Reviews: Bay Harbor Lake Marina

Reviewed by: Marc LaFleur , Dragonfly, on Aug 19, 2025
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 55'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Easily one of the most beautiful and well kept marinas in the entire Great Lakes. The bathrooms are amazing. The slips, power, water are in excellent condition. The channel coming in off of Lake Michigan can be a little challenging to find until you are close. There's a couple of very good restaurants, as well as, lots of shopping. The only negative I can think of is, if you are at the end of the dock, it's a very long walk to the harbor master office. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and there will be generally two of them to help you with lines, etc. You are close to Petoskey in one direction and Charlevoix in the other direction. Easily reached with bicycles. And what I found amazing is that there are NO Spiders or bugs really of any kind.

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Reviewed by: Douglas Morrow , Ripple, on Jun 19, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 39'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 5

Wonderful marina in a park near the town center. (They are adding washers and dryers in the near future). Lots of restaurants and shopping very close. The Stafford Pier restaurant was fantastic. Try the morel mushroom soup. The Bar Harbor is a townie bar/restaurant which is fun.

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Reviewed by: Capt. Mac Rubel, Cruising Editor on Aug 17, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 48'
Draft: 5.0'

Rating: 5

Bay Harbor Lake Marina is part of a newer high end resort development and is therefore unlike almost all of the other Michigan Great Lake Marinas. The "Lake" is actually an old mine pit that was opened to the lake as part of a planned development. Water depths, currents, swells are not a problem and even wind is not as much of an issue as the marina sits underneath a high ridge on the south and the developed north edge of the old quarry.

Everything about this marina has been well thought out. The docks are floating and slips are wide and in great shape. Power and water are not a problem. The marina is part of a larger planned mixed use "village center" with shops, restaurants, bars, services, and facilities that include pool, social center, boaters lounge, showers and restrooms right off the docks. All facilities are first class and kept in top shape by the staff. The marina staff is great, with two experienced dock hands awaiting our arrival. Wi-Fi works but slows down during the evening demand. Cellular service is good to excellent. The marina is pet friendly and has poop bag dispensers strategically located. For humans, at slip pump out is available. If you need fuel you will have to go to Petoskey, Harbor Springs, or Charlevoix.

The only disadvantage (not a negative) to Bay Harbor is that it is self-contained. If you like getting off your boat and being in town the nearest town, Petoskey, is four miles away. If you have bikes you can bike it on part of the Little Traverse Wheelway.

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Reviewed by: Robert Webb , Doc's Aweigh, on Jul 6, 2021
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 54'
Draft: 4.0'

Rating: 4

A good spot with helpful staff and resort atmosphere; docks and pedestals good, although the floating fingers are a bit unstable. Restaurant on site and great deli close by. Showers and restrooms clean. Would stay again.

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