Black, Little
Stub off US2 to Black River above Gabbro (2.35 miles)
| Difficulty | III+ |
| Length | 2.1 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 130 fpm |
| Gauge | Black, Little |
| Flow Rate as of 24 minutes | 5 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | December 25, 2024 |
River Description
With 28 square miles drainage where it crosses Hwy.2, one might expect it should see adequate flow with some frequency. Problem is, with that small a drainage, it's likely to suffer from deadfall and snags. That said, it has pretty good gradient, so it could be interesting.
If runnable, after the confluence with the Black, you will run nearly the final mile of the (main) Black ( Upper: Ramsey (Mill St) to Gabbro (Baker) Falls), undoubtedly at high flows, running its named drop (Neepikon Falls, really much more of a rapids), and taking out above Gabbro Falls.
We have no first-hand awareness of the feasibility of this run. If you have scouted it or attempted to boat it, what did you find? Is it worthwhile, or a snag-filled portage-fest? Help out your fellow boaters with a 'Trip Report'!
Jake provides: Although 28 square miles, the Little Black River loses much of its volume via the 'bathtub drain' on the NE corner of Sunday Lake in Wakefield. This water is routed to Planter Creek and results in less going to the final stretch of the Little Black River. The Little Black is much wider upstream of Sunday Lake than downstream and (due to the siphoning off) is completely different drainage at the outflow which is sorta tiny. Hopefully this helps anyone reading the original write-up and expecting something runnable.
We thank Jake for that insight ... and ... that suggests that (if flows in the area are high, and you are inclined to check this out ...) if Little Black seems shockingly low, head to the opposite end of Lake Sunday and check for a possible run on one of the Planter Creek sections!
In case you wonder why this river is being listed as 'Black, Little', seemingly inconsistent with other listings in the UP ('Little Iron', 'Little Carp', etc.): The difference is those rivers are separate, distinct rivers running to Lake Superior, not tributaries of
...River Features
USGS Sampling Site
USGS lists a sampling site (just upstream of our listed put-in) with drainage of 28 square miles.
That is very similar drainage area to E.Br.Huron (26.4 sq.mi. just DS of E.Br.Falls), Upper Yellow Dog (31.8 sq.mi. at put-in), or Lower Silver (34.5 sq.mi. at Arvon Rd, take-out for upper, put-in for lower). This is just for size comparison, and not to suggest the runs are comparable, nor that flows would directly correlate. In fact, with the Sunday Lake drain into Planter Creek, this run is likely to have substantially less flow (maybe half?) compared to what those others might get.
NOTE: Our 'calculated gauge' uses the gauge on the (main) Black, multiplying by a fraction based on drainage areas. We do not know the likely split between Planter Creek vs Little Black. If it tends to be equal amounts, that would mean our calculated gauge likely reads twice what it should.
Put In
Baker Blackjack Road
Pretty close to a half-way point on our listed section, this could be an 'out' if starting from above (and frustrated enough by snags to this point), or an alternate 'in' for the bottom ~0.7 mile (if that is any less of a snagfest).
Neepikon Falls
Virtually all maps that I find online appear to have this falls labeled at a point well upstream of the location which has the most apparent action in this stretch of river. As you come round a gentle right-hand bend, the first 'warning drop' occurs. A very brief paddle brings a left-hand bend where the real action begins. This is just a very brief, rocky rapids, but should be rollicking at good flows.
Take Out
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