Sturgeon River river
Total streamflow across the Sturgeon River was last observed at 1,454 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 2,884 acre-ft of water today; about 100% of normal. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,447 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2026-04-19 when daily discharge volume was observed at 10,120 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Sturgeon River Near Alston reporting a streamflow rate of 556 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Sturgeon River Near Nahma Junction with a gauge stage of 5.16 ft. This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Sturgeon River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,228 ft, the Sturgeon River Near Sidnaw.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Sturgeon River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Sturgeon River
All 4 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sturgeon River Near Sidnaw
MI
USGS 04040500
|
197 | 4.68 | 3.7 | 41% | 7 | 4,990 | 1,228 |
|
Sturgeon River At Wolverine
MI
USGS 04127997
|
409 | 3.63 | 62.3 | 155% | 119 | 1,430 | 778 |
|
Sturgeon River Near Alston
MI
USGS 04041500
|
556 | 4.97 | 0.0 | 65% | 32 | 7,360 | 735 |
|
Sturgeon River Near Nahma Junction
MI
USGS 04057510
|
292 | 5.16 | 0.0 | 84% | 27 | 2,120 | 662 |
Year-over-year discharge
Each year's aggregate streamflow overlaid on a calendar-year axis. Toggle individual years from the legend to compare current conditions against past wet / dry cycles.
Seasonal discharge comparison
All recorded years on a Jan–Dec axis · latest year highlighted
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Sturgeon River
The Sturgeon River is a 106-mile-long river that flows through northern Michigan. It starts in the northeastern part of the state and flows southwest into the Cheboygan River. The river has played a significant role in the region's history, having been used by Native Americans and early settlers for transportation and trade. Today, the river's hydrology is impacted by two major reservoirs, the Burt Lake Reservoir and the Mullett Lake Reservoir, which were created by dams built in the late 1800s. These reservoirs are used for hydroelectric power generation and also provide recreational opportunities for boating and fishing. The Sturgeon River and its tributaries also support agricultural activities such as cattle grazing and hay production.
Track the Sturgeon River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Sturgeon River
Where does the data for the Sturgeon River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.