Arthur Street Boat Launch/Fishing Pier

Right in the heart of Manistee, a quaint port city on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Arthur Street boat launch and fishing pier provides universal access to the waters of Manistee Lake. The Arthur Street Boat Launch / Fishing Pier walkway looking south towards boat ramp.  The Arthur Street Boat Launch project received project funding from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust to construct a low-maintenance fishing pier made with composite decking.  This money was leveraged in a successful application for further funds from a DNR Waterways Grant, which enabled the development of handicapped parking, a barrier free restroom, and barrier-free upgrades to the parking lot and boat launch. Substantial retaining walls were designed so as not to impact flood plains. The Arthur Street boat launch provides access for a variety of watercraft to and from an inland lake, two river systems and Lake Michigan – with each providing its own unique environmental systems and social experiences. The fishing pier allows residents of all abilities to access the bountiful fishery Manistee Lake has to offer. The facilities at this site are a prime example of the collaboration that Explore the Shores strives to facilitate. The restrooms, parking lot and fishing pier were funded through the combined efforts of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the City of Manistee, and the Great Lakes Fisheries Trust. The City of Manistee and Manistee County have made universal accessibility a priority, especially when it comes to sharing the abundance of water here with people of all abilities.

This commitment was recognized when the National Association of Physically Handicapped held its national conference in Manistee in the summer of 2010. The event coincided with the ribbon cutting for the Arthur Street Boat Launch, so the N.A.P.H. members in attendance had the opportunity to enjoy this great resource – and catch a whole lot of fish. Boaters at this site are encouraged to heed navigational markers, as remnants of the area’s lumbering era in the form of submerged pilings and slab docks provide hazards to navigation. Here, people of all abilities can meet, mingle, share fish tales or just enjoy the beauty Manistee Lake has to offer.