Sturgeon River (Cheboygan County, Michigan)

Sturgeon River
Sturgeon River flowing through Wolverine
Sturgeon River (Cheboygan County, Michigan) is located in Michigan
Sturgeon River (Cheboygan County, Michigan)
Location within the state of Michigan
Location
CountryUnited States
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationLivingston Township, Otsego County, Michigan
Mouth 
 • location
Burt Lake in Tuscarora Township, Cheboygan County, Michigan
 • coordinates
45°24′24″N 84°37′39″W / 45.40667°N 84.62750°W / 45.40667; -84.62750
 • elevation
597 feet (182 m)[1]

Sturgeon River is a 40.8-mile-long (65.7 km)[2] river in the U.S. state of Michigan, flowing mostly northward through Otsego and Cheboygan counties.

The Sturgeon River rises in Livingston Township, Otsego County, near the city of Gaylord at 45°01′49″N 84°38′18″W / 45.03028°N 84.63833°W / 45.03028; -84.63833. It flows into Burt Lake in the community of Indian River. A channel formerly flowed into the Indian River at 45°24′47″N 84°36′36″W / 45.41306°N 84.61000°W / 45.41306; -84.61000, but the main course of the river now empties directly into Burt Lake.[3]

The West Branch Sturgeon River rises in southeast Charlevoix County at 45°07′49″N 84°47′55″W / 45.13028°N 84.79861°W / 45.13028; -84.79861 and flows 17.5 miles (28.2 km)[2] to the main stream at 45°16′19″N 84°36′03″W / 45.27194°N 84.60083°W / 45.27194; -84.60083 in Wolverine.[4]

The Little Sturgeon River rises in Cheboygan County northeast of Wolverine at 45°17′55″N 84°33′37″W / 45.29861°N 84.56028°W / 45.29861; -84.56028 and flows north on a course generally parallel to the Sturgeon River. The mouth of the Little Sturgeon River is at 45°24′19″N 84°36′32″W / 45.40528°N 84.60889°W / 45.40528; -84.60889 on the former channel of the Sturgeon River that flows into the Indian River.[5]

With an average descent of 14 feet per mile, the Sturgeon River is the fastest river in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The water is crystal-clear since it begins as a spring-fed stream. The average depth is 3–4 feet, however, there are deeper pools that can reach 5–8 feet, usually around the outside of bends.[6]

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sturgeon River
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed November 21, 2011
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sturgeon River (Cheboygan County)
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: West Branch Sturgeon River (Cheboygan County)
  5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Sturgeon River
  6. ^ "River Info". Big Bear Adventures. Retrieved 22 June 2022.