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Major city · United States

Middle Bass Island

Go for 1–2 nights if you want a quiet Lake Erie island with a winery ruin, a state-park campground and golf-cart roads; skip if you need bars, shops or a car-free ferry network.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Middle Bass is the low-key middle island of the Lake Erie group: about 3 km across, one ferry dock, one general store, a former winery and a state park. It suits a single overnight or a long day trip from Catawba or Put-in-Bay, not a full week. Ferries run several times a day in summer and thin out in spring and fall, so the season sets the plan more than the sights do.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Jun–Sep
avoid Nov–Apr (ferries limited or suspended, most businesses closed)
Airports
MBL · CLE · TOL
Nights
1–2
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Entry rules depend on your passport. Full visa guide

Checking your follows…
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Middle Bass Island911 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Middle Bass Island, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or a soft drink at the general store$2–5
  • Street or quick mealBurger or sandwich at J.F. Walleyes$12–20
  • BeerBeer at St. Hazard's$6–9
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25
  • Budget bedState Park campsite (reservation only), a night, per roomUS$30
  • Mid-range bedState Park campsite (reservation only), a night, per roomUS$45
  • High-end bedState Park campsite (reservation only), a night, per roomUS$60

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$60 · Mid US$130 · High US$260

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Lonz Winery ruinMiddle Bass Island State ParkQuiet Lake Erie shorelineGolf-cart roads
Airports
MBL Middle Bass Island Airport (Small general-aviation field, about 640 m of runway; no scheduled passenger service — charter only) · CLE Cleveland Hopkins (About 1 h 45 min by car to the Catawba ferry dock, then the ferry) · TOL Toledo Express (About 1 h 15 min by car to Catawba, then the ferry)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    1°C (34°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    3°C (37°F)

  3. Mar

    Avoid

    8°C (46°F)

  4. Apr

    Avoid

    15°C (59°F)

  5. May

    not flagged

    21°C (70°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  7. Jul

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  8. Aug

    Best

    28°C (82°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  10. Oct

    not flagged

    17°C (63°F)

  11. Nov

    Avoid

    10°C (50°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    3°C (37°F)

Best: Jun–Sep. Avoid: Nov–Apr. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (29°C (84°F)), coolest Jan (−7°C (19°F) low), wettest Dec (12 rain days), driest Feb (9). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Middle Bass Island: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

1°C (34°F)

−7°C (19°F)

11 rd

Feb

3°C (37°F)

−6°C (21°F)

9 rd

Mar

8°C (46°F)

−2°C (28°F)

10 rd

Apr

15°C (59°F)

4°C (39°F)

11 rd

May

21°C (70°F)

10°C (50°F)

11 rd

Jun

26°C (79°F)

16°C (61°F)

10 rd

Jul

29°C (84°F)

19°C (66°F)

9 rd

Aug

28°C (82°F)

18°C (64°F)

9 rd

Sep

24°C (75°F)

14°C (57°F)

9 rd

Oct

17°C (63°F)

8°C (46°F)

10 rd

Nov

10°C (50°F)

2°C (36°F)

11 rd

Dec

3°C (37°F)

−4°C (25°F)

12 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The island is small enough to walk, and bikes and golf carts are the usual way to cover more ground. Cars are allowed but speed limits are low. Bring what you need: there is one general store and no fuel station on the island.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Put-in-Bay and South Bass Islandgo

Door to door: About 30–45 min including boarding

Sonny-S passenger ferry from the Middle Bass dock

The island's grocery store and most of its restaurants and bars are here. Weekday sailings stop in the early evening; weekends run later — check the last boat.

Kelleys Islandcaution

Door to door: 2.5–4 h

Ferry to Catawba or Put-in-Bay, then a second ferry

Possible but slow; better as its own overnight than a day trip from Middle Bass.

Catawba Island and Port Clintongo

Door to door: About 30–60 min

Mainland ferry from the Middle Bass dock

The mainland side for supplies, restaurants and the drive to Toledo or Cleveland.

Sanduskycaution

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Ferry to Catawba, then a car or shuttle west

Doable in a day only with your own car waiting at the dock.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

State Park campground and marina

21 sites, reservation only, May–Oct; fire ring and picnic table, showers at the harbormaster building, no toilets, electricity or potable water on site. Boat docking also possible.

St. Hazard's Resort, east side

Villas for up to six, chalets for up to five and simpler cabins with a shared bath house; pool and Wi-Fi. The island's main bed base outside camping.

Near the ferry dock

Walkable to J.F. Walleyes and the Lonz Winery site; best if you arrive without a vehicle.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$60–110 excl. bed
Mid
$110–200 excl. bed
High
$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Cabin or chalet at St. Hazard's1 × 1 night × US$220US$220
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$130US$260
Passenger ferry, Catawba ↔ Middle Bass, round trip2 × US$20US$40
Golf-cart rental, one day1 × US$100US$100
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$65
Trip total≈ US$358 per person per day, bed includedUS$715

2026 estimate in US dollars; ferry fares and mainland travel excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or a soft drink at the general store$2–5
Burger or sandwich at J.F. Walleyes$12–20
Pizza at Uncle Joe's$15–25
Beer at St. Hazard's$6–9
Golf-cart rental, per day$80–120
Passenger ferry, Catawba ↔ Middle Bass, one way$10–12
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A very low-crime island; the real risks are open water, weather that turns fast on Lake Erie, and thin ferry service in the shoulder season. Wear a life jacket on kayaks and paddleboards, and keep an eye on the last boat.
  • Ferry service is seasonal: several trips a day in summer, weather-dependent sailings in spring and fall, and little or nothing in winter.
  • The campground has no toilets, electricity or potable water on site; showers are at the harbormaster building.
  • The Sonny-S ferry to Put-in-Bay stops running in the early evening on weekdays and at midnight at weekends — check the last sailing before you plan a return.
  • Cell and data coverage can be patchy on the east end and at East Point; download what you need before boarding.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Poison control
1-800-222-1222
Ohio Division of Parks, Middle Bass Island State Park
+1 419 285-0311

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Middle Bass IslandMiddle Bass Island

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Poison control1-800-222-1222
  • State Park office+1 419 285-0311

Embassy

No consulates on the island; national embassies are in Washington, DC, with consulates in Cleveland and Detroit.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Ferry Catawba → Middle Bass dock: about $10–12 one way, 20–30 min
  • Sonny-S Middle Bass → Put-in-Bay: short passenger hop; last boat early evening on weekdays, midnight at weekends
  • Golf cart, one day: $80–120

Say or show

  • Where is the ferry dock? — Where is the ferry dock?
  • What time is the last boat? — What time is the last boat?
  • Do you take cards? — Do you take cards?
  • Is the campground open? — Is the campground open?
  • Can I rent a golf cart? — Can I rent a golf cart?

Tipping is expected in the US: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Middle Bass Island. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Sep · avoid Nov–Apr (ferries limited or suspended, most businesses closed) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Ferry timetable page with last-sailing cutoffs for the Middle Bass–Catawba and Sonny-S routes, plus a weather-cancellation fallback.
  2. Place pages for Lonz Winery, East Point Nature Preserve and the State Park campground with verified opening seasons.
  3. Eat pages for J.F. Walleyes, Uncle Joe's Pizza and St. Hazard's with last orders and closed days.
  4. Golf-cart and bike rental fixtures with 2026 rates so the get-around section can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources

Ask about Middle Bass Island

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