Bark River Kayaking Guide: Launches, Dams & Flows
Upper Peninsula Paddle Guide
Wild Rivers. Rugged Trails. Real Adventure.
River History
The Bark River is a 23.7-mile Upper Peninsula stream that begins at the outflow of Second Lake — fed by Pine Creek and the outflow of First Lake — on the boundary between Delta and Menominee counties, and reaches Green Bay on Lake Michigan in Ford River Township about 15 miles southwest of Escanaba. The North Branch Bark River rises in a marshy area just east of Schaffer and joins the main course downstream. The name is a logging-era joke that stuck: early railroad engineers saw a great quantity of bark drifting on the water and named the river for it. The community of Bark River was first settled in 1871 by Civil War veteran Captain Charles Pease, got a post office as "Barkville" in 1877, and was renamed Bark River in 1882; it sits on U.S. Highway 2/41 just east of the Hannahville Indian Reservation.
Like the neighboring Ford River, the Bark was a timber-country stream, and the forest has long since reclaimed the cutover land. Today the river is best known as a trout stream: the DNR lists it for brown, rainbow and brook trout, with the lower river stocked annually with brown trout since 2009, and the 2025 Michigan Fishing Guide treats the mainstream as a Type 4 trout stream. Notably, the DNR's Little Bay de Noc walleye regulations use "the mouth of the Bark River" as the boundary marker for the special-regulation zone — a reminder that this small river sits at the edge of one of Lake Michigan's most famous walleye fisheries. The Bark carries no dam, no Wild and Scenic designation, and no state water-trail status, which is exactly why it suits paddlers who like quiet, self-directed water.
Interactive River Map
Tap a pin for details. Pinch or use the + / – buttons to zoom.
- Launch / take-out
- Dam / portage
- USGS gage
- Camping
Pins marked (approx.) are approximate — confirm exact launch spots before a club trip.
River Overview
Headwaters
The Bark River starts where Second Lake drains out on the Delta/Menominee county boundary — Second Lake itself is fed by Pine Creek and the outflow of First Lake. This is quiet timberland and farm-edge country, and the upper river is narrow, winding and intimate. The North Branch Bark River, rising in a marsh just east of Schaffer, joins the main stem about midway down.
Major Tributaries
- Pine Creek (into Second Lake)
- First Lake outflow (into Second Lake)
- North Branch Bark River
Communities
- Schaffer (near headwaters)
- Bark River (on US-2/41, east of Hannahville Indian Reservation)
- Escanaba (nearest full services, ~13 mi east)
Land Character
- Upper: timberland, wetlands, some farmland
- Mid: the Bark River community corridor along US-2/41
- Lower: Lake Michigan shoreline — sandy flats at the mouth
Mouth
Green Bay on Lake Michigan in Ford River Township, about 15 miles southwest of Escanaba. The DNR's Little Bay de Noc fishing regulations use the river mouth as a boundary point for the special walleye zone.
USGS Flow & Water Conditions
USGS Situation
- Live Gage
- None. The Bark River has no active USGS streamgage.
- Field Site
- 04059597 — Bark River near Bark River, MI (field measurements only, August 1992)
- Best Proxy
- Nearby active gages such as the Ford River near Hyde (04059500) give a regional sense of UP river levels, but they are not on this river — treat them as weather indicators only. Verify locally.
USGS Interactive Map
Explore nearby USGS stream gages. Tap a site for live flow and gage height — the nearest live gages are on neighboring rivers, not the Bark.
Water-Level Considerations
| Level | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Too Low | No published paddling thresholds exist. Small UP trout streams commonly get thin in midsummer — expect dragging. |
| Good | Verify locally — no published paddling flow ranges were found for this river. |
| High | Spring runoff is the classic window; fast water pushes boats into sweepers on tight bends. |
| Dangerous | Flood flow on a narrow stream with farm and road crossings. Stay off. |
Typical Water Temperature
- Spring
- 35–50°F — very cold; dress for immersion.
- Summer
- Cold enough to hold trout through summer
- Fall
- Dropping fast after September nights.
Paddling Character
The Bark is small-stream paddling: clear water, moderate current, sandy and gravelly bottom, and enough bends to keep things interesting. Depth and clarity are good in spring; by midsummer the upper river can get skinny. Obstacles are the usual small-stream set — sweeper branches, occasional logjams, and fences or debris near farm country. The lower river widens toward the bay, where wind on the mouth flats replaces current as the thing to watch. Difficulty rating here is 1 in good spring flow for the lower river, 2 upstream where the stream narrows and deadfalls multiply.
Recommended Boats
Best Conditions
Late May through June flow with full water; calm days at the mouth where Green Bay weather rules.
Potential Hazards
Michigan Water Trails
Not a designated Michigan water trail. No designated state water-trail listing was found for the Bark River, and no trail page appears on michiganwatertrails.org. The river has no National Wild and Scenic or state Natural River designation.
Status checked October 2026; designations change, so recheck before relying on this.
Dams & Portages
No dams are known on the Bark River. Never run a dam.
| Order | Dam | Type | Portage Side | Carry | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | None known | — | — | — | No documented dams; confirm on the water |
Public Kayak & Canoe Launches
Published access is thin: road bridges plus a county park at the mouth. Scout every bridge before committing — parking shoulders, bank access and legal parking vary.
| Launch | Area | Type | Parking | Restrooms | To Next Launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O.B. Fuller County Park | Mouth, on M-35 | County park boat launch | Yes | Verify locally | Mouth flats / Lake Michigan |
| US-2/41 bridge at Bark River | Bark River community | Road bridge (informal) | Shoulder — confirm | None | Verify locally |
| County Rd 535 bridge | Mid-river | Road bridge (informal) | Shoulder — confirm | None | Verify locally |
| North Branch area bridges | Upper river | Road bridge (informal) | Shoulder — confirm | None | Verify locally |
O.B. Fuller County Park is open seasonally — confirm hours and fees with Delta County. All bridge access is informal and unconfirmed; verify on the ground.
Camping
O.B. Fuller County Park offers camping at the river mouth (seasonal; boat launch on site), making it the natural base for a Bark River trip. Hiawatha National Forest campgrounds — including Little Bay de Noc Campground (Rapid River Ranger District) — and state forest dispersed camping round out the options in Delta County.
O.B. Fuller County Park
- Area
- River mouth, M-35 SW of Escanaba
- Type
- County park — camping + boat launch
- Season
- Seasonal; confirm with Delta County
Little Bay de Noc Campground (Hiawatha NF)
- Area
- Rapid River Ranger District
- Type
- National Forest, reservable (37 sites)
- Season
- Typically mid-May – early October
State Forest Dispersed Camping
- Area
- Escanaba River State Forest lands
- Type
- Dispersed, primitive
- Rules
- Verify locally — camp well off the water, pack out everything
Confirm campground status, fees and dispersed-camping rules with the county, DNR and Forest Service before your trip.
Wildlife & Fishing
- Trout Regulations
- The DNR's Better Fishing Waters list rates the Bark River for brown, rainbow and brook trout; the lower river has been stocked annually with brown trout since 2009. The 2025 Michigan Fishing Guide treats the mainstream as a Type 4 trout stream — check the current guide for season, size and gear rules.
- Walleye Boundary
- Little Bay de Noc fishing regulations use the mouth of the Bark River as the boundary marker for the special walleye regulation zone (daily possession limit rules apply north of a line from Peninsula Point Lighthouse to the Bark River mouth). Check the current fishing guide.
- Fish Consumption
- Check the current MDHHS Eat Safe Fish Guide before eating your catch — statewide mercury guidance applies to many inland fish.
Safety
Required / Recommended Gear
River-Specific Concerns
Small stream, big-country weather. Strainers and sweepers are the main in-river hazard; the mouth flats are exposed to Green Bay wind and boat wakes. Give wading anglers plenty of room — this is a fishing stream first. For 911, know your county (Delta; Menominee near the headwaters), the nearest road crossing, and your GPS coordinates.
Contamination
No river-specific contamination advisories were found; check the current MDHHS Eat Safe Fish Guide.
Best Time & Access
- Best Months
- Late May – September; best flows in late spring.
- Crowds
- Essentially none — quiet water with anglers in season.
- Hunting Seasons
- Fall brings small-game and deer seasons (firearm deer season is Nov 15–30); wear blaze orange on shore during hunting seasons.
- Shuttle / Livery
- No dedicated Bark River livery was found — arrange private shuttle.
- Parking Passes
- A Michigan Recreation Passport is required at state-managed access points; Delta County parks may have their own fees.
- Local Rules
- No river-specific restrictions were found. Respect private land and anglers.
Trip Planning
- Best One-Day Trip
- Bark River town to O.B. Fuller County Park — scouted bridges as put-in/take-out
- Best Short Trip
- Mouth flats to Lake Michigan shoreline paddle from the county park
- What to Pack
- Standard day-paddle kit plus fishing gear if you're after trout; water and food — services are in Escanaba, ~13 miles away.
- Leave No Trace
- Pack out everything; use established access points; don't trample spawning areas in spring.
- Clean, Drain, Dry
- Clean all watercraft and gear between trips to stop aquatic invasive species; never move live bait between waters.
River Difficulty
Class I
Class I (not listed by American Whitewater) — easy moving water, small riffles, few obstructions.
Ratings rise at high water — check the USGS gage before paddling. American Whitewater
Quick Reference
- River
- Bark River
- Length
- ~24 mi
- Region
- Central Upper Peninsula — Delta & Menominee counties
- Headwaters
- Second Lake outflow, Delta/Menominee boundary
- Mouth
- Green Bay, Lake Michigan (Ford River Township)
- Tributaries
- Pine Creek, First Lake outflow, North Branch Bark River
- USGS Gage
- None active (field site 04059597, 1992 only)
- Best Season
- Late May–September
- Difficulty
- Class I
- Best Stretch
- Bark River town → O.B. Fuller County Park (verify)
- Top Hazard
- Sweepers, thin summer water, wind at mouth
- Dams
- None known
- Water Trail
- No
Sources
- Bark River (Michigan) — Wikipedia
- Michigan DNR — Better Fishing Waters
- 2025 Michigan Fishing Guide (Type 4 trout streams; Little Bay de Noc walleye regs)
- Michigan DNR Trout Trails — Bark River / O.B. Fuller County Park
- USGS Interactive Water Data Map
- Michigan Water Trails
- MDHHS Eat Safe Fish Guide
Last updated: October 2026. Water levels, hazards, launches, camping rules and closures change. Verify current USGS flow, weather, river conditions, access and regulations immediately before launching.
Come paddle with us
Sign the member agreement, then pick your first trip.
Wild Rivers. Rugged Trails. Real Adventure.