Last week, we started our offseason series of ranking the best Michigan men’s basketball players since the first time the Wolverines won a national championship back in 1989 to celebrate a 37-year history of Michigan basketball between titles. Today, we look at the next tier up, and it’s a significant one from our scoring model from a batch of already quality list of players in the first rendition of this series.
Michigan
Ready to cast off for summer? Where to boat across Michigan in 2025
Boating tips that will help you have a fun and safe day on the water
Capt. Maren Moss offers a few important boating safety tips to help keep you and your family safe on the water.
Summer boating season in Michigan is getting underway, and boaters are already hitting the water.
A day out on clear, sparkling waters with loved ones offers a perfect summer getaway for Michigan boaters. The state is a boat lover’s paradise, boasting four of the Great Lakes and 11,000 inland lakes, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“In Michigan, you are never more than 6 miles away from a lake, river or stream, so you never have to travel far to find a boaters paradise,” Pure Michigan says.
Here’s what to know.
5 places to tie off your boat and enjoy the day
When the day on the lake is done, consider docking in these areas and checking out nearby cities.
- Charlevoix: This northwest Michigan city borders Lake Charlevoix, Round Lake, the Round Lake Channel and Lake Michigan. The Charlevoix City Marina is open for the season and features a boaters’ lounge, floating docks, laundry facilities, a splash pad and restrooms. Nearby, the city features restaurants, hotels, a dog park and gardens.
- Detroit: The Motor City runs along an international border at the Detroit River. Among several docking options is the Riverside Marina, with the clubhouse featuring a jacuzzi, heated swimming pool, showers, locker room and laundry facilities. Downtown Detroit and nearby Midtown are packed with restaurants, museums, hotels, parks, theaters, shopping and sports venues.
- Holland: Holland borders Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa River, flowing toward Lake Michigan. Docking includes the Yacht Basin Marina, with a conference center and vacation rental units. The tourist town with Dutch heritage features tulip gardens, restaurants, a lighthouse, Dutch Village, museums, hotels and state parks.
- Higgins Lake State Park: North and South Higgins Lake State Park near Roscommon in northern Michigan are on Higgins Lake. The state parks provide boat launches, cabins, campgrounds, sandy beaches, a picnic area and hiking trails.
- Saginaw Bay: Along the bay on Lake Huron, cities in the thumb and central Michigan offer docking, including Bay City, Caseville, Au Gres and Linwood, among others. The region offers fishing, restaurants, parks, shopping and summer festivals, with Saginaw on the Saginaw River, and Frankenmuth short a drive farther inland.
6 places to boat this summer in Michigan
Here are six places to boat on in Michigan, according to Pure Michigan:
- Great Lakes: Enjoy boating on the vast waters of four Great Lakes bordering Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
- Lake Leelanau in Leland: This lake is split into two sections, North and South Lake Leelanau, featuring clear waters and a natural habitat of nearly 9,000 acres. Boaters can enjoy wildlife spotting and recreation, with nearby restaurants and vineyards for dining.
- Lake St. Clair in southeast Michigan: This popular metro Detroit lake connects Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake Huron. Lake St. Clair sees 3,000 freighters go through its shipping canal, and 150,000 boats registered in the area for recreation.
- Grand Lake in Alpena: In northeast Michigan, this over 8,900-acre lake features several small islands. The nearby Besser Museum for northeast Michigan highlights the region’s wooden sailing and motorized boats.
- Gull Lake in Battle Creek: This lake in southwest Michigan offers regular sailboat racing with a yacht club, scuba diving, homes and cottages along the shores and a fishery.
- Torch Lake resembles the Caribbean in its deep, multi-tone color. At 18 miles in length, Torch is Michigan’s longest inland lake. Its sand bars are so legendary that musician Kid Rock wrote a song about them. Torch also is the state’s deepest lake. The village of Alden, on the lake’s southeast curve, boasts one of the few public beaches.
Glide along the ‘Inland Waterway’
Michigan’s “Inland Waterway” cuts across the tip of the mitten, starting north of Petoskey and ending at Cheboygan.
Michigan’s longest chain of rivers and lakes covers nearly 40 miles, including Pickerel Lake and Crooked Lake, the Crooked River, Burt Lake, the Indian River, Mullett Lake, the Cheboygan River, and finally into Lake Huron.
The water trails connect seven state parks; numerous campgrounds, day-use parks, and resorts; 20 Little Traverse Conservancy Nature Preserves, and six communities.
How can you register your boat in Michigan?
Boats must be registered and you can do so through the Michigan Department of State. Some boats also require a title if they’re 20 feet long or longer, or have a permanently affixed engine.
Registration is good for three years, expiring on March 31 of the third year, according to the state. Boat owners can renew online, via mail, at a self-service station or in-person at your local Secretary of State office.
What should you know before you go?
Check with your local boating access site for hours and rules. Most state-sponsored sites are closed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., says the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Life jackets must be on board and the type and number depend on the type of boat you have and how many people are on board, the Michigan DNR says.
If you plan to take a pet, check whether pets are allowed and how to handle them. In Michigan, pets must be kept on a 6-foot leash and under the owner’s immediate control and you must clean up after them and prevent them from interacting with wildlife.
If you plan to fish or water ski, be sure to check local regulations, some inland lakes prohibit certain activities.
Can you take alcohol onboard your boat?
It’s illegal to operate a boat in Michigan while under the influence of alcohol, according to state law. Boaters with a 0.08% blood alcohol content or higher could face civil penalties like fines and imprisonment.
Some boating access sites in Michigan ban drinking alcohol, the Michigan DNR said.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
No. 22 – F Morez Johnson Jr. – Score: 78.4
The first player from Michigan’s 2025-26 team has made it on the list, and it’s the bodyguard himself, Morez Johnson Jr. His stint in Ann Arbor was short, but impactful. After transferring in from Illinois, he found his way into a starting lineup with two other players 6-foot-9 or taller in Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara. The trio wreaked havoc all season long thanks to their length and athleticism in a scheme tailor-made by head coach Dusty May.
Johnson was one of the most efficient players in the country, averaging 13.1 points per game on a 62.3 percent clip. He also led the team with 7.3 rebounds per game and was commonly considered one of the best defensive players on the floor with his ability to guard all five positions. He was a Second-Team All-Big Ten and was on the All-Big Ten Defensive Team as well.
No. 21 – F Deshawn Sims – Score: 78.9
In the transition from Tommy Amaker to John Beilein, Deshawn Sims was a part of a special group that propelled the program to relevancy again. Sims was the 19th player in program history to reach 1,500 career points, and the 15th to surpass 700 rebounds. Consistency was key, as he played in 129 consecutive games over four seasons, starting 92 of them.
Everything came together for the Wolverines in the 2008-09 season when Sims and co-star Manny Harris led the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade. The team underperformed in 2009-10, but Sims’ play stayed consistent.
Along with the elite company Sims established with his longevity, he was also a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game over his final two seasons.
No. 20 – F Ray Jackson – Score: 81.6
Not only did we have the introduction to the 2026 championship team, but this stretch also introduces us to the Fab Five with forward Ray Jackson, the final member of the historic 1991 class.
Jackson not only has the pedigree tied to the culture that surrounded the Fab Five and their two runner-up finishes in the NCAA Tournament, but he was also a great player. One could argue he was the most unheralded of the bunch and deserves more credit than he does. Somehow, he was only a two-time All-Big Ten performer, but he averaged 17.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in his final three seasons with the program.
He ascended from the last of the Fab Five to a premier Big Ten player during his four-year career, helping guide Maurice Taylor — an honorable mention in this series — to being a member of the All-Big Ten freshman team when Jackson was a senior.
Jackson’s impact was profound, not just for his role in the Fab Five but for the transition out of it with future players who had impossible shoes to fill. The Wolverines not only stayed afloat, but remained tournament teams in the years following, which would have meant more had that era not been tarnished with “scandal” for a fraction of what is being done today in the NIL world.
- The Top 25 Michigan men’s basketball players since 1989: No. 25-23
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As temperatures rise in Michigan each summer, so to do the chances of harmful algal blooms (HABs) developing in our lakes, causing a risk to both ecosystems and public health.
HABs are formed wherever there is rapid growth of cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, which are naturally found in lakes, rivers and ponds. Some cyanobacteria found in blooms contain toxins that can be harmful to people and animals, and often present as blue-green, yellow or brown streaks, foam, or thick paint-like scums on the water surface, according to the Michigan Departments of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
To help keep track of these harmful algal blooms across the state, EGLE has teamed up with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to update its online reporting form to include harmful algal blooms. Now the public can easily report suspected HABs to the state by filling out the form at Michigan.gov/HABs. Individuals can also make a report by calling EGLE’s Environmental Assistance Center at 800-662-9278.
“This new online form is an easy and efficient way for Michiganders to help monitor and safeguard our water resources,” said Jerrod Sanders, director of Water Resources Division at EGLE, in a news release. “This tool improves efficiency and helps us respond to potential risks more effectively.”
It will also allow EGLE and MDHHS staff to better understand how HABs develop, and creates the potential to send out public notifications about what areas to avoid as a way of keeping people and pets safe when they’re detected.
Breathing in or swallowing water with HAB toxins can cause asthma-like symptoms, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, runny eyes and nose, weakness, headaches or dizziness. Skin contact can also cause rashes, blisters or hives.
“If you had contact with or swallowed water with a suspected HAB and feel sick, call your health care provider or seek medical attention as soon as possible,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive.
Locations of HAB reports verified by EGLE and results of cyanotoxin testing will be displayed on the Michigan Harmful Algal Bloom Reports Map for the public to review.
For more information on health effects, causes and reports on the occurrence of HABs in Michigan lakes, visit Michigan.gov/HABs.
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