Boat launches · Lake Huron · Michigan

Boat Launches Near Tawas City

10 public launches within 30 miles of downtown Tawas City, Michigan, 9 of them trailer ramps. The nearest is East Tawas, 1.6 miles NE.

Within 30 mi

Trailer ramps

Closest

1.6 mi

Closest first

Public launches around Tawas City

Straight-line distance and direction from downtown, not a driving or boating route. Every figure is what the agency publishes; a blank means the agency is silent.

1.6 mi NE
East Tawas
Trailer ramp · 4 lanes, 77 trailer spacesDirections
13 mi NE
Au Sable River Mouth
Trailer ramp · 10 lanes, 250 trailer spacesDirections
19 mi SW
Au Gres River MouthAu Gres River
Trailer ramp · 8 lanes, 85 trailer spacesDirections
25 mi SE
Caseville DockPigeon River
Trailer rampDirections
26 mi SW
Pine River MouthPine River
Trailer ramp · 2 lanes, 24 trailer spacesDirections
28 mi S
Fillion RoadSaginaw Bay
Trailer ramp · 1 lane, 40 trailer spacesDirections
28 mi N
Harrisville State Park
Hand / carry-in launchDirections
29 mi N
Harrisville
Trailer ramp · 6 lanes, 130 trailer spacesDirections
30 mi S
Bay PortSaginaw Bay
Trailer ramp · 2 lanes, 63 trailer spacesDirections
30 mi SE
Port Austin
Trailer ramp · 4 lanes, 76 trailer spacesDirections

Once you're off the trailer

What to fish out of Tawas City

Our Lake Huron fishing guides name water reached from these launches for 8 species:

Brown Trout · Late March through May, with a second window from October into December near harbors and river mouthsBrown Trout Fishing on Lake HuronSaginaw Bay shoreline near Au Gres and Point Lookout: Shallow, stained and quick to warm. Browns move along this shoreline in April, mixed with early walleye.Northern Pike · May and June, September through November, and January through February on iceNorthern Pike Fishing on Lake HuronWildfowl Bay and the Bay Port shoreline: Southeast Saginaw Bay. Shallow marsh, cabbage and sand in 4–10 ft, and one of the most reliable pike areas on the lake in both open water and winter.Steelhead · October through April in the tributaries, peaking in March; June through August offshoreSteelhead Fishing on Lake HuronThe Au Sable River at Oscoda: Michigan's best-known Lake Huron steelhead river, with fish from the mouth up to Foote Dam. Fall and spring runs and good bank access in the lower river.Lake Sturgeon · June through September, outside the spring spawning periodLake Sturgeon on Lake HuronSaginaw Bay and the Saginaw River system: Historically a major sturgeon producer, largely lost to dams and habitat destruction, and now the subject of long-running rehabilitation work in the bay's tributaries.Lake Trout · May and June on shallow rock, July through September deep, with a heavy fall reef biteLake Trout Fishing on Lake HuronSix Fathom Bank: A large offshore shoal in the middle of the main basin that rises sharply out of deep water. Classic summer structure and a long, committing run from Harbor Beach or Port Austin.Muskellunge · Late July through October, with September and October the best windowMuskie Fishing on Lake HuronSaginaw Bay: Michigan has run muskellunge restoration work in the Saginaw system. It is a genuine but low-density fishery — treat a Saginaw Bay muskie as a rare bonus while you are fishing for something else, not as the target.Smallmouth Bass · Mid-June through early October, with September the best size windowSmallmouth Bass Fishing on Lake HuronGrindstone City and the Thumb shoreline: Rock shelf and boulder fields from Port Austin east to Harbor Beach in 12–30 ft. Long stretches of it, easily accessible, mostly unfished for bass.Yellow Perch · July through October on Saginaw Bay; January through early March on the Les Cheneaux iceYellow Perch Fishing on Lake HuronBay Port and Wildfowl Bay: The southeast corner of Saginaw Bay, and the historic center of the Great Lakes commercial perch trade. Shallow sand and grass in 6–12 ft that holds perch all summer.

Chinook Salmon on Huron Coho Salmon on Huron Lake Whitefish on Huron Walleye on Huron

Before you launch

Lake Huron is big water

Saginaw Bay is shallow and builds a steep, short sea in a hurry; the open-lake ports along the Thumb and the northeast shore can be a long way apart. Know the next harbor down the shore before the wind tells you that you need it.

Saginaw Bay ice that separates from shore. Offshore wind on a shallow bay has stranded groups of anglers on drifting plates more than once, requiring air rescue. Never cross a pressure crack you cannot recross.
Shallow, steep chop in the bay. Eleven to twenty feet of water builds an ugly short-period sea in a moderate wind, far rougher for its height than deep water.
Long unserviced stretches of Michigan shoreline between Harbor Beach and Alpena. Marina spacing is wide; fuel planning matters.

Read how to read a Great Lakes marine forecast and trailering and launching on big water. Pack the big-water safety kit.

Camp or picnic

State parks

For the crew ashore

Beaches

Landmarks from the water

Lighthouses

Tawas Point Light3.4 mi

Questions

Where is the closest public boat launch to Tawas City?

East Tawas, about 1.6 miles NE of downtown in a straight line.

How many public boat launches are near Tawas City?

State agency data lists 10 public launches within 30 miles: 9 trailer ramps and 1 unimproved or carry-in sites, on Lake Huron and the bays and rivers that run into it.

What is the biggest boat ramp near Tawas City?

By the lane and trailer-parking counts the agencies publish, Au Sable River Mouth (10 lanes, 250 trailer spaces). Not every agency publishes those counts, so 2 of the 10 sites here could not be ranked.

Do boat launches near Tawas City charge a fee?

None of these 10 sites publishes fee information, which does not mean they are free; city and park launches often sell a daily or season pass. Confirm with the manager before you tow.

Who sets the fishing rules on Lake Huron near Tawas City?

Michigan DNR. Seasons, limits and license rules change, so read the current regulations before you go.

Up and down the shore

Launches near other Huron towns

Oscoda, MI · 14 mi Au Gres, MI · 18 mi Caseville, MI · 26 mi Port Austin, MI · 30 mi Bay City, MI · 50 mi Harbor Beach, MI · 52 mi

Source

Launch facts are from Michigan DNR, State Sponsored Developed Boating Access Sites, retrieved 2026-10-27. Ramps close for repairs, fees change and water levels move; confirm with the manager before you tow. Fishing rules are set by Michigan DNR.

Downtown positions are approximate. Chart shoreline generalized from Natural Earth (public domain); not for navigation. Something wrong or missing? Write to contact@greatamericanlakes.com.

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