake Huron as it is for tourists who venture out to see the large fish swimming and playing in the water.
In years past, if you wanted to catch some great fishing, you had to drive or travel down to the harbor and look for the best spots. You also had to spend hours trying to find the spots because the fish were so plentiful that they were practically guaranteed to bite. Not any more. If you want to catch some good fish this summer, all you have to do is head out to Bay Port Michigan and enjoy fishing for those small and large fish that like to call the lake their home. The area is teeming with small mouth bass, crappie, and catfish that are caught and fried up and served on special ferries and boats that make their way out on Lake Huron during the summertime.
While you might do all you can to make your home a nice place to enjoy time with family, if you like to get out into the water and don’t mind camping there are plenty of campsites and parks to visit on Lake Huron. You can camp with a group of your friends and family for cheap and find a good spot for you to fish. If you like to go it alone, you can still learn a few techniques from the seasoned anglers out there. You might want to bring an old fishing rod that you no longer use and practice those skills that you have been wanting to master for years ago. Some of the more common fishing spots on Lake Huron include the Tawas Bay Campgrounds, Sleeping Bear Lake, and the Stearns Inlet Campgrounds. The Tawas Bay Campgrounds offers all the amenities of a nice campsite including free electricity, bathrooms, showers, and even a lake view. Of course, you can always bring your own fire pit to bring some extra excitement to the trip – a nice portable model designed for camping should do the trick.
The Stearns Inlet Campgrounds is also another great option for camping in the Great Lakes and offers a park area where you can have a picnic and then go back to your car to load up some food and equipment for the day and to take it down to the river when you are done for the night. At the end of the day, you will be happy to know that your catch would be at the end of the line. There have been years when fishing the Bay Port of Michigan has been a favorite summer pastime for many people and there are probably plenty of opportunities out there to help you beat the crowds this year.