The Ontonagon River is one of Michigan's premier trout fishing destinations, located in the western Upper Peninsula. This river system consists of four main branches—the East, Middle, West, and South (including the Cisco Branch)—that merge to form the mainstream before flowing into Lake Superior at the village of Ontonagon. The river offers diverse fishing opportunities with its varied terrain ranging from steep rolling hills with rocky outcroppings to stretches of sandy loam and clay soil. The Ontonagon is characterized by its natural beauty, with sections flowing through mixed hardwood and coniferous forests, and features several waterfalls including Bond Falls, Agate Falls, and Sparrow Rapids. The river's color typically varies from clear to light brown in the upper sections to a distinctive red clay color in the lower mainstream portion, lending to its nickname too thick to drink, too thin to plow in some areas.