15 Top Marinas and Harbors in Michigan (MAP): Boating in Michigan

Last updated: October 2026

The best marinas in Michigan put you a two-minute walk from a fudge shop, a lighthouse, or a Lake Superior sunset, and most of them take reservations on the same state website. Here are the 15 harbors and marinas I’d plan a Great Lakes boat trip around, lake by lake, with slip counts, fuel, seasons, and the one Lake Huron harbor that’s closed until August 2027.

How Michigan Harbors Work

Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline in the country and 82 state-sponsored harbors along it, 19 run by the DNR and 63 run by towns and townships with state money. Since 1947 the point has been that a boater can circle the whole state and never be more than a day’s run from a safe harbor. In practice that means fuel, a pump-out, showers, and a slip you can book up to six months ahead at the DNR’s harbor reservation page.

Two rules worth knowing before you book. Transient stays at state harbors top out at two weeks, and at Mackinac Island it’s four days in peak season. And a few of the local harbors on this list, Harrisville and Bay Harbor among them, take reservations directly rather than through the state system, so check each entry.

Here’s how I’d use this list. If you’re cruising, the state harbors are the backbone: they take the same reservation, charge the same posted rate schedule, and you know what you’re getting. The private and municipal marinas are where the character is, and where you’ll pay a little more for a pool at Safe Harbor or a village of restaurants at Bay Harbor.

If you’re not a boater at all and just want to walk a marina at sunset with ice cream, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, and South Haven are the three where the docks and the downtown are the same place. Grand Marais is the one that will ruin you for the others.

Lake Huron Marinas and Harbors

Straits State Harbor, Mackinaw City

Straits State Harbor sits on the Lake Huron side of the Straits of Mackinac in Mackinaw City, in Cheboygan County, and it’s the harbor I’d pick over the older city marina a basin to the north. It has 136 transient slips, gas and diesel, a pump-out, laundry, showers, a dog run, and a fishing pier, and because it opened in 2009 it’s one of the newest and most energy-efficient harbors on the Great Lakes. The season runs mid-May through late September.

The view is the sell: the Mackinac Bridge from your cockpit at sunset, and the Mackinac Island ferries buzzing past all day. One thing trips people up every week, according to the harbormaster: the city marina and the state harbor use the same reservation site, so make sure you’ve booked the one you meant to. Details are on the DNR harbor guide page for Straits State Harbor.

If you go: my guide to the best places to stay in Mackinaw City covers the waterfront options. Two close to the harbor are the Clarion Hotel Beachfront and the Crown Choice Inn and Suites Waterfront.

Presque Isle State Harbor, Presque Isle

This is the finest natural harbor on Michigan’s Lake Huron coast, and for anyone running north it’s a practical stop too: Presque Isle is the last state harbor with fuel until Mackinaw City. The DNR runs about 120 slips here, 84 of them transient, with floating docks that take boats to roughly 130 feet, from mid-May to late October. It’s a certified Clean Marina, and there’s a general store across the road for ice cream and the basics.

The two Presque Isle lighthouses are a half-mile walk from the docks, and the old one still lets you climb the tower. The harbor hosts a wooden boat show every summer, which is the weekend to be here if you like varnish. The Presque Isle State Harbor listing has the season dates and channel info.

Harrisville Harbor of Refuge, Harrisville

Located in charming Harrisville, between Oscoda and Alpena on Lake Huron’s Sunrise Side, Harrisville is a quiet, well-run city harbor in Alcona County. There are 71 slips, half of them seasonal, for boats up to 125 feet, with guaranteed depth over seven feet, plus diesel, ethanol-free gas, a pump-out, and a lounge with a fireplace and morning coffee. The season is May 15 to October 1, and you reserve directly with the harbor rather than through the DNR.

It’s an easy walk, or a ride on one of the free Bikes for Boaters, into the small downtown, and there’s a big play structure near the docks for kids. I serve on the Discover Iosco County Travel Committee just down the shore, and this stretch of Huron is one I pay close attention to; Harrisville is the harbor I’d point a first-time Sunrise Side cruiser to. Reservations and the fuel-dock number are on the Harrisville Harbor site.

Lexington State Harbor, Lexington (closed until August 2027)

Lexington State Harbor closed October 1, 2026 and will not reopen until July 31, 2027. The DNR is replacing every in-water structure in the marina, and the fuel dock, pump-out, restrooms, and the adjacent boat launch close with it. The Army Corps of Engineers already dredged the channel and repaired the breakwall in 2026, and it will remove shoaling inside the breakwall in 2027, so expect some slip closures even after reopening. Watch the DNR’s key project updates page for the date reservations reopen.

It stays on this list because it’s worth the wait. This 108-slip state harbor is 20 miles north of Port Huron in Sanilac County, with a sandy beach beside it, fuel, a fish-cleaning station, and Lexington’s shops and restaurants a block away. When the new docks go in, it’ll be the best-equipped harbor on the Thumb Coast. The Lexington State Harbor listing has the contact numbers.

Port Sanilac Municipal Harbor, Port Sanilac

Ten miles north of Lexington, Port Sanilac is where I’d send Thumb Coast boaters this season. The village harbor has 64 slips, about 30 of them transient, and takes boats up to 120 feet, reservable through the DNR system, with a lounge, a courtesy vehicle, and a park with a dog run. It’s one block from downtown Port Sanilac, and the Port Sanilac Lighthouse is a block from the docks.

The Sanilac County Historic Village and museum are a short walk, the Barn Theatre runs summer shows, and the harbor’s vintage boat, trailer, and car show is a good weekend to be tied up here. The Port Sanilac harbor listing covers the rest.

Lake Michigan Marinas and Harbors

Bay Harbor Lake Marina, Bay Harbor

Bay Harbor, between Petoskey and Charlevoix in Emmet County, gets called the Hamptons of Northern Michigan, and the marina lives up to it. It’s a protected harbor opening straight onto Little Traverse Bay, with floating docks only, and the Pier B expansion in 2022 added 35 slips from 40 to 120 feet, the first new dock here in 26 years. Boaters get a lounge, showers, Wi-Fi, dockside pump-out, and dockhands, with a village of restaurants and shops a few steps up the lawn.

The Bay Harbor In-Water Boat Show runs every Father’s Day weekend, June 19 to 21 in 2026, with free admission and parking. Bay Harbor is also one of Michigan’s most popular wedding destinations and venues. If you are planning a boat trip to Lake Michigan, I highly suggest making Bay Harbor Marina one of the stops on your list. This is a private marina, so reserve with them directly; the Petoskey chamber posts the boat show dates and hours.

If you go: the Cottages at Bay Harbor are the roomy option here, with an outdoor pool overlooking the bay.

Harbor Springs Municipal Marina, Harbor Springs

Ask a Michigan boater to name a harbor and nine times out of ten this is the first one out of their mouth. Harbor Springs sits on what the town bills as the deepest natural harbor on the Great Lakes, and the city marina at 250 East Bay Street has 77 slips, 46 of them transient, on floating docks that take boats up to 200 feet, with 15 feet of water on the approach. Gas, diesel, a launch, and marine supplies are all nearby rather than on the dock, so fuel up before you come in.

With white sand and whitecaps rolling in on windy days, Harbor Springs will have you questioning whether you’re in Michigan or the Carolinas. Downtown starts at the top of the dock, and the shops here are the kind that make you want to buy the whole store. The Petoskey Area CVB keeps the marina’s contact details current.

Charlevoix City Marina, Charlevoix

Charlevoix Harbor is breathtaking, with views of Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan, and the city marina sits on Round Lake in the middle of it, right downtown. Charlevoix becomes a hot spot for boaters during the warmer months. This is hands down my favorite place to travel by boat and is one of my favorite coastal towns in the state of Michigan to explore.

The catch: transient slips here are scarce and go fast, and reservations run through the DNR system, so book the day your six-month window opens. If the city marina is full, Round Lake has several private marinas with transient dockage, and Lake Charlevoix beyond the bridge has more. Either way you’re walking distance from the drawbridge, the beach, and dinner.

If you go: have you heard of Charlevoix’s Mushroom Houses? You can stay overnight in one of Earl Young’s stone cottages if you plan ahead.

Leland Township Harbor, Leland

Leland Harbor is another favorite for avid boaters, because you tie up inside the historic Fishtown district with the Manitou Islands across the passage. The township marina has 63 slips, gas and diesel, pump-out, laundry and showers, and runs late April to late October, longer than most. Leland is one of Michigan’s best fishing ports, so expect charter boats coming and going at dawn.

The shanties along the docks sell smoked whitefish, and Carlson’s Fishery still fillets and packs fish in view of the sidewalk. Wet and dry goods are a block away. Reservations are made with the harbor directly; the Leland harbor listing has the number and channels.

More Lake Michigan Marinas

Safe Harbor Great Lakes, Muskegon

Safe Harbor Great Lakes is on Muskegon Lake, minutes by water from Lake Michigan, in the one deep-water port on the lake’s east shore. It’s a 270-slip resort-style marina with a heated pool, Wi-Fi, dock boxes, lifts, and full service, but only three slips are set aside for transients, so this is a place to keep a boat for the summer, not an overnight stop on a cruise. The Lake Express ferry to Milwaukee runs out of the same harbor.

If you do land a transient slip, you’re on the bike path and a short ride from everything in Muskegon, including the USS Silversides submarine and the Pere Marquette beach. Rates and availability are on Safe Harbor’s Great Lakes page.

West Basin Marina, St. Joseph

St. Joseph’s two lighthouses on the north pier greet every boat that comes in, and the municipal West Basin Marina sits just inside the pier heads on the St. Joseph River, one block from Tiscornia Park beach. It’s a 100-slip marina, 90 seasonal and 10 transient, for boats from 30 to 50 feet, with gas, diesel, pump-out, a courtesy shuttle, and free loaner bikes. Transient reservations run through the DNR, reservable June 1 to September 15.

Across the river is downtown St. Joseph, with Silver Beach and the bluff-top shops a short walk or shuttle ride away. My guide to the best things to do in St. Joe fills in the rest. The West Basin Marina listing has the channel coordinates.

If you go: the Inn at Harbor Shores is the full-service option, with a spa and indoor and outdoor pools.

South Haven Municipal Marina, South Haven

South Haven is the busiest small harbor on the west coast, with the striking red South Haven lighthouse at the end of the pier and the Black River channel running straight into town. The city runs 229 slips across four locations, Northside, Southside, Maritime, and Black River Park, for boats from 20 to 60 feet, open April 15 to October 15. Transient stays book through the DNR system or the city marina office.

Once you’re docked, South Haven is as walkable as a beach town gets: the Michigan Maritime Museum is on the river, downtown is a few blocks, and the beach is at the end of the channel. Ask for the Northside or Maritime docks if you want to be closest to the lake.

If you go: the Old Harbor Inn overlooks the harbor and has long been the boaters’ choice because it’s steps from the docks.

Lake St. Clair Harbors and Marinas

Emerald City Harbor, St. Clair Shores

St. Clair Shores calls itself the boating capital of the Midwest, and the Nautical Mile along Jefferson Avenue is where that claim lives: one of the largest concentrations of marinas and boat yards on the Great Lakes. Emerald City Harbor is a full-service marina in the middle of it, with a gas dock and pump-out, a parts store, service and winter storage, and a Formula boat dealership on site. Its sister marina, Sunset Harbor, is on Harsens Island.

Lake St. Clair isn’t a Great Lake, but it’s where Metro Detroit boats, and a slip here puts you a short run from the Detroit River, the Flats, and the summer raft-ups the lake is known for. Restaurants line Jefferson within walking distance of the docks. Contact and hours are on the Emerald City Harbor website.

Lake Superior Marinas and Harbors

Burt Township Marina, Grand Marais

Grand Marais is the quiet end of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and its harbor is one of only two harbors of refuge on the long Superior shore between Grand Island and Whitefish Point. The township marina on West Bay is public, with broadside dockage, gas and diesel, 50-amp power, pump-out, a fish-cleaning station, a courtesy vehicle, and a dog run, open May 1 to October 15. Transient reservations go through the DNR, and the township adopted a master plan in late 2025 to rebuild the aging harbormaster building.

The deep blue water and sandy beach make Grand Marais one of the best boating spots in Michigan, and the Sable Falls and Grand Sable Dunes are a short drive west. Come for the solitude; services are a block away but there aren’t many of them. The Grand Marais marina listing has the amenities, and Burt Township posts the harbormaster’s phone number.

Copper Harbor State Harbor, Copper Harbor

At the very tip of the Keweenaw in the western Upper Peninsula, Copper Harbor State Harbor is a DNR-run harbor on M-26 with broadside slips, reservable through the state system from mid-May to mid-September. This is the jumping-off point for Isle Royale: the passenger ferry leaves from Copper Harbor, and plenty of boaters tie up here for a night before or after the crossing.

Shopping and restaurants are a short walk, Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is next door, and the miles of hiking trails and mountain bike singletrack above town are the reason most people come. The short season is the trade-off for Superior; the Copper Harbor State Harbor listing has the dates.

Michigan Marina FAQs

What’s the difference between a harbor and a marina?

A harbor is the sheltered water itself, the place a boat can get out of weather. A marina is the dock facility inside it that rents slips and sells fuel and services. Michigan’s “harbors of refuge” are harbors the state has invested in so that no boater is ever far from one.

How do I reserve a slip at a Michigan state harbor?

Through MiDNRReservations.com under the Harbors tab, up to six months ahead, with your boat registration number ready. Many local grant-in-aid harbors use the same system; some, like Harrisville, Leland, and Bay Harbor, take reservations directly.

Which Michigan harbors are closed in 2027?

Lexington State Harbor is closed through July 31, 2027 for a full rebuild. Everything else on this list is operating on its normal season, but Lake Superior harbors close by mid-September and most others by mid-October, so check dates before a fall cruise.

Which marina is best if I don’t have a boat?

Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, Leland, and South Haven, because the docks are downtown and you can walk the whole waterfront with ice cream in hand. Straits State Harbor is worth a stop for the bridge view and the fishing pier alone.

If you’d rather see these towns from the sand than the water, my Lake Huron lighthouses guide covers the Sunrise Side harbors above, and the Leland guide is the place to start on Lake Michigan. Fair winds, and tell me which harbor you tie up in first.