US lakes & ponds
Michigan › Mason County › Pere Marquette › Pere Marquette Lake

Pere Marquette Lake

Pere Marquette · Ludington, Michigan — Mason County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
610Surface acres
4Public access sites
3.1 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 82816600).

Location & fast facts

Where Pere Marquette Lake is in Michigan

The red circle marks Pere Marquette Lake.

Fast facts

About Pere Marquette Lake

  • County: Mason
  • Shore towns: Pere Marquette, Ludington
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 204 mi from Detroit and 78 mi from Grand Rapids and 186 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. 4 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Walking. 3.1 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 21 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • 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

Pere Marquette Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Buttersville Campground (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Boat ramp (Boat launch)4½ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Pere Marquette
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Pere Marquette
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Ludington
  4. 4Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Pere Marquette

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 82816600), 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

3.1 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 25%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 3.1 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Pere Marquette Lake shoreline, mostly along the north shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Boat ramp, right on a shoreline trail (Michigan DNR boating access data).

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 Pere Marquette Lake

We found 21 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Pere Marquette Lake, 6 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: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · 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 (43.9414, -86.4469). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Pere Marquette 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 Pere Marquette 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

    4 public access sites listed, 4 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampPere Marquette—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating43.9339, -86.4213
    Boat rampPere Marquette—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating43.9420, -86.4523
    Boat rampLudington—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating43.9493, -86.4548
    Boat rampPere Marquette—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating43.9279, -86.4202

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

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

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Pere Marquette Lake

    How big is Pere Marquette Lake?

    Pere Marquette Lake covers about 610 acres in Pere Marquette and Ludington, Michigan (Mason County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Pere Marquette Lake?

    Yes. 4 public trailer launches are listed: Boat ramp, Boat ramp and Boat ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Pere Marquette Lake?

    Yes. We list 21 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 6 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Pere Marquette Lake?

    Pere Marquette Lake touches Pere Marquette and Ludington in Mason County, Michigan.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Pere Marquette 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 Pere Marquette