Canoe/Kayaking camping/fishing spots

[fmontie]

Last year we bought 3 kayaks and now enjoy camping/fishing trips. We experienced Sylvania Wilderness Area in the Western U.P. which had the best smallmouth bass fishing we ever experienced (all catch & release regulations). We also did Criag State Park which also was awesome.
Lookin' for any new spots and experiences in our state. Kayaking really gets you to the remote areas that aren't fished often.

[kroppe]

fmontie,

These aren't exactly remote, but the fishing is great and the scenery is nice. The South Branch Au Sable and upper Manistee Rivers have campsites along the river, plus the trout fishing first rate and the scenery is beautiful.

Closer to home you have the Huron River, with a canoe campground near Hudson Mills metropark, where North Territorial Road crosses the Huron River north of Dexter. The smallmouth fishing is good in that stretch of the Huron.

I have always wanted to try the Pigeon River in the Pigeon River Country Area. There are a number of campsites along the river.

I would recommend getting a DeLorme's county map book, as well as Tom Huggler's two books, "Fish Michigan: 50 Rivers" and "Fish Michigan: 50 More Rivers". These three books combined give you all the river campsites plus good reviews on the fishing itself. Upper Peninsula is included in these books.

Good luck and please post pictures and stories of your trips if you can.

[MackinacIslandBum]

Rivers to try where you won't see another soul would be anywhere at Seney, and a great family campground is in Germfask, or pull into the state forest and camp anywhere free. The pine south of the Manistee is also great. The Upper Manistee is great from M-66 bridge past the High-rollaways (Buckley) to Manistee County, and there are canoe camps about every 2-3 hours on that river.
Closer to you I would stay away from the Rifle or the Au Sable unless you like seeing thousands of people and lots of under age drinkers testing their manhood. The Shiawassee is a nice and very quiet, remote kayaking spot.
If you offshore kayak, try around the Islands of Cedarville.