Bear Creek
Huron-Manistee National Forest
421 S. Mitchell Street, Cadillac, MI 49601
The lower 6.5 miles of Bear Creek meanders through lush swamps, roiling hills and farm land. Limited access and developments enhance the pristine scenery. There are healthy populations of both resident trout and anadramous steelhead and salmon.
Total Miles: 6.5, Scenic: 6.5

Black River
Ottawa National Forest
2100 E. Cloverland Drive, Ironwood, MI 49938
The Black River provides visitors with outstanding scenery, unique geographical features, superb fisheries, cultural history, and abundant recreational opportunities. The many waterfalls, rapids, and gorge-like landscapes combined with a mix of old large hemlock and eastern white pine along this river has long been recognized as a distinctive resource.
Total Miles: 14, Scenic: 14

Carp River
Hiawatha National Forest
The Carp River flows through predominately forested land with little development along its way. Spring's high water facilitates canoeing and offers steelhead fishing and dipping for smelt near the rivers mouth. Summer is the time for brook or brown trout and fall brings salmon fishing.
Total Miles: 27.8, Wild: 12.4, Scenic: 9.3, Recreational: 6.1

East Branch of the Tahquamenon River
Hiawatha National Forest
2727 N. Lincoln Road, Escanaba, MI 49829
The East Branch of the Tahquamenon River is a high quality brook trout stream that rewards persistent anglers who overcome the dense alder along much of its length.
Total Miles: 13.2, Wild: 3.2, Recreational: 10

Indian River
Hiawatha National Forest
The Indian River provides a variety of beautiful scenery from canyon like banks and sharp meandering curves to broad marshland reaches. Trout fishing is good and there is spawning habitat for lake sturgeon, plus eagle and osprey habitat. Obstructed waters require frequent portage for canoeist downstream from Steuben.
Total Miles: 51, Scenic: 12, Recreational: 39

Manistee River
Huron-Manistee NationalForest
The lower Mansitee River is a slow, wide river that meanders through rolling hills and rich marsh land teaming with wildlife. The Manistee River is very popular for its excellent fishing, particularly for salmon, as well as for quality boating and scenery.
Total Miles: 26, Recreational: 26

Ontonagon River
Ottawa National Forest
In this true backcountry setting, the gorgelike landscape, exposed sandstone cliffs, and waterfalls provide a unique recreational area for the mid-western United States. The river also has excellent native brown trout, Lake Superior run salmon, and a steelhead fishery.
Total Miles: 157.4, Wild: 42.9, Scenic: 41, Recreational: 73.5

Paint River
Ottawa National Forest
The main branch of the Paint River System is an excellent year-long canoe route. The brook and rainbow trout fishing is excellent. The historical use of this river for log drives provides many historical interpretive opportunities.
Total Miles: 51, Recreational: 51

Pere Marquette River
Huron-Manistee National Forest
Wandering gently through overhanging bluffs and across the grassy floodplains of central Michigan, this is one of the finest trout streams of the Midwest.
Total Miles: 66.4, Scenic: 66.4,

Pine River
Huron-Manistee National Forest
The lower 26 miles of the Pine River wind swiftly through a deeply cut channel with heavily forested upland, offering high quality fishing, small craft boating, and outstanding scenery.
Total Miles: 25, Scenic: 25

Presque Isle River
Ottawa National Forest
Portions of this river system are listed as the most challenging whitewater river in Michigan, if not in the midwest, by Canoe Magazine. This river is listed as one of the 10 North American Rivers that "defines the outer edge of contemporary whitewater paddling."
Total Miles: 57, Scenic: 19, Recreational: 38

Sturgeon River
Hiawatha National Forest
Early summer and late fall are the best times to canoe the Sturgeon River. Two rapids challenge canoeist. Elusive brown trout, steelhead, and salmon challenge anglers.
Total Miles: 43.9, Scenic: 21.7, Recreational: 22.2

Sturgeon River
Ottawa National Forest
This river flows through a narrow, dissected, gorgelike valley with an average depth of 200-300 feet. Valley walls have slopes of 50-90 percent and the river flows through the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness.
Total Miles: 25, Wild: 16.5, Scenic: 8.5

Whitefish River
Hiawatha National Forest
The Whitefish River is cold, swift, and deep in the early spring to challenge canoeist and provides a good steelhead fishery. During the summer, much of the river becomes too shallow for canoeing, but offers fishing for brook trout in the upper reaches and a variety of warmwater species downstream from the junction of the east and west branches.
Total Miles: 33.6, Scenic: 31.5, Recreational: 2.1

Yellow Dog River
Ottawa National Forest
The Yellow Dog River drops 240 feet through numerous outcrops and cascades within the McCormick Wilderness. Surrounding vegetation consists of large eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, sugar maple, northern red oak, and other old growth northern hardwood species.
Total Miles: 4, Wild: 4

Wolf River
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin,
P.O. Box 397, Keshena, Wl 54135
Noted as one of the most scenic and rugged rivers in the Midwest, the Wolf flows through the Menominee Reservation. NOT DEVELOPED FOR PUBLIC USE
Total Miles: 24, Scenic: 24