Great Lakes...

[86Craft]

Anybody use any of the Great lakes for watersports. I live close to the western basin of lake Erie and that is a bath tub. (Shallow and long) So if the wind picks up you could be in 6 foot :eek: waves right now. I'd love to hear from anybody that runs the "big water". I thought about the Detroit river for a day trip, but I'm not sure.

[LakePirate]

UMP will be along shortly.

If he isn't still frozen in. :D

[Maristar210]

We are here. I have been on Lake Michigan a number of times when you could barefoot and love it. Look over the weather forecast, it happens more times than you might think. Good Luck - Steve

[6ballsisall]

I'll pass on Erie. I know a group of skiers that take their boats up there more for a weekend at Sandusky. It gets WAY to rough WAY to fast for my liking.

[tex]

I skied in a show on the Detroit River. Just a short distance(less than a mile) from where it dumped into Erie. Very rough at the dump!

[88 PS190]

I see people skiing in Grand Traverse Bay (of lake michigan) quite often.

There are alot of days it looks glassy though sometimes it has those very long low rollers that are deceptive.

[ski36short]

I used to run on the Detroit River. Not too bad if you know what you're doing on big water and usually calm spot to ski - but sometimes it takes a beating to get there. Watch out for the SE wind though - the rollers coming off the lake meet the current coming downstream and like Tex said, it gets *nasty*! Not sure if it would be worth a day trip.

[tex]

Ski36short-Ever go hang out a Crystal Bay?

[ski36short]

I did back in the day... A few years ago the OPP cracked down and as I understand it, the last couple years it's basically peace and quiet. Some of the revelry has moved to American waters but even there it's watched carefully. Now there's 4 agencies out on the waters - the Coasties, OPP, Wayne County Sheriff's and some Homeland Security types...

[tex]

WE used to take the BF MC up there inbetween shows. We even went off the swing. The girls in the BBQ boats were great. We had some friends who took an old pontoon boat and stripped it down. One of their dads owned a fence company and they put 10 foot chain link fence around it with a top. The dancing and drinking on that POS was great. Guys in big cigerette boats could not figure out how these guys could get so much trim on such a POS! Good times!

[3event]

One of my best skiing days ever, was on Big Bay de Noc off Garden Michigan in the UP. August, warm bay water, little wind, no other boats around. Driving straight for miles, me and a buddy. No spotter required, we saw lake patrol and exchanged greetings. You didnt have to watch where you were going, just hold the wheel and go. Footed and slalomed till we were dead.

God's country for sure, beautiful area. But a long way from home and NOTHING I MEAN NOTHING to do around there. Just hang out on the pier, build a bonfire, drink brewskis.

[ski36short]

Ah yes, the swings. Back in Hidden Lake next to the bay was a great little ski spot too, as long as you were the only one in there. D@mn jet skis usually poked through the hole in the wall like hornets - until we shallowed it up quite a bit. Won't forget the first time I took my brand new MC in there; it was a low water day so I had to walk it through the entrance. Just when I got it at the crucial point a freighter went by and sucked all the water out - almost put my new baby up on the rocks at only a week or so old!

[tex]

Did you go from the barrel?

[86Craft]

We are here. I have been on Lake Michigan a number of times when you could barefoot and love it. Look over the weather forecast, it happens more times than you might think. Good Luck - Steve

Was thinking of taking a long weekend to Silver Lake, which I understand dumps into Lake Michigan, or is close to it. I like Lake Michigan alot as the water seems on some days is right from the Caribbean it is so blue. Never in a ski boat, just fishing out of Benton Harbour.

[ski_king]

I skied once in the cove side of Presque Isle Erie, PA. The water is protected there and not to rough if you time it right.

My father in law dang near sunk his boat new Sandusky. One day all was smooth, next day nearly got swamped as soon as he ventured out beyond the break water.

[tex]

Was thinking of taking a long weekend to Silver Lake, which I understand dumps into Lake Michigan, or is close to it. I like Lake Michigan alot as the water seems on some days is right from the Caribbean it is so blue. Never in a ski boat, just fishing out of Benton Harbour.
I have some friends who have a place on Silver Lake. I spent a day there hanging out drinking back in the 90's. My friends there owned a marina and he had a Barefoot Warrior that he took out on the Detroit River and swamped it jumping tanker's waves!

[Upper Michigan Prostar190]

Now how the he11 did I miss this thread??? :confused: I ski "the big lake they call gitchee gumee." (remember that song?) I ski on Lake superior. The water is crystal clear, clean all the time. its cool yes. I ski in the bays of course, sheletered from the big lake. I can get glass at morning and evening very often, and occassinally during the day. I dont take my MC on the big lake as I have been out on the big lake, and that lake can go from flat A** calm, to 6 ft waves in 5 minutes, no foolin! Been there myself. it will put the fear of god in you right fast! If you can put up with the cooler temps, its a skiers paradise as I am the only boat on the bay 90% of the time, and it gets nice and calm often in the bays here. YOu just gotta stay off the big lake. There is sea out there that could swamp my MC in a heartbeat. :twocents:

[agua4fun]

86craft

I used to ski every weekend behind wood tick peninsula (toledo, OH) in western lake erie. It was perfect, straight, 2 miles long, 5 ft deep, 200ft wide, 40' trees lining both sides, lilipads along the shore. PERFECT. well except for the muddy water.
since the water dropped, a few years back, it is now too shalow :( and almost gone.

Other than that, I made a run out to turtle island for the day last year.

i have concidered venturing out to find another spot, but i agree that the waves can pick up before you know it. i have trailered to kellys island in the past, and skiid there. one side is always flat, but, that side also has the offshore winds to cause trouble if you were to have a problem.

[86Craft]

I love the clean, clear water (which is why I ask about the big water), but I prefer glass to anything. Well in my neck of the woods glass = mud. Other words the clay based Maumee River. You lose your hand around 6 inches into the water most times. The heavy duty skiers that have places on the river call it "Chocolate Milk" I heard before that there is places on the big lakes that a guy can find "safe" glassy water. Nobody has ever said where though. A friend suggested we launch at Toledo and ride to (many miles) Put-In-Bay. I asked him if he wanted to make the evening news. No place for the low rider, as some of my fishing buddy's call it! Thanks for the tips!