| Sturgeon River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Baraga County, Michigan |
| • coordinates | 46°35′12″N88°16′05″W / 46.5866°N 88.2681°W /46.5866; -88.2681[1] |
| Mouth | |
• location | Portage Lake,Michigan |
• coordinates | 47°02′06″N88°29′18″W / 47.0349°N 88.4884°W /47.0349; -88.4884 |
| Length | 105 mi (169 km) |
| Type | Wild, Scenic |
| Designated | March 3, 1992 |
TheSturgeon River is a 105-mile-long (169 km)[2] river inBaraga County andHoughton counties in theU.S. state ofMichigan. 25.0 miles (40.2 km) of the river were added to theNational Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1992.[3]
The Sturgeon River rises on the glacially-eroded plateau that forms much of southern Baraga County. Flowing westward through the Copper Country State Forest, it enters theOttawa National Forest north ofWatton.[3] The 25.0-mile (40.2 km) length of the river's course in this national forest has been listed as a wild and scenic river, with 16.5 miles (26.6 km) designated as wild and 8.5 miles (13.7 km) as scenic. On this stretch, which crosses and recrosses the border between Baraga County andHoughton County, the river helps to form theSturgeon River Gorge Wilderness and flows over Sturgeon Falls.[4]
After leaving the Ottawa National Forest west ofBaraga, Sturgeon River flows northward, again crossing and recrossing the Baraga–Houghton County line. It then is dammed up to create the 810-acre (330 ha)Prickett Lake. Flowing from there, it moves generally parallel to the western shore ofKeweenaw Bay. The river discharges intoPortage Lake nearChassell, Michigan.[3]
The Wild and Scenic portion of the Sturgeon River, within the Ottawa National Forest, is classified as aBlue Ribbon Trout Stream.[5]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | ThisBaraga County, Michigan location article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | ThisHoughton County, Michigan location article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This article related to a river in Michigan is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
