Cisco Branch Ontonagon River Kayaking Guide

The Cisco Branch is a 32.7-mile branch of the Ontonagon River system in the western Upper Peninsula. It begins at the outlet of Cisco Lake in Gogebic County — about 13 miles southwest of Watersmeet — flows north-northeast through the Ottawa National Forest into southwestern Ontonagon County, and joins Tenmile Creek to form the South Branch Ontonagon River, which runs north past Ewen toward the main stem and Lake Superior.

The branch carries real paddling credentials: it is fully included in the Ontonagon National Wild and Scenic River, designated in 1992, with a 27-mile segment from the Forest Development Road 527 crossing to the Cisco Branch–Tenmile Creek confluence classified as a scenic river. But the state is blunt about the upper river — a Michigan DNR fisheries survey says canoeing is not recommended from Cisco Lake down to Kakabika Falls because of shallow water, boulders, and rapid current. Below the falls, the branch is described as top-quality trout water. One documented personal trip log records a paddle from the County Road 527 gravel pit to Ewen, but no commercial liveries or formal DNR-designated paddling route exist.

Paddling the Cisco Branch Ontonagon River

Cisco Lake to Kakabika Falls — not recommended for canoeing

The DNR's fisheries survey is explicit: shallow water, boulders, and rapid current make this reach a poor canoeing prospect. The river here winds through beaver meadows and tag alder with a gravel, boulder, and sand bottom — classic trout habitat, not paddling water. Treat the DNR's warning as the last word on this section.

Kakabika Falls to Eighteen Mile Rapids — trout water, expert only

Below Kakabika Falls the branch is described as top-quality trout water, but Kakabika Falls itself and Eighteen Mile Rapids are hard stops for any boat. The only documented paddle we found is a personal trip log covering the Cisco Branch and South Branch from the County Road 527 gravel pit to Ewen — an experienced-party undertaking, not a casual route. Access to the reach between Kakabika Falls and Eighteen Mile Rapids is only via US Forest Service Road 178.

Hazards & Portages

Kakabika Falls and Eighteen Mile Rapids are the named hazards; both require portaging around, not through. The upper reach adds shallow water, boulders, and fast current — the reason for the DNR's no-canoeing guidance. There is a dam at the Cisco Lake outlet (an old logging dam held artificially high for downstream power generation), and flows at the USGS gauge at the lake outlet can run extremely low. This is remote national forest water with unreliable cell service.

Access & Parking

Documented access points: the Forest Development Road 527 crossing, where paddlers have used a gravel pit as a put-in; US Forest Service Road 178, the only documented access to the reach between Kakabika Falls and Eighteen Mile Rapids; and a state-maintained public access site on the northeast shore of Cisco Lake (lake access — the river begins below the lake's outlet dam). Verify road conditions and water levels with the Ottawa National Forest and USGS gauge 04037500 before any trip.

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