Boardman River

The Boardman River flows into the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Michigan. The Boardman's upper tributaries rise near Kalkaska, Michigan, and its watershed drains an area of convert|295|sqmi|km2 through convert|130|mi|km of river and tributaries. The Boardman River is considered one of the top ten trout streams in Michigan. Before entering the Grand Traverse Bay, it becomes Boardman Lake, which is really just a wide, deep stretch of the river about convert|2|mi|km long and a half-mile (800 m) wide.

After flowing through Boardman Lake, the river descends through downtown Traverse City, following a hairpin-shaped course to Grand Traverse Bay. This Traverse City section of the Boardman River is accessible by motorboat from the lakeshore up to a weir about a quarter-mile (400 m) upstream from the lakeshore. A short distance upstream from the weir is a small decommissioned hydroelectric dam located between Cass and Union Streets.