Michigan / Manistee River /

Blacksmith Bayou

Blacksmith Bayou is a public boat ramp on the Manistee River near Brethren, Michigan, run by the USDA Forest Service.

The Manistee River at a landing
Manistee River, the water this launch is on. The Manistee River at a landing Photo: papadakp · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Status not reported No closure has been posted for this launch, but its agency does not publish open or closed status. Check with the managing agency before you tow.

At the launch

Type
Boat ramp
Car parking
3 spaces
Restrooms
No
Managed by
USDA Forest Service
Coordinates
44.26199, -86.03597

Directions (Google) Apple Maps

Conditions

Water level

Latest reading loads here; without it, see the USGS page below.

USGS gauge MANISTEE RIVER NEAR WELLSTON, MI, 4.7 mi from this launch on Manistee River: water level, flow, water temperature, a reading every 15 minutes. Readings and history at USGS.

On Manistee River

The Manistee River is a 190-mile river in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. It rises in the sand hills of southeastern Antrim County, on the Otsego County line about 6 miles southeast of Alba, and flows generally southwest to Lake Michigan at the city of Manistee. Along the way it drops from about 1,250 to 579 feet, an average gradient of about 2.9 feet per mile. Deep glacial sands give it a steady flow of cold water. The basin covers 1,780 square miles, and the Little Manistee and Pine rivers are among its tributaries. Two hydroelectric dams break the river. The lower one, Tippy Dam, was built in 1918, is operated by Consumers Energy, and stands about 20 miles upstream of the river mouth. More about Manistee River.

Boating rules on Manistee River

  • Upper Manistee Natural River: motor vehicles are prohibited within 400 feet of the river's edge except on designated public roads, access roads to designated recreation sites, or trails designated open source
  • Upper Manistee Natural River: no dispersed camping within 75 feet of the water for walk-in and canoe camping, or within 175 feet for vehicle camping source
  • Forest Service recreation sites on the lower Manistee require a vehicle parking pass (Recreation Enhancement Act) source

Community

Where people who use Manistee River talk about it.

Nearby launches

Sources

Why it is listed as public: listed by Michigan DNR Boat Launches (DNR inventory layer) and Great Lakes Commission Boat Access Sites (compilation, public and private). Something wrong, or is this launch private? Send a correction; it goes to a person.