At the end of September, the only schedule Champion's Auto Ferry posts is still called the Summer Schedule, and it is not much of a schedule: continuous service from 5 a.m. to midnight, then a boat every half hour until 5 a.m. The company publishes no winter table next to it and no dates on it. What it does publish is a warning that weather can change the plan and that its limits on truck size can change with the level of the river.
That detail is what separates this crossing from the lake-island ferries elsewhere in Michigan and Ohio, such as the long open-lake run from Charlevoix to Beaver Island. The ferry does not head out across open water at all. It shuttles across the North Channel, one arm of the St. Clair River, between Pointe Tremble Road on the Clay Township shore and the start of M-154 on the island. What the operator warns about is the weather and the level of the river, not a long open-water passage.
Search for this crossing and you will find it under several names: Harsens Island ferry, Champion Ferry, Champion Auto Ferry. The operator's own site calls it Champion's Auto Ferry, a private company based on Pointe Tremble Road in Algonac, and it is the car ferry this page covers.
No departure times, just continuous service and a half-hourly night
Champion's Auto Ferry 'Summer Schedule', which carries no start or end date, read on September 24, 2026 Champion's Auto Ferry — Summer Schedule · 2026-09-24
One cash payment covers the car, everyone in it and the ride back
Every fare here is a round trip, collected once. The car rate is written as car (including passengers), so a family of five in one vehicle pays the same $16.00 as a driver alone. Walk-ons and cyclists pay nothing at all.
Payment is cash only. Credit and debit cards are not accepted on board or at the office, the detail most likely to catch out a first-time rider.
| Car, including passengers | $ 16 |
| Side-by-side ATV, two or more rows of seats | $ 16 |
| Dual-wheel pickup | $ 16 |
| Motorcycle, snowmobile, moped, golf cart or riding mower | $ 8 |
| Pedestrian | Free |
| Bicycle | Free |
| One-axle trailer, one wheel each side | $ 10 |
| Each additional axle | $ 10 |
| First rear axle, in addition to the front axle | $ 40 |
| Each additional rear axle | $ 40 |
| Gas truck, one axle | $ 50 |
| Book of 20 tickets | $ 200 |
Current rates and charges as published by Champion's Auto Ferry, read on September 24, 2026 Champion's Auto Ferry — Rates · 2026-09-24
Pointe Tremble Road on the mainland, North Channel Drive on the island
No street number is published for either landing, so the two highways are the reliable way to find them.
Mainland landing, Pointe Tremble Road (M-29)
The mainland side is on Pointe Tremble Road, which is state highway M-29 as it runs along the North Channel just outside Algonac. The company's published address, 3647 Pointe Tremble Rd., is on the same road, and its office there keeps weekday hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Tickets and 20-ticket books can be bought at that office or on board, in cash. The map marker here is placed on M-29 opposite the island landing; the company does not publish coordinates of its own.
Island landing, M-154 at North Channel Drive
On the island, the ramp is where state highway M-154 begins. The federal road census shows it running south from the landing across Harsens Island, so the first thing off the boat is a numbered state route with no connection to any other.
Tickets are sold on board as well as at the mainland office, so a trip that starts on the island side is paid for on the boat, in cash, like any other.
Across the North Channel, from M-29 to M-154
The crossing links two state highways across one arm of the St. Clair River: M-29 on the Clay Township shore and M-154 on the island. It is river water, with levels that change enough for the operator to write them into its vehicle rules, rather than open lake.
Getting onto a boat that hardly ever stops
- Bring cash, not a card
Cards are not accepted at all, on board or at the office. A round trip for a car is $16.00, so have exact-ish change ready before you pull on.
- The 20-ticket book
At $200 for 20 tickets the book works out at $10 a crossing. It is sold at the office and on board, also for cash.
- After midnight, every half hour
Service thins to one sailing every 30 minutes between midnight and 5 a.m., so a late return can mean a short wait at the ramp.
- Heavy loads have written rules
The limit is 60,000 lb gross and 76 ft between front and rear wheels. Dump trucks with more than two rear axles and gravel trains are refused, and flatbeds are held to 10 pallets.
- Low cars ride at the owner's risk
The company takes no responsibility if a low-slung car is scraped on the ramp. Check your clearance before you commit to the ramp.
- Alerts come through the county
Champion's posts service alerts through St. Clair County's WINS notification system rather than a timetable page. Sign up before a winter trip.
A numbered state road that only a boat reaches
Harsens Island is part of Clay Township in St. Clair County, and it has something most islands without a bridge lack: a state highway. The federal road census maps M-154 from the ferry landing across the island, which makes the landing the start of a numbered state road that is only reachable by boat. On the mainland, the ramp sits on M-29, so a trip to the island is one state highway to another with a private ferry in between.
Whether that is the right arrangement is a live question on the island. The Harsens Island Transportation Authority, a volunteer body formed in 1997 and charged by Clay Township residents with planning an alternative way across, put an operating millage on the February 27, 2024 ballot to fund studies toward a publicly funded second ferry, and notes that the North Channel once had three ferry operations. For now, Champion's is the crossing. The Madeline Island ferry, far to the northwest, shows how differently a Lake Superior island has to plan once winter arrives.
Harsens Island crossing questions, answered from Champion's own pages
Is the Harsens Island ferry called Champion's, Champion or something else?
The company's own site, hiferry.com, uses Champion's Auto Ferry; its rates page also says Champion Auto Ferry, and island groups shorten it to Champion Ferry. They are all the same private operator, based at 3647 Pointe Tremble Rd. in Algonac.
Does the $16 fare cover everyone in the car, both ways?
Yes. The fare is listed as car (including passengers), and every Champion's fare is a round trip. One $16.00 payment covers the vehicle and its occupants over and back.
Why do I need cash for this crossing?
Because the company does not take credit or debit cards at all at the moment. Tickets and ticket books are sold on board or at the office for cash only.
Does anything sail between midnight and 5 a.m.?
Yes. The published schedule runs continuously from 5 a.m. to midnight and every 30 minutes from midnight to 5 a.m., seven days a week.
On foot or on a bike, what is the fare?
Nothing. Champion's charges no fare for pedestrians or bicycles, though it notes that non-paying passengers travel at their own risk.
How big a truck will Champion's take across?
Up to 60,000 lb gross, and no more than 76 ft from front to rear wheels. Dump trucks with more than two rear axles are refused, dump trucks towing trailers must be empty, and all limits can change without notice if the water level changes.
Where does Champion's announce a delay or a closure?
Through St. Clair County's Warning Information Notification System, WINS, which the company links from its home page. The office on Pointe Tremble Road answers (810) 748-3757 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.