Troutline

Pere Marquette River

Michigan·West Michigan·43.92° N, 85.80° W
Flow
523 CFS
Pere Marquette River at Scottville
Water Temp
—
Condition
Above Normal
Weather
66°F
Smoke
near Baldwin
Latest report: Baldwin Bait & Tackle · 8 days ago

Insights

Flow
523 CFS — wading range
Solid water for fishing.
Wind
Wind 2 mph — calm
Easy casting and clean surface presentations.

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.

Fishing Reports

Latest reports from local fly shops

Baldwin Bait & Tackle · Baldwin8 days ago
July 8, 2026

“Great time for an awesome cause!! Come on out and once again, I can’t thank you enough from the bottom of our hearts for making our 30th year anniversary at the shop possible!! Without each and everyone of you we wouldn’t exist and the same goes for entities like the Pere…”

Read full report at Baldwin Bait & Tackle
Baldwin Bait & Tackle · Baldwin2 weeks ago
July 1, 2026

“Hey guys, Happy Fourth of July!! As many of you know, here at BBT we are proud to share the same anniversary as our nation and while this year marks our 250th year as the USA it also marks BBT’s 30th year in business having officially opened our doors to the public on July 4th…”

Read full report at Baldwin Bait & Tackle
Baldwin Bait & Tackle · Baldwin3 weeks ago
June 24, 2026

“Shop Hours 8am – 6pm Daily There are still opportunities to join our team…. BBT Fly & Tackle Shop is seeking full and/or Part Time Retail Sales Associates “It’s the shop environment, spending time with quality like-minded individuals, talking hunting and fishing all day…,…”

Read full report at Baldwin Bait & Tackle

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.

Ideal wading flow300–700 CFS
Blow-out>1,200 CFS
Ideal water temp50–62°F

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.

Sections

4 sections on this river

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.

Regulations

Current fishing rules and restrictions

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.

Access & Logistics

Getting there, fly shops, and lodging

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

Camping & Lodging

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.

Conditions data is live from public monitoring networks. Regulations change annually — always verify current rules with your state fish & wildlife agency before fishing.

More in Michigan

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West Michigan

Lower Manistee RiverMI

The big migratory tailwater below Tippy Dam near Wellston — thousands of Lake Michigan steelhead, Chinook, and coho stack under the dam, drawing spey swingers and drift boats fall through spring, over a resident 20-inch-plus brown trout fishery in the cold water up top.

Muskegon RiverMI

West Michigan's do-everything tailwater below Croton Dam — cold, steady Consumers Energy releases hold wild browns and rainbows up top while some of the Great Lakes' heaviest steelhead and king-salmon runs stack the length of it. A big drift-boat river and Midwest spey destination, famous for its Gray Drake hatch.

Rogue RiverMI

A Grand River tributary running through Rockford just north of Grand Rapids, split by the Rockford Dam into two fisheries: Lake Michigan steelhead and salmon stack in the lower seven miles, while wild browns, rainbows, and brook trout hold in the small trout water above. Coldest, best trout water sits near Rockford; the lower river warms to marginal in midsummer.

Other regions

Au Sable RiverMI

The spring-fed river American trout conservation was born on — Trout Unlimited was founded on its banks in 1959, and the flies-only, catch-and-release "Holy Water" below Grayling still grows wild browns and brookies. It's a match-the-hatch dry-fly river whose signature event is the after-dark Hexagenia hatch in late June.

Boardman RiverMI

A spring-fed wild-trout river running from the Forks down to West Grand Traverse Bay in downtown Traverse City — also known as the Ottaway River. It's the water the Adams dry fly was born on, and after one of the Midwest's largest dam-removal projects it runs free again from the headwaters to the bay: wild brook trout up top, heavy browns and a famous night Hex hatch in the middle, and a lower reach that warms into steelhead and salmon water.

Jordan RiverMI

Michigan's first designated Natural River (1972) — a small, cold, spring-fed brook-trout stream running the protected Jordan Valley to Lake Charlevoix. Technical, tight-canopy wade water up top for native brookies, a float below Graves Crossing for the Hex and its biggest browns, and lake-run fish in the lower river.

Pigeon RiverMI

The Pigeon threads the wildest country in Michigan's Lower Peninsula — the 106,000-acre Pigeon River Country State Forest, home of the state's elk herd. A cold, spring-fed, tannin-tinted stream holding wild brook, brown, and rainbow trout, it fishes small and technical up top and opens to lake-run browns near Mullett Lake. Blue Ribbon and Natural River water.

Pine RiverMI

The fastest trout river in the northern Lower Peninsula — a cold, gravel-bottomed freestone that drops roughly seven feet per mile above Tippy Dam. Everything in it is wild: two strains of brown, headwater brook trout, and an unusual population of acrobatic McCloud-strain rainbows. A National Scenic River, and one of Michigan's busiest summer canoe runs, so fish it early, late, or after Labor Day. Trout season only — closed October 1 through late April.

South Branch Au Sable RiverMI

The wild, walkable half of the Au Sable's trout branches — roughly 14 miles of protected public frontage through the George Mason Tract, flies-only catch-and-release, with the signature after-dark Hex hatch and wild browns and brookies.