Michigan

Pere Marquette River

Michigan·West Michigan·43.92° N, 85.80° W

Solunar · next 7 days

About Pere Marquette River

The Pere Marquette — the "PM" to everyone who fishes it — is the river most Michigan fly anglers point to when they explain what makes the state's trout water special. It runs free and undammed for roughly 64 miles out of Lake County, spring-fed and cold, from the junction of the Middle Branch and Little South Branch near Baldwin down toward Ludington. Since 1978 the mainstem below the forks has been a federally designated National Wild & Scenic River. The upper river is a resident wild brown trout fishery of real quality: the browns here descend from the first German brown trout ever stocked in North America, planted in the Baldwin River tributary in 1884. Below that, the PM is one of the Midwest's premier migratory rivers — spring and fall steelhead, a heavy fall Chinook run, and a smaller coho push — and it carries a piece of Great Lakes salmon history, widely cited as an epicenter of Michigan's 1966-67 Chinook introduction that launched the modern west-side salmon fishery (the documented in-river plant was Ruby Creek in 1967).

The crown jewel is the 8.5-mile "Flies-Only Water" from the M-37 bridge down to Gleason's Landing — artificial flies only, catch-and-release, all species, all year. It's classic Michigan trout water: 30-50 feet wide, clear over gravel, with deep bends and the log jams the PM is famous for. The river is a maze of downed timber, which makes it fishy and makes it a genuine hazard to float, so the traditional approach is a low-profile drift boat that can thread the jams, though much of it wades. Wild browns average 10-14 inches with legitimate 20-inch fish present, and the fishing is technical and sight-driven on flat, spring-creek currents. The hatch calendar is the draw — Hendricksons in late April, Sulphurs and the drakes through May and June, and the famous nighttime Hexagenia limbata (the "Michigan Caddis") that comes off in the last third of June and pulls the biggest browns up after dark. Below Gleason's the river opens up, warms, and turns into big-water float fishing through Bowman Bridge, Rainbow Rapids, Walhalla, and Custer down to Scottville, where the fall kings stack up late September into mid-October.

One data caveat matters here: the only live USGS gauge sits far downstream at Scottville, near the bottom of the reach, and it drains far more watershed than the upstream flies-only water. It over-reads for the M-37/Gleason's stretch, so treat its number as a trend and a big-water reading — a rising, off-color spike means a mud bump is coming — not as the literal CFS you'll be wading up top. There is no live gauge on the flies-only reach or the upper river, which is the key thing to know before you plan around flows. Baldwin (Lake County) is the hub, with a genuine fly-shop culture and an Orvis-endorsed lodge on the water; during the fall Chinook run and the spring steelhead peak the lower floats and the walk-in sites get crowded, and the flies-only water sees steady pressure on prime hatch evenings.

Species

Brown Trout
Primary · May-Jul, Sep-Oct · 10-14", to 20"+
The backbone of the flies-only water and a wild, resident population descended from the 1884 Baldwin River plant — the first brown trout stocked in North America. The biggest fish come up at night during the Hex and to streamers in May and fall.
Steelhead
Primary · Late Mar-Apr, Oct-Dec · 5-12 lb, to 15 lb+
The signature migratory fishery. Fall fish enter in mid-October and winter over; the spring run peaks late March into early April and stays fishable into May. Swung and nymphed on the lower float water.
Chinook Salmon (fall run)
Primary · Late Aug-mid-Oct · 8-25 lb, to 30 lb+
A heavy fall run — fish enter in mid-August and peak late September into October, naturally reproducing now. The lower river from Rainbow Rapids to Scottville fills with kings; big-fly streamer and indicator work.
Coho Salmon
Common · Mid-Oct-Dec · 4-10 lb
A smaller push than the kings, following them in through fall. First planted in the west-Michigan system in 1964.
Rainbow Trout
Present · May-Jul · 8-14"
Resident rainbows are present but secondary to the browns in the upper river; first stocked in 1876. Distinct from the lake-run steelhead of the lower river.
Brook Trout
Present · May-Jul · 6-10"
Native char, most likely in the coldest upper reaches and at spring-fed tributary mouths above the flies-only water. Incidental to the wild browns.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Brown Trout	Primary	May-Jul, Sep-Oct	10-14", to 20"+
Steelhead	Primary	Late Mar-Apr, Oct-Dec	5-12 lb, to 15 lb+
Chinook Salmon (fall run)	Primary	Late Aug-mid-Oct	8-25 lb, to 30 lb+
Coho Salmon	Common	Mid-Oct-Dec	4-10 lb
Rainbow Trout	Present	May-Jul	8-14"
Brook Trout	Present	May-Jul	6-10"

Sections

4 reaches

Lower River — Rainbow Rapids to Scottville (Salmon & Steelhead)

FloatSteelhead · Salmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The wide, lower-gradient migratory reach — deeper water, warmer in summer, and the bulk of the fall salmon holding water — running through Walhalla and Custer down to the Scottville gauge (USGS 04122500), the only live gauge on the river. Numerous float segments off Branch Bridge, Maple Leaf, Walhalla, Indian Bridge, and Custer Bridge. Big enough that a boat is the practical way to fish it.

Best for: Fall Chinook salmon and coho salmon, fall and spring steelhead, and lake-run brown trout on big-fly streamer and indicator-nymph work.

Gleason's Landing to Rainbow Rapids (Upper Float Water)

FloatSteelhead · Salmon · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

Below the flies-only line the river widens and transitions from pure trout water toward classic salmon and steelhead float water, though it still holds resident trout. Bowman Bridge and Rainbow Rapids are the key landmarks and general gear regulations apply. The Bowman-to-Rainbow-Rapids run is the most popular day float on the river, with wade access at the bridges and rapids.

Best for: Fall Chinook salmon and spring/fall steelhead on drift-boat floats, plus streamer fishing for brown trout and lake-run browns.

The Forks to M-37 (Upper Walk-Wade Water)

WadeBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The uppermost mainstem, from the junction of the Middle Branch and Little South Branch (the "Forks") down to the M-37 bridge, including the Baldwin River confluence at Baldwin. Small, cold, spring-fed water — narrow, gravel-bottomed, brushy, and heavily log-jammed. This is the wild-brown-trout heritage water, and it fishes with tight-quarters, small-stream tactics. General trout regulations apply here (not flies-only).

Best for: Resident wild brown trout and rainbow trout on the hatches — dry fly and nymph in intimate, technical water.

The Flies-Only Water — M-37 to Gleason's Landing (C&R)

Wade & FloatBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The 8.5-mile catch-and-release, artificial-flies-only stretch — the most famous reach on the river and one of the best-known trout waters in the Midwest. 30-50 feet wide, clear over gravel, with deep bends, riffles, and heavy log-jam cover — textbook wild brown trout habitat. Walk-in and boat access at M-37, Ledge Hole, Green Cottage, Clay Banks, and Gleason's Landing. Wadeable in much of it, but the traditional approach is a low-profile drift boat to cover water and manage the jams. The signature nighttime Hex hatch comes off here in late June.

Best for: Wild brown trout (avg 10-14", 20"+ present) on dry flies during the hatches, night Hex and mouse fishing, and streamers in May and fall.

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 300–700 cfs
Blow-out: >1,200 cfs
Ideal water temp: 50–62°F

Best seasons

Late May through early July is the marquee window — peak dry-fly season on the flies-only water, the Hendrickson-Sulphur-drake progression building to the after-dark Hex in late June. Late September through mid-October brings the fall Chinook run at full throttle plus the start of fall steelhead. Late March into April is the spring steelhead peak, and October through December carries fall steelhead and lake-run browns. The upper river stays cold and clear on groundwater year-round; the lower river warms in mid to late summer, pushing the trout game toward mornings, night Hex, and terrestrials. Note the CFS figures reference the downstream Scottville gauge, which over-reads for the upstream flies-only water — read it as a trend, not a literal wading depth up top.

Regulations

The 8.5 miles from the M-37 bridge downstream to Gleason's Landing is Michigan DNR gear-restricted, artificial-flies-only, catch-and-release water for all species, open all year (a Type 4 / gear-restricted designation under Fisheries Order FO-200). Outside that reach, general Michigan trout-stream regulations apply, with the Great Lakes migratory fishery for steelhead and salmon open year-round on the designated lower water.

Flies-Only C&R (M-37 bridge to Gleason's Landing, 8.5 mi): artificial flies only, catch-and-release, all species, all year. Zero-trout daily limit (children under 12 may keep one).
No bait or scented material may be used or possessed in or on the flies-only water. A bead is not a fly and is not permitted in the flies-only reach.
Artificial fly: wet/dry flies, streamers, or nymphs tied to the hook with thread, no spinner, spoon, lip, lure, or bait attached and no weight suspended below the hook.
Outside the flies-only reach: general Michigan trout-stream regulations apply; steelhead and salmon are open year-round on the designated migratory water.
Michigan all-species / annual fishing license required (age 17+).

Michigan designates trout reaches by gear type (Type 1 general through Type 4 flies-only C&R) and updates them annually, so the sign at the access point sets the rules, not the river as a whole. Confirm the flies-only boundaries and current-year type codes against DNR Fisheries Order FO-200 and on-stream signage before a trip. The mainstem below the forks is a National Wild & Scenic River (designated 1978).

Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Baldwin, MI

~1 hr NE of Grand Rapids (GRR, nearest major airport); ~30-40 min inland from Ludington; ~3.5 hrs NW of Detroit.

Fly shops

Baldwin Bait & TackleBaldwin
Ed's Sport ShopBaldwin

Camping: Bowman Bridge (a Manistee National Forest campground on the river) anchors the corridor, with additional USFS access sites, private canoe liveries, and campgrounds along the river. Baldwin Bait & Tackle and the Pere Marquette River Lodge both offer streamside lodging.

Extensive Manistee National Forest frontage with numbered access sites — M-37, Ledge Hole, Green Cottage, Clay Banks, Gleason's Landing on the flies-only water; Bowman Bridge, Rainbow Rapids, Walhalla, Custer, and Scottville below. No special river-use permit for wade/float fishing, but the flies-only reach is strictly regulated. The PM is a heavy log-jam river — floaters should be experienced or hire a guide.

Pere Marquette River

About Pere Marquette River

Species

Sections

Lower River — Rainbow Rapids to Scottville (Salmon & Steelhead)

Gleason's Landing to Rainbow Rapids (Upper Float Water)

The Forks to M-37 (Upper Walk-Wade Water)

The Flies-Only Water — M-37 to Gleason's Landing (C&R)

Fishing reports

More in Michigan

West Michigan

Lower Manistee River

Muskegon River

Rogue River

Other regions

Au Sable River

Boardman River

Jordan River

Pigeon River

Pine River

South Branch Au Sable River

Pere Marquette River

About Pere Marquette River

Species

Sections

Lower River — Rainbow Rapids to Scottville (Salmon & Steelhead)

Gleason's Landing to Rainbow Rapids (Upper Float Water)

The Forks to M-37 (Upper Walk-Wade Water)

The Flies-Only Water — M-37 to Gleason's Landing (C&R)

Fishing reports

More in Michigan

West Michigan

Lower Manistee River

Muskegon River

Rogue River

Other regions

Au Sable River

Boardman River

Jordan River

Pigeon River

Pine River

South Branch Au Sable River

Fishing conditions

Fishing conditions