List of rivers of Michigan facts for kids

This list of Michigan rivers includes all streams designated rivers although some may be smaller than those streams designated creeks, runs, brooks, swales, cuts, bayous, outlets, inlets, drains and ditches. These terms are all in use in Michigan. Other waterways are listed when they have articles.

The state has over 300 named rivers. Several names are shared by different rivers; for example, there are eight Pine Rivers and seven Black Rivers. In four cases there are two rivers of the same name in one county. In these cases extra information such as alternate name or body of water they flow into has been added.

Map of Michigan rivers

Tahquamenon River

In alphabetical order

A–C

D–K

L–M

N–R

S–Z

By watershed

Lake Erie basin

Detroit River

• Maumee River (OH)
  • Tiffin River (OH)
    • Bean Creek
  • St. Joseph River (OH)
    • East Branch Saint Joseph River
    • West Branch Saint Joseph River
• Ottawa River
• Little Lake Creek
  • Flat Creek
    • North River
• River Raisin
  • Saline River
  • Little River Raisin
  • Goose Creek
• Sandy Creek
• Huron River (Monroe/Wayne/Washtenaw/Livingston/Oakland counties)
  • Portage River (Livingston/Washtenaw counties)
• Detroit River
  • Ecorse River
  • River Rouge or Rouge River

Lake St. Clair basin

Clinton River

• Milk River
• Clinton River
  • Paint Creek
    • Trout Creek
• Salt River (Macomb County)
• Saint Clair River
  • Belle River
  • Pine River (St. Clair County)
  • Black River (Sanilac/St. Clair counties)

Lake Huron basin

The Thumb

• White River (Huron County, Michigan)
• New River
• Pinnebog River
• Pigeon River (Huron County)
  • Little Pigeon River (Huron County)

Saginaw Bay

Shiawassee River

• Sebewaing River
• Quanicassee River
• Saginaw River
  • Shiawassee River
    • Cass River
    • Flint River
      • Misteguay Creek
      • Swartz Creek
    • Bad River
  • Tittabawassee River
    • Chippewa River
      • Pine River (Mecosta/Isabella/Montcalm/Gratiot/Midland counties)
      • Coldwater River (Isabella County)
        • Walker Creek
    • Salt River (Midland/Isabella counties)
    • Tobacco River
      • Little Cedar River (Gladwin County)
      • Cedar River (Clare/Gladwin counties)
    • Molasses River
      • Little Molasses River
    • Little Tobacco River
    • Sugar River
      • South Branch Little Sugar River
• Kawkawlin River
• Pinconning River
• Saganing River
• Pine River
• Rifle River
• Au Gres River
• Tawas River

Northeast Lower Peninsula of Michigan

• Au Sable River
  • Pine River (Alcona County)
• Black River (Alcona County)
• Devils River
• Thunder Bay River
• Bell River
• Little Trout River
• Swan River
• Trout River
• Ocqueoc River
  • Little Ocqueoc River
• Black Mallard River
• Cheboygan River, mouth at Cheboygan in Cheboygan County
  • Black River (Cheboygan/Montmorency/Presque Isle/Otsego counties)
    • Rainy River
      • Little Rainy River
    • Canada Creek
  • Mullett Lake
    • Little Pigeon River (Cheboygan County), empties directly into Mullett Lake
    • Pigeon River (Cheboygan/Otsego counties)
      • Little Pigeon River (Cheboygan County)
    • Indian River (Cheboygan County)
      • Little Sturgeon River
      • Burt Lake
        • Sturgeon River (Cheboygan/Otsego counties)
        • Crooked River
        • Maple River (Cheboygan/Emmett counties)
        • Little Carp River (Cheboygan County)
• Little Black River (Cheboygan County)

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

• Carp River (Chippewa/Mackinac counties)
• Pine River (Chippewa/Mackinac counties)
• Potagannissing River (Drummond Island)
• Saint Mary's River
  • Gogomain River
  • Munuscong River
  • Little Munuscong River
  • Charlotte River
  • Waiska River

Lake Michigan basin

Lower Peninsula of Michigan

Northern Michigan

• Carp Lake River
• Bear River
• Pine River (Charlevoix County)
  • Lake Charlevoix
    • Jordan River
      • Green River
    • Boyne River
• Grand Traverse Bay
  • Elk River
    • Elk Lake
      • Torch River
        • Rapid River (Kalkaska County, Michigan)
          • Little Rapid River
        • Torch Lake (Antrim County, Michigan)
          • Clam Lake
            • Grass River
              • Lake Bellaire
                • Intermediate River
                  • Cedar River (Antrim County, Michigan)
                  • Intermediate Lake
                    • Green River
                      • Sixmile Lake and other lakes
                        • Dingman River
                          • Intermediate River
  • Boardman River
    • Boardman Lake
• Leland River, also called the Carp River
• Crystal River
• Platte River
• Betsie River
  • Little Betsie River
• Manistee River
  • Manistee Lake
    • Little Manistee River
  • Pine River (Lake/Manistee/Osceola/Wexford counties), also called South Branch of Manistee River

Pere Marquette River

• Big Sable River
• Lincoln River
• Pere Marquette River
  • Big South Branch Pere Marquette River
    • Ruby Creek
  • Baldwin River
• Pentwater River (Oceana County)

West Michigan

• White River (Muskegon/Oceana counties)
• Muskegon River
  • Maple River (Newaygo/Muskegon counties)
  • Little Muskegon River
  • Hersey River
  • Middle Branch River
  • Clam River

Grand River

• Grand River
  • Bass River
  • Buck Creek
  • Plaster Creek
  • Coldbrook Creek
  • Rogue River
  • Thornapple River
    • Coldwater River (Barry/Kent/Ionia counties)
      • Little Thornapple River, in Barry County
    • Little Thornapple River (Eaton County)
  • Flat River
  • Maple River (Ionia/Clinton/Gratiot/Shiawassee counties)
    • Pine Creek, some portions called Newark and Arcadia Drain
      • River Styx (Gratiot County)
    • Little Maple River
  • Looking Glass River
  • Red Cedar River
    • Sycamore Creek
  • Portage River (Jackson/Washtenaw counties)
• Pigeon River (Ottawa County)
• Lake Macatawa
  • Macatawa River
• Kalamazoo River
  • Rabbit River
    • Little Rabbit River
  • Gun River
  • Battle Creek River
• Black River (Allegan/Van Buren counties)
• St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan)
  • Paw Paw River
  • Dowagiac River
  • Pigeon River (St. Joseph County)
  • Fawn River
    • Little Fawn River
  • Prairie River
  • Rocky River
  • Portage River (Kalamazoo/St. Joseph counties)
  • Nottawa Creek (also known as Nottawa River)
  • Coldwater River (Branch County)
    • Sauk River
• Galien River
  • South Branch Galien River
    • Galena River

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Green Bay

• Menominee River
  • Little River
  • Little Cedar River
  • Shakey River
  • Sturgeon River (Dickinson County, Michigan)
  • Brule River
    • Paint River
      • Hemlock River
        • Little Hemlock River
      • Net River
    • Iron River (Iron County, Michigan)
  • Michigamme River
    • Kelso River
    • Deer River
    • Fence River
      • Mitchigan River
    • Spruce River
    • Peshekee River
    • Spurr River
• Cedar River (Menominee County, Michigan)
  • Walton River
• Bark River
• Ford River

Little Bay de Noc

• Escanaba River
  • Middle Branch Escanaba River
    • Black River (Marquette County)
    • Second River
  • East Branch Escanaba River
• Days River
• Tacoosh River
• Rapid River (Delta/Marquette counties)
• Whitefish River

Big Bay de Noc

• Big River
• Little River
• Ogontz River
• Sturgeon River (Alger/Delta counties)
• Fishdam River
• Little Fishdam River

Remainder of Lake Michigan/Upper Peninsula

• Manistique River
  • Indian River (Alger/Schoolcraft counties)
    • Little Indian River
  • West Branch Manistique River
    • Creighton River
  • Driggs River
  • Fox River
    • East Branch Fox River
    • Little Fox River
  • Manistique Lake
    • Shoepac River
• Milakokia River
• Cataract River
• Crow River
• Rock River (Lake Michigan)
• Lower Millecoquins River
  • Upper Millecoquins River
• Black River (Mackinac County)
• Cut River
• Brevoort River
  • Brevoort Lake
    • Little Brevoort River
• Pointe aux Chenes River
• Moran River

Beaver Island

• Jordan River

Lake Superior basin

• Tahquamenon River
  • Hendrie River
  • Sage River
• Shelldrake River
• Carp River (Luce County)
• Little Two Hearted River
• Two Hearted River
• Blind Sucker River
  • Dead Sucker River
• Sucker River
• Hurricane River
• Mosquito River
• Miners River
• Anna River
• Au Train River
• Rock River (Lake Superior)
• Laughing Whitefish River
• Sand River
• Chocolay River
• Carp River (Marquette County)
• Dead River
  • Little Dead River
• Little Garlic River
• Big Garlic River
• Iron River (Marquette County, Michigan)
  • Lake Independence
    • Yellow Dog River

Yellow Dog River

• Salmon Trout River (Marquette County)
• Pine River (Marquette County)
  • Pine Lake
    • River Styx (Marquette County)
    • Mountain Stream
      • Mountain Lake
        • Cliff River
• Little Huron River
• Huron River (Baraga/Marquette counties)
• Huron Bay
  • Ravine River
  • Slate River (Baraga County)
  • Silver River (Baraga County)
• Falls River
• Little Carp River (Baraga County)
• Portage River (Houghton County, Michigan), the southern end of the Keweenaw Waterway
  • Snake River
  • Portage Lake
    • Sturgeon River (Baraga/Houghton counties)
      • Otter Lake
        • Otter River
          • West Branch Otter River
          • North Branch Otter River
            • Sante River
            • Little Otter River
      • Silver River (Baraga County/Houghton County)
      • Little Silver River
      • Perch River
      • Rock River (Sturgeon River tributary)
        • Worm Lake
          • Vermilac River
          • Murphy River
      • Tioga River
    • Pike River
    • Torch Lake
      • Trap Rock River
    • Pilgrim River
• Traverse River
• Tobacco River
• Big Betsy River
• Little Betsy River
• Lac La Belle
  • Little Gratiot River
• Montreal River (Keweenaw County)
  • Medora River
• Silver River (Keweenaw County)
• Eagle River
• Gratiot River
• Salmon Trout River (Houghton County)
• Graveraet River
• Elm River
• Little Elm River
• Misery River
  • Little Misery River
• East Sleeping River
• West Sleeping River
• Firesteel River
• Flintsteel River

Ontonagon River

• Ontonagon River
  • West Branch Ontonagon River
    • South Branch Ontonagon River
    • Lake Gogebic
      • Slate River (Gogebic County)
        • Pelton River or Pelton Creek
  • Middle Branch Ontonagon River
    • Baltimore River
    • Tamarack River
  • East Branch Ontonagon River
    • Jumbo River
• Potato River
• Floodwood River
• Cranberry River
• Little Cranberry River
• Duck River, also called Duck Creek (Ontonogan County)
• Mineral River
• Big Iron River
  • Rapid River (Ontonagon County, Michigan)
• Little Iron River
• Union River
  • Little Union River
• Carp River (Gogebic/Ontonagon counties), sections also called Big Carp River and Upper Carp River
• Little Carp River (Gogebic-Ontonagon counties)
• Presque Isle River
  • Little Presque Isle River
• Black River (Gogebic County)
  • Little Black River (Gogebic County)
• Montreal River (Wisconsin-Michigan) (Gogebic County)

Isle Royale

• Big Siskiwit River
• Little Siskiwit River
• Siskiwit River

See also

• List of rivers of the Americas
• Lists of rivers
• Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed
• Inland Waterway (Michigan)
• List of rivers in the United States