Murphy River Kayaking Guide

The Murphy River is a 6.6-mile Baraga County tributary running from Drummond Lake to Worm Lake, with its mouth mapped at 46.5382739, -88.5029149. Beyond that basic geography — a name, a length, two lakes, and a point on the map — no paddle route or public launch is documented for this small forest stream.

That is the entire verifiable record, and this guide will not inflate it. There is no put-in, no take-out, no mileage itinerary, and no paddler's description of the water. What can be said honestly is that small forest streams in this part of the western UP commonly hold beaver dams, logjams, and shallow rocky stretches — so anyone scouting the Murphy should expect obstacles, not open water.

If you explore it, you are doing original reconnaissance. Go prepared for portaging, confirm land ownership before you launch, and treat the outing as exploration rather than a planned route.

Paddling the Murphy River

Drummond Lake to Worm Lake (6.6 miles, undocumented as a route)

The river's course between the two lakes is mapped and its length is known, but navigability is not. The 6.6-mile figure is geography, not an itinerary — there may be blockages, shallow water, or private-land barriers anywhere along it.

What is not documented

Everything a trip plan needs: launches, parking, portages, flow windows, and any description of the water's character. None of it exists in the sources we checked.

Hazards & Portages

Undocumented. Expect the standard hazards of small, remote UP forest streams: beaver dams, logjams and strainers, shallow rocky stretches, and uncertain land ownership along the banks. Scout before you float, and never paddle alone on unknown water.

Access & Parking

None documented. There is no verified public launch, parking area, or road-crossing access for the Murphy River.

Map

The marker below is an approximate reference point at the mapped mouth of the Murphy River — not a verified launch site.