Nokomis Falls is a 5-foot Class III+ rapid on the Presque Isle River in Gogebic County, Michigan, a single ledge at the lower end of a gorge studded with smaller rapids. It is also spelled Nakomis Falls.
The falls
Lidar data puts the drop at no more than 5 feet, though small rapids in the gorge above could stretch the sequence to 15 to 17 feet if counted as part of the feature. Earlier surveys listed 7 feet.
The rapid rates Class III+ on a reach that runs from Class III to Class V, with powerful retaining holes. The tentative runnable range is 300 to 1,000 cfs on the Presque Isle River Near Connorville, MI gauge: low from 300 to 400, medium from 400 to 600 and high from 600 to 1,000. The gauge was installed at South Boundary Road in June 2023.
Getting there
Steiger's Bridge and the roads leading to it are private and closed. An alternative full river trip puts in at Underwood Tower Road, and the traditional take-out is the South Boundary Road Bridge. A walking route to the falls isn't documented.
When to go
Paddlers can check the Connorville gauge against the recommended range before a trip.
On site
Portaging involves gathering in an eddy above the drop; at high water, parties may carry from above Triple Drop, the rapid upstream, to below the falls. On May 17, 2003, a paddler became trapped at Triple Drop, was washed into Nokomis Falls and was recovered downstream the next day.
Nearby
Kimball Falls on the Montreal River is about 20.2 miles away, Rock Cut Falls about 20.8 miles and Spring Camp Falls about 26.9 miles, both on the West Fork Montreal River in Wisconsin.
Distances are straight-line.