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Pentwater Lake

Pentwater, Michigan — Oceana County.

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490Surface acres
2Public access sites
0.6 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 82818094).

Location & fast facts

Where Pentwater Lake is in Michigan

The red circle marks Pentwater Lake.

Fast facts

About Pentwater Lake

  • County: Oceana
  • Town: Pentwater
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 197 mi from Detroit and 67 mi from Grand Rapids and 197 mi from Marquette, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Michigan

Official Michigan DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 1 public trailer launch listed (see access)
  • Walking. 0.6 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 25 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Zebra mussel, Eurasian watermilfoil and Curly-leaf pondweed recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Pentwater Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Mears-Modern (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Pentwater boating access site (Boat launch)21 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Pentwater
  2. 2Pentwater boating access site
    Boat launch · Pentwater

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 82818094), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Michigan DNR boating access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.6 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 10%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
West shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.6 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Pentwater Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.

Trails along the shore

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Pentwater Lake

We found 25 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Pentwater Lake, 4 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Michigan

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (43.7703, -86.4253). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Pentwater Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Pentwater Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/Detroit), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    2 public access sites listed, 2 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampPentwater—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating43.7758, -86.4302
    Pentwater boating access sitePentwater—Boat launch · Yes ramp——Boating43.7746, -86.4290

    Michigan DNR boating access sites and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Pentwater Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Pentwater Lake

    How big is Pentwater Lake?

    Pentwater Lake covers about 490 acres in Pentwater, Michigan (Oceana County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Pentwater Lake?

    Yes. 1 public trailer launch is listed: Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Pentwater Lake?

    Yes. We list 25 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 4 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Pentwater Lake?

    Pentwater Lake touches Pentwater in Oceana County, Michigan.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Pentwater Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Michigan lakes & ponds · All waters in Pentwater