The White River flows 83 miles southwest through Newaygo, Oceana, and Muskegon Counties from its source near Big Rapids to White Lake, a drowned river mouth on Lake Michigan near Whitehall and Montague. This tributary of Lake Michigan has earned its designation as a Michigan Natural River, winding through the southern section of Manistee National Forest with a character smaller, tighter, and swifter than its neighbor, the Muskegon River. The river supports healthy populations of coldwater fish in its upper reaches and provides outstanding migratory fish opportunities below the dams at White Cloud and Hesperia. The South Branch supports quality brown and brook trout populations, while the North Branch also maintains coldwater fisheries. Many cold tributaries feed the system, though the dams at White Cloud and Hesperia have historically disrupted water temperatures and blocked fish migrations that would otherwise connect these reaches to Lake Michigan.