Big Bay State Park Conditions

Conditions as of Tuesday, May 27, 2008:

• Camping
• Fishing
• Getting to the Park
• Trails
• Wildlife

Trails

The hiking trails are all open for a new season of hiking and nature walking. Our boardwalk trail provides a wonderful way to view our state natural area without impacting the vegetation. Please take notice to stay on the boardwalk because there is very fragile vegetation along this trail.

Our Bayview and Point trails have some of the best views of Lake Superior, and during clear days you can see the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan from across the "Big" lake. There are also some great spots to take wonderful pictures of the rock formations of the Apostle Islands from these trails. Some people like the "Point" so much that they hold their wedding ceremonies there.

Getting to the Park

Madeline Island Ferry Line is running a limited schedule to and from Bayfield and Madeline Island. The ferry departure and arrival time vary throughout the seasons; please check the ferry web site [exit DNR] or call (715) 747-2051 for schedules and fares.

Fishing

Lake Superior ice fishing has ended for the 2007-2008 season. Many anglers are targeting the walleyes, lake trout and salmon. Some anglers are also catching fish heading to the tributaries on Lake Superior. Our lagoon within the park is a great place to cast for northern pike, and you may want to try your hand at some of the pan fish. Please check the 2008-2009 fishing regulations for more information on seasons and size and bag limits for individual species.

Wildlife

We are seeing an explosion of wildlife at the park since the snow has left. The whitetail deer are by far the most visible animals at our park at this time. The staff have also seen black bears on the Lagoon Ridge Trail. Various birds such as flickers [exit DNR] and common mergansers. [exit DNR] have been seen throughout the spring. Now is a wonderful time to see the wildlife without the bugs.

Camping

The campground is open year-round. Our staff has worked diligently to refurbish all the picnic tables within the campground. The shower building is open for the season. Please take note that the shower facilities are for over-night campers only.

Reservations for camping on many weekends this summer are already booked solid. We tend to fill our campground every night of the week in the summer, so a we strongly recommend getting reservations if you plan to camp at Big Bay State Park from April 15 through November 1, 2008.

More Information

Weather [exit DNR]

For information, ask Big Bay State Park, (715) 747-6425.