Local Windsurfing Sites View Larger Map Maumee Bay State Park   MBSP Park event information. MBSP reservations and information. People always ask me where I windsurf at and when you have the best spot around the answer is easy. Maumee Bay State Park is perhaps the best overall park facility for windsurfing in the Midwest. Just a few miles from downtown Toledo the park is located on the southwest corner of Lake Erie. You'll find a large parking lot with grass rigging area and a short carry to the water. For beginners there is a large inland swimming lake with a special spot for launching small craft from. The water quality has been monitored there closely the last few years. If a problem does arise warning signs are posted. The above picture shows a people rigging up at the 2004 regatta. The park lodge is in the background and you can see people using the paved bike path. The lake beach is to your left and is about 100 yards deep and three quarters of a mile long. There are no trees in the immediate beach area to block the wind. Maumee Bay is shallow and warms up fast in the Spring and stays warm into late October, we even sail usually through the first weeks of November. The first 100 yards is chest deep, after that just twelve foot or so. Northwest winds are the best having a good five miles of clean air and hit the beach full force - however due to the shallow bay depths the waves seldom get bigger than three foot even in 25 knot winds. Southwest offshore winds mean gusty conditions near shore. However you can sail just a mile out past the point into the main bay. There you'll usually find steady wind and just light chop. Also that's where you'll find most of the hot shot locals. MBSP has everything you need for a mini-vacation, a camp ground or do the resort hotel, even rental cottages on the golf course, bike and rollerblade trails, golfing and tennis courts. InLand Swimming Lake at Maumee Bay State Park This is a large 10 acre lake for swimming, kayaking and even small sail boats that is right next to the main beach front on lake Erie. On the far South side is parking Lot #1 and at the back of that lot is a small craft launch area. This is where we usually give lessons at. We can't say it's the best beginner spot in the world but it's definitely a great one. If the wind and waves are up too much for you on the lake then just head over to this spot. During even the calmest of August dog days a easterly breeze will build about 1:00pm that is perfect for first timers. Crane Creek State Park Just down the road about 30 minutes East of Maumee Bay State Park is Crane Creek State Park. In the late 80's and early 90's this was the spot to go as MBSP had not opened yet. Sadly the park and beach area was closed to swimming in 2007 because of state budget cuts and the wish to return it to a wildlife area. Kelly's Island in Lake Erie There are on the water rental houses to be had at Kelly's Island but they don't come cheap. Also there are plenty of off the water places and you can then use the state park public boat launch and beach to sail from. The state park is on the north side with beach on a large cresent shaped bay so traditional south west winds mean a big board to get out. East to Northeast winds are premo. The best part of Kellys is the waters out there are often clear .. yes you read right clear clean waters. From Marblehead Kelly's island is not much more then 4 miles offshore and about a 20 minute ferry ride. A day trip out there taking your vehicle across on the Miller ferry from Marblehead won't cost you much more than $20. East Harbor State Park The largest state campground park in Ohio is right on Lake Erie and as the name indicates it has a large protected inland like lake called East Harbor. You can launch windsurfers on Lake Erie just east of the main beach area. There is a lot of boat traffic on the lake in that area. Catawba Island State Park Catawba is not really an island per sey as you can drive to it. It's located about six miles north of Port Clinton on the west side of Catawba point. There is a small stone beach you can put in at. Again there is a lot of boat traffic in this area. Dempsey Access This is a state ran public boat launch on Sandusky Bay south of Marblehead Ohio. It is a popular spot to launch windsurfers at because Sandusky Bay is protected from the large lake swells. There are several resorts on the east shore of Sandusky Bay you could stay at with water access. Boat traffic is not heavy in the bay area. Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie Take the Miller Ferry from Catawba which requires advanced reservation (www.millerferry.com). From Catawba, Middle Bass island is around 9 miles offshore and about a 40 minute ferry ride. A round trip ticket for your vehcile and one person runs around $60. There is an Ohio State Park campground with a nice little beach to launch from right next to the tent camping area.(see picture below) This is a great set up for those who can tent camp (rv trailers not allowed). The campground is not used much and during week days you will likely have the place to yourself. There is a fun restaurant bar named GF Walleyes' within a 2 minute walk plus Sonny's water taxi a ten minutue walk away runs over to the South Bass island to the party town of Put In Bay. Also close to the park is St. Hazards Resort. This little resort has a little of everything, camping tent or RV, a bunch of cabins, bar, restaurant, pool, bar at the pool with entertainment on summer party weekends and also of course a beach area.   Luna Pier City Beach North of Toledo about 8 miles is Luna Pier Michigan, the town has a small sand beach and parking lot right where the road dead ends into the Lake(all just 1/2 mile off I-75). Southern or west winds mean big boards to get out as trees and houses line the shore. However in traditional southwest winds you are rewarded with some nice flat water sailing and gentle chop. After launching head south about a half mile and sail just beyond the power stacks as winds are a little nicer there. Sometime around the year 2009 the city started charging a beach parking fee. However the fee does mean that you will likely be able to find a sport to park there even on weekends. On week days you'll have the beach to yourself. Any type of easterly is prime there though backwash from the pier and shore walls make launching a little nerve racking. On a good east blow there are some very nice swells to be found (though I've not seen them personally I've heard they can be six foot or so ( sail down to the power house stack to find them). Erie Rd - Consumers Power Just south of Luna Pier Michigan with an entrance from I-75 is Erie Rd and the Consumers Power plant. At the end of that road is a secret spot that's great during easterly winds. This is a wildlife area and has like 3 miles of sand beach that's good for general hiking. Down side is there are no facilites, you must unload and then park your car about 100 yards up the road and it's about a 100 yard carry to the water. The power stacks sorta loom over you .. but nature is everywhere else. Also I'd not leave any valuables in the vehicle either as this spot is kinda in the middle of nowhere.   Monroe - Michigan - Sterling State Park Sterling State park is at exit 15 on I-75 just a 20 minute drive north of Toledo. Once off I-75 the park entrance is barely a 1/4 mile away with another mile drive inside the park to the main beach area. As with most all Michigan state ran parks there is a daily entrance fee or one can purchase a yearly pass. The beach area, parking lots and campground area were remodeled a few years ago and the restroom facilites are about as good as they get for a state park. If your camping overnight it's possible to get a spot right on the sand beach within 50 yards of the water. Parking at the main swimming beach lots leaves you with a long 100 yd carry to the water. I prefer the farthest south lot which is even a longer carry but moves you farther away from the swimmers. There are some nice shade trees there by the water and alot of nice sand. The beach runs north and south so an easterly wind means a nice onshore wind. In all this is a pretty nice place to windsurf from.   Hidden Harbor - Holland/Toledo This is the largest inland lake I know of in the Toledo area. It is a private residential lake perhaps 20 acres in size located just west of Toledo near the corner of Albon and Angola roads. Several residents windsurf or sail small boats there on nice summer days. As I mentioned this is a private lake.   Maumee River - Walbridge Park - Perrysburg Area There are several launch spots like Walbridge park by the Zoo and Maple Street in Perrysburg. An old favorite was Rossford City park but they posted signs there years ago and wanted out of towners to buy a permit. There is a nice small launch area(along side the park across from where old Coral Burger used to be on river road) in Maumee about a half mile north of the Maumee-Perrysburg bridge. The winds are fickle in the river because it's down in a valley, however once in a while on strong North or South wind day there actually is good short boarding to be found. However perhaps the biggest downside is the water quality can be ugly at times especially just after a big rain. There is no monitoring of water quality that I know of. The river can be quite fun to longboard on but don't use a long or a good fin as the bottom is all rocks! Perrysburg - Three Meadows Pond Located on the east side on Perrysburg along I-75 a nice couple acre pond ran by the city. Winds are blocked there by trees but that's fine if your just starting out or giving a lesson. The water quality is usually excellent there. There was a city ran swimming area on one end of the pond but that we have heard is now closed. Maumee River - Grand Rapids Area About 25 miles south of Toledo you get to Grand Rapids where a dam is, behind the dam the river is deep, slow and wide for several miles and the river is not in a deep valley like it is in the Toledo area. The difference between water level and the top of the banks I'm guessing is less than 20 feet. Just south of Grand Rapids is Mary Jane Thurston State Park which has camping and a marina, however the dam is right there so I'd avoid that area. But two miles further down the river is Lally's Marine. Behind the Lallys building is a small stone launch with parking and grass rigging area. Summer of 2010 there was a $3.00 launch fee. From my house in Monclova Lallys is just 18 mile drive most it down traffic light free US 24 so it doesn't take me long to get there. Below is a picture of the river there from the Lally parking lot. There is a bit of boat traffic on weekends as the river is lined with cottages in that area but if the weather if just a bit off you'll have the water to yourself. The water quality is nice here!