West Lake

West Lake, in Portage just south of Kalamazoo, doesn't have a public boat launch, but kayaks and canoes can put in at the channel at Lakeview Park and enter West Lake through a tunnel under Oakland Drive.  The shores of West Lake are mostly developed, with only a small natural section of shoreline protected by the West Lake Nature Preserve.  That area does have some interesting bog life, including pitcher plants.  The rest of the lake is mostly homes with docks, most with both a pontoon boat and a speedboat.  West Lake can be a great spot for sunsets.

West Lake: 335 acres