In Michigan’s lower peninsula in the county of Newaygo, there is a small lake tucked back into the Manistee National Forest just off of M-37. Camping, fishing, paddling, and backpacking are a few of the activities that can be done at this location.
To find this location, take M-37 north from Grand Rapids, MI and just before Brohman, MI, look for Center Street that crosses the railroad tracks. After crossing the tracks, immediately to the left, take Fox Avenue that parallels the tracks and M-37 for a quarter of a mile curving right and changes to Pierce Road. This drive is peaceful as it passes by a private cemetery named Hiller’s Cemetery on the right. The road descends at this point and at the bottom, Pierce Road continues straight, but is not passable due to private land. Instead, follow the road that curves left onto Nigel Drive and this will lead you out to Indian Lake.
Indian Lake Campground is located on the 34-acre Indian Lake. The lake is surrounded by national forest, except a few small private ownerships on the northwest and southeast sides of the lake. The lake has clear water and a sandy bottom, and is popular for fishing. A boat launch provides both motorized and nonmotorized boating access to visitors. The lake is shallow and is characterized by reeds around the edges. The lake at its deepest is 10 feet. Access to the lake and camping areas are available year around though it is serviced May 1 – October 31. There is a $10 per night camping fee when the camp is serviced, otherwise, camping is free. There are six camping sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and lantern poles. Pit style toilets are available, but there is no well water. Here is the website link from the United States Department of Agriculture.
One of the attractions is this lake and campground are within a half mile as a Crow flies of the North Country Trail. By walking two track paths and trails, it is about a 1.5 mile walk from the campground area. The North Country Trail is the largest trail in North America! It is double the length of the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. The 4,800 mile North Country Trail begins in Vermont and ends in North Dakota after going through seven states. It sort of follows the same general direction in its windy way of M-37 from Newaygo, MI to Peacock, MI and then veers westerly as it heads towards the famous Manistee River Trail and eventually the upper peninsula of Michigan.
I have a few stories about some visits to this lake. One of my first trips, I trailered a boat and fished with my son. At the launch, there were 100’s of 45 records littered on top of the sand in the launch area directly where boats load and unload. I imagine that most are still there and could easily be located with a little digging. The depth at the launch is only a few feet and has a slow decline to depth quite far out from the launch.
As my son and I fished this lake for the first time, we were surprised to see something we have never encountered before. Looking at the opposite shore from the boat launch, in the southwest direction, are submerged fishing structures. These structures are about 10′ x 10′ and perhaps 4′-6′ high. There are at least a half a dozen, but could be as many as 10-12. I imagine that probably over 30 years ago, these structures were built and hauled out on the ice placed at equal gaps and all about the same distance from the shoreline. My discovery was about 24 years ago. A few summers ago, I paddled my canoe and looked at the structures and the ones I could see were quite different deteriorating over time. Our first fishing trip on this lake yielded some amazing Largemouth Bass catches around these structures. At the time, it reinforced the importance of bait fish having structure to hide that predators pursued. By the way, I have never kept a Smallmouth or Largemouth Bass. It is strictly catch-and-release for me when it comes to these species of Bass. In a survival situation, it would be a different story. Walleye, Perch, Crappies, Bluegill, and Rock Bass are not so lucky!
I fished these structures in 2018. On this trip, I caught the biggest Largemouth Bass of my life! It measured 21″ and put on a good fight. As always, I promptly released it. On this day, there were other people fishing on the shore. One person was fishing at the launch. After I finished fishing, I returned to the launch, and that person gut hooked a 12″ Largemouth Bass. This person released it, but the fish floated since it had died. Rather than letting it go, this person put it in their bucket. All of a sudden, I heard repetitive stomping and wondered what was happening. On the northeast ridge in the trees that has a camping site and overlooks the other sites was a DNR Officer with binoculars running down the hill like an Olympic athlete! I suppose gravity from the hill helped the officer look like the Six Million Dollar Man running! This guy covered the 50 yard dash in record time! Unfortunately, the person that kept the illegal fish was ticketed and fined.
One last story as this area does attract some interesting characters. In 2019, I took my Mad River Revelation canoe to try it out in a lake. The Revelation is 17′ in length and is made out of Royalex. It weighs about 73 Lbs. It is great going down a river with some current. I wanted to see how the weight and size impacted it in open water and wind. When I arrived, there were three people that had been heavily drinking. One had a motorized bicycle and the others smaller motorcycles. While preparing my canoe for a paddle, they had numerous questions about fishing and some of my equipment. Nothing from the norm, but a bit more difficult in understanding the questions after they had so much to drink. I went on my way paddling and checked out the conditions of the fishing structures mentioned earlier. When I returned to the launch, there were a dozen or so empty beer bottles and cans around a tree near the launch. Two of the gentlemen had left. The one remaining that had the motorized bicycle was passed out laying next to the tree. It took me about 15 minutes to load the canoe and pack the gear. This person did not move or wakeup the entire time. He was still alive as he was snoring heavily! Back to the point as to why I was there. The canoe did alright, but was somewhat difficult to handle in this open water. It is always good to know how things work that helps with preparation and expectations.
Aside from my wife encountering an aggressive Hognose Snake and having to deal with deer ticks, Indian Lake and the campground is a little spot of paradise. If you happen to be traveling M-37, take some time to check this spot out. It is a peaceful place to visit.
