Local guide
How to choose between the lagoon, the bay and the open lake at Big Bay on Madeline Island.
The water
Big Bay sits on the east side of Madeline Island, a few miles from the ferry dock at La Pointe. What people call "Big Bay" is really three different kinds of water sitting next to each other, and they paddle very differently. Knowing which one fits your day is the difference between a relaxed afternoon and a long slog into the wind.
The lagoon behind the bay is shallow, calm and cut off from the open lake. Wind on Lake Superior barely reaches it. The water warms earlier in the season and stays the warmest of the three.
The bay is open enough to feel like real lake paddling but shaped so that it usually holds less chop than the main lake. On a light-wind day it is the best long shoreline on the island.
Round the point and you are on the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is beautiful and it is serious: colder water, real waves, and weather that changes its mind.
Match your day
Stay in the lagoon. Short loops, warm water, easy exits. This is what our Big Bay Town Park fleet is for.
Work the bay shoreline. Go early - summer mornings are usually the calmest hours, and afternoon breezes are normal.
Those are on the open-lake west shore and are a guided-tour distance, not a casual paddle. Enjoy them from a tour boat or a hike this trip.
The lagoon still works. If the lagoon looks rough, that is the lake telling you to grab a coffee in La Pointe instead.
When to go
Our racks run May through early fall. May and June mean cold, clear water and few people - dress for the water, not the air. July and August are the warm, easy months and the busiest. September is the local favorite: the lake is at its warmest, the crowds thin, and the color starts. By October the season is winding down and the racks close until spring.
Lake Superior water stays cold even in August. A life jacket is required on every rental, and it should stay on the whole time you are out. If you are planning a first trip, our first-time paddling checklist covers the basics in one page.
Ready?
See the Big Bay Town Park location page for the fleet, season dates and booking, or browse all paddling locations. General information, not a guarantee of conditions - the lake makes the final call.