Class I Indian River, MI

The Indian River, located on the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, provides beautiful and varied northwoods scenery. The river flows through a variety of settings, ranging from a series of connected lakes in the upper sections, to a meandering channel in an incised valley through the middle section, to a braided channel and an area of extensive wetland before flowing into Indian Lake.

Trout fishing is good, and there is spawning habitat for lake sturgeon and habitat for eagles and ospreys. The river offers excellent canoeing and kayaking for all skill levels throughout the year due to its steady flow. There are numerous dispersed campsites along the river, as well as Widewater Campground.

There is a short stretch of swift water above Forest Highway 13 to add to your canoeing excitement. West of the bridge you can portage into Straits Lake, Deep Lake, and Corner Lake. There is one canoe campsite located in this stretch.

rivers.gov/Indian River