Portage River

The Portage River is part of the western Lake Erie drainage system in northwest Ohio. Its headwaters originate through several branches in Hancock and Wood counties. The mainstem is generally recognized as forming near New Rochester in Wood County, where the Middle Branch and South Branch Portage River converge. The North Branch joins the river farther downstream near Pemberville. From there, the Portage River winds northeast through Wood, Sandusky, and Ottawa counties, passing through or near communities such as Woodville, Elmore, Oak Harbor, and Port Clinton before reaching its mouth at Lake Erie in Port Clinton.