ALLEGAN STATE GAME AREA
There aren’t very many coastal plain marshes in Michigan and Crooked Lake is the largest one in the state. Crooked Lake is regionally popular as a ecotourist destination. The reason for this popularity is the area’s biodiversity and rare plant life. I just think it’s a cool lake to kayak!
At 397 acres, Crooked Lake is quite large, but its water level fluctuates greatly. When the water table is low, the lake can dry up completely. I kayaked the lake in early May of 2021 and most of the water was a foot deep. The deepest spot that I could find was only four feet. Because of the shallow nature of the lake, it is choked with aquatic vegetation in the warmer months of the year, making it very difficult to paddle. Due to cold weather during spring of 2021, the veggies were not up yet and I easily paddled the lake. I thought the shoreline would be swampy and the lake bottom would be muddy. I was wrong on both counts. The shoreline and the lake bottom are hard packed sand.
Many thanks to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for closing the Crooked Lake public access with a padlocked gate. Maybe the access will be open when you visit the lake. It’s on the west side of 48th Street, between 116th Avenue and 113th Avenue.
The access that I found was not easy, but I was determined to kayak Crooked Lake. Besides, quitting is for sissies. I traveled a unimproved trail northwest from 113th Avenue, between 48th Street and 49th Street. The trail went through a logged off area of the forest that was loaded with slash piles. I parked when I could go no farther by vehicle.
The shoreline of much of the lake is lined with thick, impenetrable brush. For this reason, hike to the lake without your kayak and find a suitable spot to launch. This strategy will save you a lot of grief. You don’t want to be aimlessly wandering through the woods with your kayak, looking for a place to get to the water.
It was about a hundred yard walk amongst the slash piles and through a wooded area. When I reached the shore, I was greeted by lake scenery that was quite unlike anything that I had ever seen before.
I didn’t waste any time returning to the lake with my kayak!
Several years after I wrote this, I revisited the lake during summer. The trail that I used to access the lake was closed. The gate was open at the boat landing and the trail to the lake was in good shape.
Before you jump into your kayak, find a good landmark so you can find your access spot later. The shallow, weed-covered lake was flat calm. There is a blueberry farm on the south end of the lake. A large wetland is on the northwest end of the lake and it is choked with thick brush.
On the west side of the lake, north of the blueberry farm, an opening in the wooded shoreline revealed a vast swamp, also choked with brush. The rest of the shore is forested.
I saw ducks, geese and sandhill cranes scattered around the lake. The geese and the cranes were quite vocal. I thoroughly enjoyed kayaking along the shores of Crooked Lake. Sometimes, I think that photos speak better than words.
By the time I finished circumnavigating the lake, my stomach was growling. I had lunch waiting for me back at my Jeep. The thought of a sandwich, potato salad, and a cold beer made the difficult carry fast and easy. Go paddle the scenic waters of Crooked Lake! You’ll be glad that you did!
KAYAKING SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN 