The Black Marlin Bar, an open-sided tiki bar with a mounted black marlin and metal stools, beside paddleboards on the dock and the lake beyond

Proof that you don't have to go up north.

Two houses on Briggs Lake in Brighton, Michigan, just off I-96.

Briggs Lake doesn't allow gas motors, towing, or jet skis. Pontoons still get around fine, they just run electric out here, so it stays quiet without being silent. Brighton sits at the I-96 and US-23 interchange, about an hour west of Detroit, so you can leave after work on a Friday and still be in the water before dark.

The Paddle Inn

Three bedrooms, a walkout basement built for a crowd, and a flat lawn that runs to the dock.

Sleeps: 6
Bedrooms: 3 bd / 1.5 ba
Size: 2,384 sqft

See the house

The Black Marlin

Eight hundred square feet on a hillside, a backyard tiki bar, and a lake view from every room but the bathroom.

Sleeps: 5
Bedrooms: 2 bd / 1 ba
Size: ~800 sqft

See the house

What there is to do

Island Lake State Recreation Area starts at the end of the street, with trails, beaches, and a route that runs through to Kensington Metropark. Downtown Brighton is a few minutes the other way, with a market, a bakery, and a bar within walking distance of The Paddle Inn.

About the lake Local spots

A sister business

Cove & Current

A separate pontoon rental business, run apart from the houses and booked through Instagram.

@coveandcurrent_

Proof that you don't have to go up north.

The houses

The Paddle Inn

The Black Marlin

What there is to do

Cove & Current