'The Sturgeon Capital Of Michigan' Is A Sleepy City Surrounded By Dazzling Lakes, Forests, And Parks

Michigan's Lower Peninsula is affectionately called the "Mitten" for its mitten-like shape. Right at the top of the mitten is Mackinaw City, whose historic waterfront is the launching point for visiting car-free Mackinac Island and its horse-drawn carriages. Travel south and you'll come to the laid-back beach of Cheboygan, but instead of continuing along Lake Huron's sunrise coast, take an inland detour to the surprisingly deep Black Lake and the town of Onaway, also known as the "Sturgeon Capital of Michigan". 

Each year, hundreds of baby sturgeon wriggle their way out of the Black River Sturgeon Hatchery just outside Onaway to revive the stocks of this threatened species in Black Lake. The program has been so successful that Onaway has become known for its Sturgeon Shivaree, an annual ice-fishing event in which anglers spear the sturgeon as they pass underneath the water. 

There's more to Onaway than fishing and boating on Black Lake, though. Onaway State Park has plenty of hiking and biking trails to discover, while the giant artworks of Awakon Sculpture Park are sure to impress visitors. Onaway's closest airport is the Pellston Regional Airport, a 45-minute drive northwest of Onaway. If you're coming by car from the south, it's about 250 miles north of Detroit which is just under 4 hours driving.  Either way, you're guaranteed some scenic views of the Mitten.

Sturgeons are so ancient they've been described as living dinosaurs with a fossil record dating back more than 260 million years. The species has a distinctly dinosaur-like appearance. For example, their rows of bony, diamond-shaped "scutes" that act as protective armor and protruding snouts to suck up worms, crustaceans, and molluscs from riverbeds. Sturgeon are threatened with extinction. Caviar from sturgeon roe is prized by gourmands which has led to overfishing while expanding human development has encroached on their habitats.

In the protected waters of Michigan's Black Lake, however, sturgeon now thrive thanks to ongoing rehabilitation efforts. The Black River streamside hatchery is a few miles outside of Onaway. In summer, you can visit or participate in a release of fingerlings (baby sturgeon the size of a finger) into the lake.

Otherwise, the best time to see these ancient fish is in February during the Sturgeon Shivaree, a celebration of the fish with live music, food, and ice fishing. Thousands attend each year, so anglers are allowed only one fish per person until a total cap of seven fish is caught. A fast catch is a good indicator of a thriving sturgeon population. In 2025, the fishing season lasted just 17 minutes. "It was a banner day of Black Lake sturgeon fishing for a great fish, and everyone was pleased with their catches," Jay Woiderski, a sturgeon fisherman and member of the conservation group Sturgeon For Tomorrow, told Outdoor Life magazine. "Not everyone who was registered to fish Black Lake sturgeon this year was on the ice that morning — but there were plenty of fish."

Onaway is a small town with fewer than a thousand residents, but it makes for a good stop in rural Michigan. Onaway State Park hugs the southeast shore of Black Lake with a pebble beach and a 3-mile hiking trail. Boating and fishing are allowed, but a Michigan Department of Natural Resources fishing license is required. A short drive east, the lower peninsula's largest waterfall, Ocqueoc Falls, is another option for excellent hiking and swimming in the area. For cyclists, the Northeastern State Trail passes through Onaway on the way from Cheboygan to Alpena, a picture-postcard lake-shore town that makes an excellent base camp for the area. This easy cycling trail winds across rivers with plenty of wildlife along the way. If you plan it right, you can attend an event at Onaway Speedway, like thrilling semi-truck racing. 

Take some time to stop by Awakon Park, a sculpture park built on the ruins of a steering-wheel factory. Giant metal sculptures loom above park visitors, the creations of Tom Moran, an Onaway local who founded Moran Ironworks nearby. Onaway isn't the only place to see his work. Indian River, one of Michigan's top-rated campgrounds, has a 32-foot sculpture of a giant steel sturgeon. 

Just down the road from Awakon Park is one of Onaway's favorite dining venues, Wood Winds Restaurant and Pizzeria. Wood Winds prides itself on homestyle cooking with rustic decor. For those seeking luxury immersion into nature, the Black Lake Convention Center advertises itself as "Michigan's best kept secret" with a golf course and country-chic rooms that blend in with the scenic lakeside location.