Northern Michigan's Inland Waterway
The Inland Waterway is Michigan's longest chain of rivers and lakes. The town of Indian River is located right at the heart of it!
Geographic Features - (open/close)
One of Michigan's great natural gifts, the Waterway offers scenic beauty, along with great boating, water skiing, swimming, and sport fishing.
Almost 40 miles long, it runs through Pickerel Lake, Crooked Lake, the Crooked River, Burt Lake, the Indian River, Mullett Lake, the Cheboygan River, and finally into Lake Huron. (Waterway Map)
Almost 40 miles long, it runs through Pickerel Lake, Crooked Lake, the Crooked River, Burt Lake, the Indian River, Mullett Lake, the Cheboygan River, and finally into Lake Huron. (Waterway Map)
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Geographic Features:
- 150 miles of shoreline. 30 miles of river.
- Dredged to 5' Depth, and Width of 30' by U.S. Corps of Engineers (subject to shoaling).
- Route completely laid out with channel markers. River entrances marked with flashing lights.
- Accessible from I-75, M-27, M-33, and U.S. 31
- Ramps with varying water depths available all along the waterway.
- Can handle boats up to 65 feet long (18 foot beam), with up to a 5 foot draft (note: Navigation on the Crooked River generally limits boats to 25 feet).
- Route is 38.2 miles long
- Route features 2 locks. 15 foot gate lock in Cheboygan, $3.00 for recreational vehicle. 2 foot clam lock near Alanson is toll free.
- Longest distance between gas stops is 10 miles.














