  Whether
you enjoy fishing, sailing or lounging upon the shores of a beautiful
lake, Dowagiac and its neighboring Sister Lakes are favorite vacation
destinations enjoyed year-round by local residents. Families have been lured to this summertime Mecca since 1876, when Nelson Decker made his first all-day horse & buggy trip to meet the Chicago ferry in Benton Harbor. Ten inland lakes are located five miles north of Dowagiac on M-51 and five miles west of the city on M-152. Comprising the Sister Lakes are these six lakes, ranging in size from 91 to 528 acres:
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Four smaller lakes, ranging in size from 36 to 506 acres, are located just outside of what is traditionally known as the Sister Lakes:
To print out a form that you can mail in to obtain a map of Sister Lakes priced at $1 each , CLICK HERE. Fishermen also enjoy Cass County's 250 inland lakes and ponds, which offer fishing, canoeing, boating, water skiing and ice fishing. These waters offer everything from pan fish to bass, walleye, pike, trout, steelhead and salmon. Avid fishermen claim some of the best fishing spots are: Magician Lake for walleye; the Dowagiac River for steelhead; the Dowagiac River and its creek for trout; and Heddon Park and Mill Pond for pike. Dowagiac's Heddon Park of 3.5 acres is the most popular of the city's 12 parks and open spaces. It is a popular and scenic location for relaxation, fishing and picnicking. This picturesque site takes its name from James Heddon's Sons, a former Dowagiac manufacturer dating back to 1898. According to legend, Heddon's first bait, formed to look like a fish, was hastily whittled from a piece of wood, as he stood along the banks of Mill Pond awaiting friends. To his surprise, a bass quickly took the bait and, from that accidental beginning, the business of making artificial fishing lures was born. Outdoorsmen can also canoe or kayak the beautiful and historic Dowagiac River. Doe-Wah-Jack's Canoe Rental, located north of the city on M-51, features rentals for three scenic trips, ranging in length from two to eight hours. The first trip, starting at M-51 north of Dowagiac, takes more than two hours and ends at the M-62 bridge. The second route takes three to four hours and ends at the Sink Road bridge. An eight-hour trip ends at Cass County's Arthur Dodd Park in Sumnerville, just south of the city. For more information, or to book your excursion, call Doe-Wah-Jack Canoe Rental at (269) 782-7410, toll-free 1 (888) 782-7410 or visit them on the web at www.qtm.net/~dcri. |
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