Are there any places it is legal to beach a boat or anchor close and swim to shore along the southern part of lake michigan? I come out of burnham harbor, looking for some new places to go when ive got a packed boat.

Boaters Beach, Portage, IN. Come east out of Burnham past all the plants and mills of Gary...the next smokestake you see on the horizon will be right by Portage. The plant is right on the water, and kicks its cooling water out into the lake, creating a "lazy river" effect of 85 degree water...all summer long.

It is a terrific beach, and, as the moniker suggests, populated almost exclusively by boaters, as its a pretty healthy hike to get out there through Indiana Dunes State Park. On a nice day, there will be a couple hundred boats anchored up. Bring bow and stern anchors and you are good to go.

Thanks for the help!

Anytime. We boat out of Hammond and East Chicago all the time, and if we don't head for the city, Boaters is usually the destination. Shoot me a pm if you wanna hook up sometime, or if you see the red tiger-striped Active Thunder on the water, c'mon by and say hi.

Will do sir.

Thats one hell of a ride on a 26' boat to boaters especially with Chicago gas prices. if it was me I`d head to Hammond , you got the small beach there and Whihalla is a decent beach if you go farther down away from the jet skiers. Ive also gotten pretty close to 63rd St beach few times without being hassled. I stay close to the break wall

I took a run out there yeterday afternoon, lake conditions were nearly calm and made for an easy trip. The warm water was very nice to actually swim for a change. Any more than a couple foot of chop is going to make the trip a quite a pain in the ass.

Cool! Glad SOMEBODY is getting out! This weather is KILLING me!

I've been out about a dozen times now. Splahed the boat first weekend of may.

Come over by Hammond marina.there is a beach to the Northwest and one to the southeast of the the marina we are out the all the time. We are usually there in numbers


Mark