Best Web Design in Au Gres, MI (2026)

Web Design for Au Gres, Michigan

Au Gres is a small riverfront city of about 945 residents where the Au Gres River empties into Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron's 'Sunrise Side,' in Arenac County. French explorers named the point 'Point Au Gres' (gres meaning 'gritty stone' or sandstone), and the river and town took the name. A quiet town of under a thousand that swells to thousands each summer, it is built around walleye, bass, and perch fishing, the largest boat launch on Saginaw Bay, and boat access to the historic offshore Charity Island Lighthouse.

AppWT serves Au Gres and the surrounding Michigan area from Livonia, Michigan.

About Au Gres

Also known as. A 'Sunrise Side' community (on U.S. 23, the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway / Pure Michigan Byway along Lake Huron).

History. Native peoples, including the Ojibwe (Chippewa), Odawa (Ottawa), and Potawatomi, occupied the Saginaw Bay area for thousands of years, fishing the Rifle, Au Gres, and Pine Rivers and harvesting maple sugar seasonally. French explorers named the location 'Point Au Gres'; gres means 'gritty stone' or sandstone, from which the river and town take their names. First settled temporarily in 1862 by workers on the Saginaw-Au Sable State Road. John Edward Bradley became the first permanent settler, building the Bradley House in 1866; a post office was granted on August 8, 1867 with Bradley as first postmaster, when the area was still part of Bay County. During the lumber era, H.M. Loud's Sons Company operated sawmills on the Au Gres River around 1900; logging declined by World War I. Incorporated as a city in 1905; population grew from 252 in 1910 to 442 by 1950.

Local economy. Historically driven by lumber, then by commercial and sport fishing and tourism. Early 20th-century commerce included the Bessinger Pickle Company (founded 1932), the Au Gres Elevator, and general stores. Today the economy centers on fishing and charter tourism, with renowned walleye, bass, and perch fishing on Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. A Michigan DNR boat launch at the river mouth is the largest on Saginaw Bay, able to launch eight boats simultaneously. A town of under 1,000 residents grows to thousands in summer as anglers and vacationers arrive.

Culture and community. Au Gres-Sims School District teams are the Wolverines, colors maroon and gold, fielding football, baseball, track, basketball, and volleyball. Annual events include a Classic Car Show and Cruise, a Fireworks Festival, walleye fishing tournaments, an Arts and Crafts Show, a Memorial Day Parade, a Boat Parade, and Halloween in the Park. Riverside Park offers a pavilion, splash pad, and playscape, and the Riverfront Campground provides overnight boat slips near downtown shops and dining. Fishing culture, especially the walleye, defines the town's summer identity.

What makes Au Gres distinct. The town's name is French for 'gritty stone' or sandstone, from the point the explorers named. Charity Island, home to the 1857 lighthouse, sits alone in the middle of Saginaw Bay about 10 miles out and is only reachable by boat. The public boat launch can put eight boats in the water at once, making it the largest on Saginaw Bay. Native Americans have occupied the surrounding Saginaw Bay area for at least 5,000 years. A town of fewer than 1,000 year-round residents balloons to thousands during summer fishing season.

Au Gres Landmarks and Local Life

• Charity Island Lighthouse (1857) - a roughly 39-foot white brick tower on an island alone in the middle of Saginaw Bay about 10-12 miles offshore, reachable by seasonal boat tours from Au Gres roughly mid-May to mid-October
• The Au Gres River mouth and its Michigan DNR boat launch - the largest on Saginaw Bay
• Au Gres City Riverfront Park along the river.
• U.S. Route 23 - the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway, runs through town along the Lake Huron shore
• The Bradley House (1866) - home of the first permanent settler