The Maumee Bay, located at the Western end of Lake Erie, is a superior location for water sports enthusiasts, naturalists, fisherman, and hunters alike, and is used all year long. It is a year-round playground, providing a dynamic and diverse range of activities from the thrill of flying across the water on a knee board to the peacefulness of looking through a pair of binoculars to see a rare bird make a brief stop on its spring migration. No matter the season, the Maumee Bay always has something to offer.
SUMMER:
In the summer, water sports enthusiasts find the western end of the Maumee Bay ideal for a large variety of reactional activities. Powerboaters use it for waterskiing, tubing, and wakeboarding. Parents and their children can often be seen canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boarding together. There is even the occasional water bike rider. It is still used by sailboats, but due to sediment accumulation since the 1960’s, the western end of the bay has become too shallow for many sailboats.
WINTER:
In the winter, in addition to the local ice skater or hockey player, the Maumee Bay attracts iceboaters from around the region. Occasionally, it even brings them in from Europe. Some come to compete in races, while others come simply to enjoy the ride and socialize on the ice with friends and family sharing similar interests. The Maumee Bay is also a favorite of snowmobilers who take part in the popular “poker runs.”
SPRING:
In the Spring, the Maumee Bay State Park hosts the 10 day “Biggest Week in American Birding” festival. Birder’s come from across the globe to witness the extraordinary variety of species to be found during the spring migration. To date, birders have identified more than 300 different species along the shores of the Maumee Bay and surrounding area.
Cullen Park is a very popular place for bird watching. It ranks #6 on Trip Advisor’s list of Nature & Parks in Toledo. A few bald eagles even call it home. Unfortunately, this is one of the locations where ODNR and the Port Authority want to build a big diked wetland.
FALL:
In the fall, the Maumee Bay is a duck hunter’s paradise. In fact, the practice of using layout boats to hunt diving ducks originated in the Maumee Bay.
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