Go before 9 AM or after 4 PM.

Early morning, ideally before 9 AM. The first ferries are your best bet.

Summer weekends on popular islands (Toronto Islands, Mackinac, etc.) are a mess by mid-morning. The crowds arrive between 10 and 2, and the ferries fill up fast. By 11 you’re waiting in line for an hour just to get on a boat.

Go early. Bring coffee. Leave by 2 or come back after 4 when day-trippers are leaving.

Alternatively, go late afternoon. The 4 PM ferry is usually quiet because everyone is heading home. You get a couple hours of golden light and fewer people.

Either way, avoid the middle of the day like you’d avoid a spilled drink on the subway.