Bark River Kayaking Guide

The Bark River is a 23.7-mile river in Delta County that flows south from the outflow of Second Lake — on the Delta–Menominee county line — to Green Bay on Lake Michigan, reaching the bay in Ford River Township about 15 miles southwest of Escanaba. It was named by early railroad engineers who saw a great quantity of bark floating on its water.

The Bark is first and foremost a trout stream: it is designated a Type 1 trout stream and has been stocked annually with brown trout since 2009. The Michigan DNR maintains fishing sites along it, including the Forest Island ORV Trail Bridge site, where the river is described as wadable with hip boots — a clue to its small size through much of its course.

It is not a documented paddling route. Kayaking is mentioned around Bark River Park, and the one real launch on the river is the boat ramp at O.B. Fuller County Park near the mouth, which opens onto the flat water where the river meets Green Bay. Paddlers should think of the Bark as a trout stream with a launch at its mouth, not a float river.

Paddling the Bark River

Upper river — Second Lake to the Forest Island ORV bridge

The Bark rises at Second Lake, picks up the North Branch near Schaffer, and flows south as classic small trout water. The DNR's Forest Island ORV Trail Bridge site sits about 350 feet west of a parking lot off County Road 535, and the river there is wadable — this is fishing water, not paddling water, with likely logjams and shallow riffles. Paddling this reach is not documented and is not recommended without local scouting.

Lower river — O.B. Fuller County Park to Green Bay

Near its mouth, the Bark widens and slows. O.B. Fuller County Park offers a boat launch and seasonal camping right at the river, and from here paddlers can work the flat lower river out into Green Bay. This is the only documented launch on the river — keep it a short, protected-water paddle and treat the bay like the big water it is.

Hazards & Portages

The Bark's upper reaches are shallow and almost certainly obstructed by strainers and logjams in places — typical small trout-stream paddling hazards. Late-summer low water can make floating impossible above the lower river. At the mouth, Green Bay brings wind, waves, and cold water; stay off the bay in small craft when it is rough. This is stocked trout water, so give anglers a wide berth, especially during prime fishing hours.

Access & Parking

O.B. Fuller County Park is the key access: it has a boat launch and camping on the river near its mouth, about 16 miles southwest of Escanaba via M-35, and is open seasonally. The DNR's Forest Island ORV Trail Bridge site (about 15 miles southwest of Escanaba off M-35 and County Road 535) is a fishing access with a short trail to the river, not a launch. Other access is informal at road crossings — verify ownership before carrying in.

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