Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reedsburg Dam First dam below Houghton Lake | Dam / hazard | 44.35577, -84.85983 | Holds back the Reedsburg flooding at the head of the river. Portage; no through route over the structure. |
| 2 | Reedsburg Dam State Forest Campground Michigan DNR state forest campground | Campsite | 44.35833, -84.85825 | Rustic sites on the flooding immediately above the dam, at the top of the float. |
| 3 | Houghton Lake Field Office Michigan DNR · 5.1 km from the river | Agency / conservation office | 44.33303, -84.79432 | DNR field office for this stretch. Well off the water — listed for contact, not as an access. |
| 4 | Launch at East Houghton Lake Road Unnamed slipway in OSM, at the road crossing | Access / boat ramp | 44.33546, -84.88931 | Carried in OSM as an unnamed slipway beside the East Houghton Lake Road bridge; not in the DNR boating-access layer, so treat as informal. |
| 5 | South Paradise Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 44.26304, -84.89651 | |
| 6 | East Cadillac Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 44.24865, -84.89644 | |
| 7 | South Dolph Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 44.22541, -84.87524 | |
| 8 | Canoe Camp Riverside camp | Campsite | 44.21368, -84.84739 | Tagged in OSM simply as "Canoe Camp"; a paddlers’ camp on the upper river. |
| 9 | Jonesville Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 44.15390, -84.86020 | |
| 10 | Muskegon Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 44.13885, -84.89838 | |
| 11 | Pine Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 44.08190, -85.01311 | |
| 12 | Duggan's Canoe Livery & Campground Canoe livery and campground | Outfitter / canoe rental | 44.03727, -85.03281 | Livery and riverside campground at the Temple Drive crossing, which sits directly beside it. |
| 13 | Great Lakes Central Railroad Railroad crossing | Bridge crossing | 44.03090, -85.03843 | |
| 14 | The Old Log Resort Private campground / resort | Campsite | 43.98825, -85.09086 | |
| 15 | River Country Campground Campground and canoe trips | Outfitter / canoe rental | 43.93288, -85.20771 | Campground that also runs canoe trips on this reach; typed here as an outfitter for that reason. |
| 16 | Riverside Park West City of Evart | Park / conservation area | 43.89736, -85.25672 | Riverside park on the west bank at Evart; Riverside Park East sits opposite. |
| 17 | Evart riverside launch Unnamed slipway in OSM, at Riverside Park | Access / boat ramp | 43.89567, -85.25748 | Carried in OSM as an unnamed slipway inside the Evart riverside parks, below the South Main Street bridge. |
| 18 | Crawford Park Michigan DNR · 1 lane, 5 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.94684, -85.14963 | DNR boating access site; OSM carries the ramp as an unnamed slipway at the 30th Avenue crossing. |
| 19 | 135th Street Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 43.87257, -85.35725 | |
| 20 | Blodgett Landing Riverside campground and landing | Campsite | 43.84888, -85.43534 | |
| 21 | White Pine Valley Recreation Area Mecosta County · 0.8 km off the river | Park / conservation area | 43.78969, -85.48529 | County recreation area above Paris; the river frontage is a walk from the main area. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Paris Park Mecosta County park | Park / conservation area | 43.79038, -85.50104 | |
| 23 | Paris Park Campground Mecosta County campground | Campsite | 43.78647, -85.50106 | |
| 24 | Hoover Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 43.77878, -85.50018 | |
| 25 | Tube launch, Big Rapids OSM name: "tube launch" · at Baldwin Street | Access / boat ramp | 43.70840, -85.48115 | Small launch on the Big Rapids riverwalk beside the Baldwin Street bridge. Named exactly this in OSM. |
| 26 | Osceola Park Big Rapids riverside park | Park / conservation area | 43.70604, -85.48173 | |
| 27 | Centennial Park Big Rapids riverside park | Park / conservation area | 43.69360, -85.47214 | |
| 28 | River Bend Bluffs Michigan DNR · carry-in, 1 parking space | Access / boat ramp | 43.64223, -85.44275 | DNR boating access site. Very small: no ramp lanes recorded, one parking space. |
| 29 | 131 Bridge State-agency site · 1 lane, 10 trailer spaces, 1 pier | Access / boat ramp | 43.60765, -85.49348 | Boating access site at the US-131 crossing; OSM carries the ramp unnamed. |
| 30 | Rogers Dam Pond Boat Launch On the Rogers Dam impoundment | Access / boat ramp | 43.62310, -85.47309 | Launch on the pond above Rogers Dam; the pond shore, not the free-flowing river. |
| 31 | Rogers Dam Hydro dam | Dam / hazard | 43.61335, -85.47864 | Portage. The pond above is flat water; the river resumes below. |
| 32 | Northland Drive Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 43.60765, -85.48070 | |
| 33 | 8 Mile Road Road crossing | Bridge crossing | 43.58393, -85.52645 | Public launch at this crossing is the "131 Bridge" DNR site listed above. |
| 34 | River Ridge Resort & Marina Private resort and marina | Campsite | 43.58173, -85.52944 | |
| 35 | Brower Park Campground Mecosta County campground | Campsite | 43.56136, -85.54883 | Sits on the Hardy Dam impoundment; an unnamed launch is tagged at the same point. |
| 36 | Newaygo State Park campground Michigan DNR · Oak and Poplar loops | Campsite | 43.50374, -85.58483 | Two named loops, Oak and Poplar, on the Hardy Dam impoundment; one marker stands for both. |
| 37 | Big Bend Township Park Big Prairie Township · 0.76 km from the water | Campsite | 43.51348, -85.58031 | |
| 38 | Oxbow Park Hardy Dam impoundment · 0.95 km from the water | Campsite | 43.50448, -85.60832 | Measured to the chained centreline, which runs down the middle of the impoundment. |
| 39 | Sandy Beach County Park Hardy Dam impoundment · 0.90 km from the water | Campsite | 43.49709, -85.63073 | Measured to the chained centreline, which runs down the middle of the impoundment. |
| 40 | Hardy Dam Reservoir Park On the Hardy Dam impoundment | Park / conservation area | 43.48548, -85.62618 | Hardy Dam itself is not tagged as a dam in OSM anywhere on this reach and carries no marker on this sheet. |
| 41 | Croton Dam Hydro dam | Dam / hazard | 43.43711, -85.66411 | Portage. The tailwater below is the head of the well-known Croton-to-Newaygo float. |
| 42 | Charles Besemer Muskegon River Park Boat Launch Township park launch below Croton Dam | Access / boat ramp | 43.43481, -85.66574 | First launch below the dam, beside the Croton Drive crossing. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Pine Street Michigan DNR · 1 lane, 30 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.42343, -85.67545 | |
| 44 | High Rollway Michigan DNR · 3 lanes, 30 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.41493, -85.71906 | DNR name is High Rollway; OSM labels the same ramp "Thornapple Public Boat Launch". |
| 45 | High Rollway Roadside Park Michigan DOT roadside park | Park / conservation area | 43.40594, -85.72106 | Overlook above the river, separate from the boat launch of the same name. |
| 46 | Ed H. Henning Campground Newaygo County park campground | Campsite | 43.42122, -85.78767 | |
| 47 | Henning Park County · 2 lanes, 40 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.41886, -85.78999 | |
| 48 | Riverside Park, Newaygo Village riverside park | Park / conservation area | 43.42215, -85.80002 | |
| 49 | Parsley's Sport Shop Tagged shop=fishing in OSM | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 43.41884, -85.80083 | The one tackle shop on the river corridor that OSM records as a fishing shop. |
| 50 | 37 North Tagged shop=outdoor in OSM | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 43.41967, -85.80016 | An outdoor shop rather than a tagged fly or bait shop; check before relying on it for tackle. |
| 51 | New Bridge Michigan DNR · 1 lane, 10 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.41512, -85.81133 | |
| 52 | Anderson Flats Michigan DNR · 3 lanes, 15 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.38877, -85.82839 | |
| 53 | Salmon Run Campground Private campground | Campsite | 43.38959, -85.83716 | |
| 54 | Mystery Creek Campground Private campground | Campsite | 43.38063, -85.87097 | Run with Chinook Campground downstream. |
| 55 | Marl Pit Creek Boat Launch Public launch | Access / boat ramp | 43.36269, -85.91673 | |
| 56 | Chinook Campground Private campground | Campsite | 43.34754, -85.93619 | |
| 57 | Bridgeton Township Park Municipal · 1 lane, 12 trailer spaces, carry-down | Access / boat ramp | 43.34672, -85.94005 | Township park launch at the Warner Avenue crossing. |
| 58 | Maple Island Michigan DNR · 2 lanes, 25 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.31838, -86.03347 | |
| 59 | Muskegon DNR Wildlife Office Michigan DNR · 1.4 km from the river | Agency / conservation office | 43.29254, -86.05742 | |
| 60 | Walleye Pond Michigan DNR Wildlife · 1 lane, 6 trailer spaces | Access / boat ramp | 43.29781, -86.07919 | DNR name is Walleye Pond; OSM labels the same ramp "Holton-Duck Lake Road Boat Launch". |
| 61 | Mill Iron Boat Launch Public launch near the mouth | Access / boat ramp | 43.26864, -86.15073 | Last launch before the river opens into Muskegon Lake. |
| 62 | USGS 04121970 — Muskegon River near Croton Live stage and discharge | USGS gauge | 43.43475, -85.66532 | Placed on the roster gauge coordinate, which falls on the centreline just below Croton Dam. |
Gauge: USGS 04121970 — MUSKEGON RIVER NEAR CROTON, MI. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead, Walleye
Regulations: www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing/fishing-regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Croton Dam: the top of the tailwater, parking and the first ramp.
Pine Street and Thornapple: upper tailwater access points below the dam.
Newaygo boat launch and Henning Park: the main mid-river ramps.
Anderson Flats and Bridgeton: lower river launches with long float options.
Maple Island: the bottom of the standard guided water.
Muskegon Lake and the mouth: for run timing and lower-river fishing.
Summer tubing traffic is heavy between Croton and Newaygo on warm weekends.
Year-round tailwater; it does not freeze off below the dam.
March and April: peak spring steelhead, the busiest and best-known weeks.
May through August: resident trout, the June hex hatch, smallmouth and walleye downstream.
September through December: salmon first, then fresh fall steelhead and quiet water after the leaves drop.