Shiawassee River Kayaking Guide

The Shiawassee River is one of Michigan's great paddling journeys — a National and State Water Trail running roughly 85.5 miles from Holly in the south through Fenton, Linden, and Owosso toward Chesaning, where it joins the Saginaw River system. Few Michigan rivers offer a continuous route of this length with such thorough documentation: the official water-trail map lays out launches, distances, and portages in detail, making the Shiawassee one of the most plannable long-distance paddles in the state.

The river's character evolves along its course. The upper river around Holly and Fenton threads through a chain of mill ponds and small lakes, giving the paddling a pleasant stop-and-start rhythm with portages between impoundments. Around Linden and Argentine the river feels more natural, and the long middle reaches through Shiawassee County offer classic Midwestern river paddling — wooded banks, gentle current, and long quiet miles. The lower river approaches the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, where the paddling becomes wilder but also more complicated, with branching waterways and flood-control lakes demanding careful navigation.

This is a river that rewards trip planning. Dams at Fenton, Linden, and the former Shiatown site all require portages — the Linden dam drops more than 10 feet — so study the water-trail map before launching and know exactly where each carry is. With that homework done, the Shiawassee delivers everything from easy afternoon floats to genuine multi-day expeditions.

Paddling the Shiawassee

WaterWorks Park to Strom Park via Fish Lake Road

The upper river offers tidy mapped segments: WaterWorks Park in Holly to Fish Lake Road is 2.25 miles, and WaterWorks Park to Strom Park is 7 miles. These are gentle, well-documented reaches — perfect for half-day trips and for getting to know the river's character before tackling longer sections.

Bush Park and Fenton to Linden via the Lakes

The Fenton-to-Linden route crosses Lake Ponemah and Tupper Lake, with mapped legs from Bush Park to the DNR Lake Ponemah launch (about 2.5 miles) and from Lake Ponemah to Linden Mill Pond (about 2.75 miles). This is pretty, lake-influenced paddling — but note the required portages at Fenton Mill Pond Dam and Linden Mill Pond Dam, the latter with a drop of more than 10 feet. The lakes can also run shallow in dry weather.

Linden to the Refuge and Chesaning

Below Linden, the river settles into longer natural reaches through Shiawassee County toward Owosso and Chesaning. The former Shiatown Dam site requires a portage of about 175 yards. Near the bottom, the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge brings wilder scenery and trickier navigation through branching waterways and flood-control lakes — bring a map, and do not rely on the current to show you the way.

Hazards & Portages

Dams define the Shiawassee trip plan: portage at Fenton Mill Pond Dam, Linden Mill Pond Dam (a serious 10-plus-foot drop — scout carefully and carry well clear), and the Shiatown Dam site (about 175 yards). Between dams, the usual hazards apply — strainers, sweepers, and shallow spots — plus the navigation puzzle of the lower refuge reaches. High water makes the dams' approaches genuinely dangerous; give every dam a wide berth from upstream.

Access & Parking

WaterWorks Park in Holly (42.78513, -83.62534) anchors the upper river with parking. Bush Park, the DNR Lake Ponemah launch, Strom Park, and the Linden-area launches continue the chain downstream, with many more public sites along the 85.5-mile trail. The official water-trail map is the essential companion — download it before you go and plan each day's put-in, take-out, and portages in advance.

Map