The Grand River

Grand Hotspot #2 Freighter Graveyard, Grand Haven

Freighter graveyard in grand haven.

Warnings: DNR Guy HATES CATFISHERMEN AND ABSOLUTELY WILL stop you at least 3 times to check on you. Every time I have gone it happened to me... and I am a really nice and respectful fellow. If you have big-gear and you look like you will be there awhile, he will try his best to nail you. The reason is all the rich folks dont like over-nighters and they hassle the DNR, so as the poop-hits-the-fan, it surely slides down and eventuall falls on you.

With that said, go to coopersville, drive along the grand river and go into the DNR acess site. Launch your boat and head across from the launch to the other side of the island directly in front of the launch. ON the launch side there is no speed limit on boats, so dont waste your time. When a 44 foot cigar boat buzzes you at 3 am going 50 kph, you will not be pleaseds when you have to salvage what is left of your gear after the wake subsides.

On the south side of the island is a great overnight spot but for god's sake DONT PUT UP A TENT- 50 dollar fine for sleeping but you are allowed to fish all night if you want... just dont fall asleep. (That's how the DNR finally got me.) That side of the island is a no-wake zone.

About 2 miles upstream is the freighter graveyard. It is in a marina off to the south side and has an entrance only about 25 feet wide. You can sleep on the old rusty freighhters and drop fish off em for flatties and channels and they are plentiful and huge. Bring lots of gills (no more'n 25 per person or the DNR will own your gear) and lots of crawlers. Liver doent do as well there, probably cause everything there smells like rotting liver... but the fishing is great if you're into consistent 8+ pound channels and consistent 15+ pound flatheads.

That access is somewhere around 88th or 96th street.

Ive been fishing the waters below the dam for awhile for cats, and I have never been harressed by the dnr, but maybe I look too scary to mess with lol I have found that shad, minnows, and crayfish, are some of the best bait to use in this area, especcially after 10 pm. I sit on the east side, just below the east quarry hole. this part of the walk is lighted all night, it has benches to sit, a bathroom up a ways, and a convenient store close by. The parking lot is open after 6pm right next to it. Channels around 2-12lbs are common, and flats running about 14 up to 35. When the weather is really warm during the night I switch to beef blood I get from a local slaughter house. Sometimes I will wade out from the west side to the rock pile below the ice breaker and set up for a night. Lanterns, coolers, and gear, I float out in a raft with anchor. I use soft shelled crayfish, one on a float, and the other I will drift the center run. Theres a slight downcline on the east side of the run, towards the begining of the quarry hole. I dont walk this section in the dark! Other than that, there are so many spots to hit down stream, starting at I96, you can practically wade all the way to wealthy street bridge if you know the river. Hey anyone want go out for a night of kitty catching, let me know.