Hess Lake, Newaygo

Newaygo County is home to Hess Lake, a very popular West Michigan lake. Hess Lake is conveniently located 1 mile East of M 37 and 1 mile South of Newaygo. This all sports lake consists of 755 acres of surface waters with reported depths of up to 28 feet.

The lake is home to a nice mix of year round homes and seasonal cottages. Hess Lake has a Lake Property Owners Association . At the time of this post they are again considering the construction of a community sewer system. There are committed people on both sides of this issue. We have seen how this important decision has changed other lakes in Michigan.

On the northwest corner of Hess Lake and 88^th, The Michigan DNR maintains a public access site.  There is plenty of parking, vault toilets and a hard surface boat launch.

One of my favorite places for lunch in Newaygo County is Smuggler’s Inn. Smuggler’s Inn is a lakefront restaurant that offers good home cooking and daily specials.  It is a relaxing way to enjoy a great meal while taking in the beautiful lake views. This is a very popular place, so if you are looking for a quiet, leisurely meal with no wait, you may want to arrive during the off hours.

One of the advantages to traveling north in the early morning hours is that you just may be treated to a glorious sunrise over one of the many lakes.  This particular morning, I was on my way to an early appointment and since I have been working improving my sunrise picture taking skills, I just couldn’t resist stopping and trying to capture this one.