Fishing Hamlin Lake at Ludington State Park

Hamlin Lake is the calm-water half of a Ludington fishing trip. While the big lake is for charters and the Pere Marquette is for salmon and steelhead, Hamlin is where you fish from a small boat, a kayak or a pier for walleye, bass, perch and bluegill, and where the family can swim between bites. It sits on the edge of Ludington State Park, just north of town. For the rest of the area, see our Ludington guide.

The lake

Hamlin is a roughly 5,000-acre lake, with about 4 miles of its shoreline inside Ludington State Park. Beyond the open lake, it has several bayous that anglers fish as well, and an upper lake where winter anglers often start.

The lake owes its size to a dam on the Big Sable River. Around 1856, lumberman Charles Mears built a wooden dam and sawmill at the narrow outlet of what was then called Big Sable Lake, raising it 12 to 15 feet. The mill town that grew up there was named Hamlin. The dam failed in 1888 and again in 1912, a third dam was built in 1913, and today’s dam stands a few hundred feet upstream of the original site. Concrete ruins and a cemetery are about all that is left of the town, and DNR placards along the bike path by the Big Sable River tell the story.

Below the dam, the Big Sable River runs about a mile through the state park to Lake Michigan. It gets spring and fall runs of salmon, steelhead and trout, and has special hook rules from August 1 to November 1 that the park page lists.

The fishing

You can fish Hamlin all year. The visitors bureau names walleye, bass, perch and bluegill as the lake’s main fish, in the open lake and in its bayous. DNR reports have described crappie and northern pike catches in late winter, and Game & Fish credits the lake’s large forage base and healthy pike and walleye populations for keeping its bluegill fishing strong.

For a visiting family, bluegill and perch are the natural targets on light tackle from the park pier or a rented canoe. Lake conditions change through the season, so read the DNR weekly fishing report and ask at a local tackle shop when you arrive.

Launches, pier and rentals in Ludington State Park

Ludington State Park is the main public way onto the lake. A vehicle needs a Recreation Passport to enter.

• Boat launch. The park has a boating access site on Hamlin Lake with vehicle and trailer parking.
• Kayak and canoe launch. About 50 feet north of the boat launch, an accessible launch has its own accessible parking and racks for temporary gear storage.
• Fishing pier. A small fishing pier sits on Hamlin Lake just upstream from the Hamlin Dam.
• Rentals. Dune Grass Concessions rents kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards at the Hamlin Lake beach house from mid-May through early October. The beach house also has restrooms, changing courts and food. The visitors bureau notes that boat rentals are available around the lake as well.

Boaters also like the dunes on the lake’s north edge, where you can anchor, swim, climb the dunes and picnic on the beach.

Family fishing

Hamlin works well for a family day because fishing, swimming and a playground are all in one place. The Hamlin Lake day-use area has a buoyed swim area with an accessible walkway and floating beach wheelchairs, an accessible playground, picnic tables and grills, and a pavilion you can reserve. Pair a morning on the pier or in a rented canoe with an afternoon at the beach.

Keep the kids in the Hamlin Lake swim area rather than the river. The DNR warns that the mouth of the Big Sable River lies outside the park’s designated swim area, and currents near river outlets can be dangerous.

Our fishing with kids guide and family lake week checklist help you plan, and the family trip type page lists more destinations.

Ice fishing

Hamlin has a long reputation as a winter bluegill lake. Game & Fish called it the top winter bluegill lake in the state, with pike and walleye as well. Most first-ice fishing happens on the upper lake, though several bayous also produce. Many anglers wait for at least 4 inches of ice, which the same article says typically forms by Christmas. As winter goes on, the fish get pickier, and anglers move to lighter line, smaller baits and electronics to find schools.

Ice is never guaranteed. It varies from winter to winter and from bay to bay, so check local conditions, carry ice safety gear, and see our fishing trip safety guide.

Paddling

Hamlin is also a paddling lake. Beginners can stay in the protected coves of Lost Lake inside the park, and more experienced paddlers can follow the 4-mile Hamlin Lake water trail through marshland along the west shore. A kayak is a quiet way to fish the edges for panfish and bass, and the park’s accessible launch puts you on the water close to the rental stand.

Rules and licenses

The Michigan DNR sets fishing rules for Hamlin Lake and the Big Sable River and sells licenses. Rules change, so check the current Michigan Fishing Regulations before each trip, and see our fishing licenses guide for how licenses work.