Best anchorages and harbours in Great Lakes

Ashtabula River

Sheltered anchorage on the Ashtabula River in Ashtabula, Ohio, with a mud bottom and protection from all quarters.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Bay Harbour Marina

Large full-service marina on Presque Isle Bay at Erie, Pennsylvania, sheltered by the Presque Isle peninsula on Lake Erie.

Chagrin Lagoons Yacht Club

Private yacht club on the lower Chagrin River, in Timberlake near the river's mouth into Lake Erie, north-east of Cleveland.

East Tawas State Dock

State-run harbour of refuge in the centre of East Tawas on the north-west shore of Tawas Bay, Lake Huron, Michigan.

Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor

Municipal 265-berth marina at Elk Rapids, Michigan, on East Grand Traverse Bay, between two sandy beaches.

Fisher’s Landing

Anchorage on the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands, between Clayton and Alexandria Bay, New York.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S, SE

Presque Isle Beach 11

Anchorage off Beach 11 at the tip of Presque Isle, the sandy peninsula reaching into Lake Erie about 4 miles west of Erie, Pennsylvania.

• Sheltered N, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Put-in-Bay

Anchorage in Put-in-Bay harbour off South Bass Island, Lake Erie, Ohio, with a sand bottom and shelter from the east, south-east, south and south-west.

• Sheltered E, SE, S, SW

Ram Island

Anchorage on the Grand River just inland of the Fairport Harbor entrance to Lake Erie, in Ohio, on a mud bottom with all-round shelter.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Smugglers Island

Anchorage off a small wooded island in the St. Lawrence River, near Thousand Island Park on Wellesley Island, New York.

• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

Stone Cove

Anchorage off South Bass Island in Lake Erie, Ohio, with a weed bottom and shelter from the north, north-east, east and south-east.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Waterson State Park

Boat-only state park on Wellesley Island in the Saint Lawrence River, in the Thousand Islands of New York.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina

Town-run transient marina at 301 Webb Street in Clayton, on the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands of New York.

Mackinac Island State Harbor

Public harbour of refuge on the south shore of Mackinac Island, in the Straits of Mackinac between Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Elmwood Marina

Public marina on the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay at Greilickville, about one mile from downtown Traverse City, Michigan.

Rochester Yacht Club

Private yacht club founded in 1877 at the mouth of the Genesee River, Rochester, New York, on the south shore of Lake Ontario.

Tuscarora Yacht Club

Member yacht club on Clark Island in Sunset Bay, part of Wilson Harbour on the New York shore of Lake Ontario.

Duncan Bay

Sheltered bay on Lake Huron about 2 miles east of Cheboygan, Michigan, within the Straits of Mackinac.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Dunkirk Yacht Club

Private yacht club inside Chadwick Bay, on the south shore of Lake Erie in Dunkirk, New York. The clubhouse stands on pilings over the harbour water.

Little Bayou

Enclosed anchorage on Pentwater Lake at Pentwater, off the Lake Michigan shore.

• Sheltered NW, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Rock & Dock Marina

Transient marina of 53 berths in North Coast Harbor, the inner harbour of downtown Cleveland on Lake Erie.

Bay Harbor Marina

408-berth full-service marina on the Saginaw River in Bay City, Michigan, less than two miles from Saginaw Bay.

McKinley Marina slip L-20

Milwaukee County's only public lakefront marina, on the Lake Michigan shore of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Slip L-20 is one berth within the marina.

Hi Seas Marina

Full-service marina on the Oconto River at Oconto, on the western Green Bay shore of Lake Michigan, Wisconsin.

1st Choice Marine

Service marina and slip operator on the Black River at South Haven, Michigan, a short run from Lake Michigan.

31st Street Harbor

Chicago's newest harbour, opened in 2012 at 3100 South Lake Shore Drive, with 1,000 floating berths.

Al's Harbor

Boat launch and small dock facility on the Toussaint River near Oak Harbor, Ohio, used to reach Lake Erie and the western basin walleye grounds.

Algonac Harbour Club

Large deep-water marina on the north bank of the St. Clair River at Algonac, 15 miles upstream of Lake St. Clair and 50 miles north-east of Detroit.

Anchor Bay Marina

Full-service marina on the Salt River at New Baltimore, Michigan, on the north shore of Anchor Bay in Lake St. Clair.

Anchor Marina

Full-service marina at Cape Vincent, New York, where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario.