Michigan · Wolverine, MI

Sturgeon River float season

Gauge 04127997 on the Wolverine to Indian River at Burt Lake. The fastest current in the Lower Peninsula whips paddlers through hairpin bends and cedar tunnels on the way to Burt Lake.

kayakcanoetubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Jul–Sep
Sturgeon River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 30 150 300 500
median flow for the date middle half of years (25th–75th percentile) most years (10th–90th)

Right now at this gauge

loading CFS

Checking the live gauge…

Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Sturgeon River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Wolverine gauge, the Sturgeon River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Jul–Sep. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past April days at this gauge ran above 288 CFS; the August median is 172 CFS.

Median of daily flows in each month across this gauge's full record — half of past days ran above these figures, half below.
Month Typical flow (CFS)
January 200
February 198
March 216
April 288
May 223
June 198
July 176
August 172
September 183
October 203
November 215
December 205

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1942 — 84 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 1,120 CFS, in October 2021. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.

Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.

More Michigan float rivers

Common questions

When is the Sturgeon River usually at its fullest?

At the Wolverine gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 288 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Sturgeon River?

The July median at this gauge is about 176 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.

Is the Sturgeon River safe to float right now?

No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 84 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.

Which USGS gauge does this page use?

USGS gauge 04127997 (STURGEON RIVER AT WOLVERINE, MI), chosen because it best represents the Wolverine to Indian River at Burt Lake. Daily records here reach back to 1942.

Data: USGS gauge 04127997, approved daily records 1942–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.