Pere Marquette River Tidbits

Pere Marquette River below Indian Bridge (photo by jhy)

compiled from several sources

The Pere Marquette River flows from near Baldwin, Michigan, to Lake Michigan at Ludington. It is designated as a Wild and Scenic River between the junction of the Middle and Little South Branches to Scottville Road, a distance of 66 miles. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 preserves certain rivers which have outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

Its watershed encompasses 755 square miles, and 380 miles of streams. It is the only completely free-flowing river in the Lake Michigan watershed. Brown trout from Germany were stocked in the Baldwin River, a tributary, in 1883. These were the first brown trout in the United States. The cool river continues to be an excellent trout stream, for both rainbow and browns.

Pere Marquette watershed (graphic by the USDA Forest Service)

The first universally designed access on the Pere Marquette has been installed at Custer Bridge, as a result of grants from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the Great Lakes Fishery Trust. An accessible latrine has also been added at this site.

After logging in the early 20th century stripped the banks, the river was once labeled "dead." As the Manistee National Forest was established in 1939, many reforestation projects were undertaken, and the river began to recover. Now, many agencies and organizations work together to protect the river. For example, the Lake County Road Commission has installed open-bottom culverts on some tributaries to better provide for the health of fish and aquatic wildlife.

The river is named for Jacques Marquette a Roman Catholic priest and explorer who traveled extensively in West Michigan in the 1600s. His traditional death location is near the mouth of the river, although his final grave is now located in St. Ignace.

The Wild and Scenic River designation means that the waterway will be kept in as pristine condition as possible. It does mean that permits are required to be on the water in the designated segment between the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend. Watercraft hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

An additional consequence of the designation is that it is unlikely the North Country Trail will ever have a single-use footbridge across the river. The crossing is now accomplished at Upper Branch Bridge on South Branch Road, and requires a short road walk to reconnect with off-road trail.

The Pere Marquette is popular with paddlers, anglers, and campers (at designated sites).

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Lake Michigan Fisheries Advisory - Isaac Walton League Participation

composite photo from Michigan Ikes

excerpted from The Ike's Newsletter, Feb 2011, used with permission
by John Stegmeier

I attended the Lake Michigan Fisheries Citizens Advisory Board meeting on October 25th, representing the DLC/IWLA. At the meeting, the DNRE discussed low numbers of steelhead returning to the Little Manistee River, which is our only source of eggs for hatchery-reared steelhead. They plan to stock the Platte River with steelhead in order to establish a run on that river, since there is a weir in place for collecting salmon eggs. This would allow the state to have two sources of spawning fish in case the run on the Little Manistee falls below levels needed to support our hatchery program. They expect to plant 20,000 smolts in the Platte River to achieve this goal.

Since each great lake receives a portion of the smolts from the hatchers, the DNRE asked our [Michigan Issac Walton League] opinion as to how many the individual lakes should contribute. There were several scenarios they presented, including: all from Lake Michigan, all lakes contribute but heavily supported by Lake Michigan, or, all contribute in levels which represent the percentage that are stocked in that lake. I suggested that we recommend the option where all basins contribute but Lake Michigan contributes a greater proportion. The Lake Michigan basin receives the most steelhead so our contribution will be greatest, and 20,000 fish spread out over several streams will not be a substantial loss.

These fish will also be planted into the Platte River which is in the Lake Michigan basin so if the other lakes contribute any smolts there will be a net gain for Lake Michigan. Following this piece of logic one could argue that Lake Michigan should provide all of the smolts. However I would contend that all of the lakes benefit from a more robust hatchery system and that the other lake basins could make a more modest contribution.

We did not come to a consensus on this decision, which left the recommendation up to our chairman, Denny Grinold. He decided that the recommendation would be Option 2 (inequitable allocation with the Lake Michigan Basin responsible for 15,000 steelhead (75%) of the request. The remaining 5,000 fish would come from Lake Huron (2,800), Lake Erie (1,200) and Lake Superior (5%). The Lake Huron Citizen Fishery Advisory Committee also supported Option 2 in an earlier meeting. The Lake Erie and Lake Superior Committees will also be engaged in this discussion and then the Division will make a decision.

See Dwight Lydell Chapter of the Issac Walton League
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Need Fish? Fish Day is May 7- Place Orders Now

a news release of Mason-Lake Conservation District

Do you have a pond, large or small, you would like to stock with fish? We will be holding a Fish Sale through Harrietta Hills Trout Farm again this year. They will be taking the orders for fish prior to the distribution date of May 7th. Available fish include Rainbow Trout, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Yellow Perch & Fathead Minnows

Stocking of Michigan Public Waters will require a permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and is the responsibility of the customer. Some Private Ponds with a permanent inflow or outflow also require a permit. Determination of the necessity of a permit and obatining a permit are the responsibility of the customer.

Phone your orders to Harrietta Hills Toll Free 1-877-389-2514 at least 3 days before the Fish Day Event. Fish may be picked up at the Mason-Lake Conservation District, Scottville, MI, 10am-1 pm on May 7.

Minimum order: 25 for any species. We provide Oxygen Bags and Oxygen to transport your fish home. It helps if you bring one five-gallon bucket for every 25 fish that you order to set the bags in. Cash or checks only will be accepted at the Fish Day Event.

See Mason-Lake Conservation District
See Harrietta Hills Trout Farm
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Guide to Great Lakes Fishes Now Available

if you like this article, click the Blip chiclet!
from Michigan Sea Grant

How can you definitively tell the difference between freshwater fishes? Use this handy, waterproof guide for successful fish identification. This full-color guide features 62 beautiful illustrations of the most commonly found fish in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes are home to an impressive variety of fishes. The Guide to Great Lakes Fishes describes sixty-two of the region's most commonly found species, from giants like the Lake Sturgeon to minnows and shiners

Each profile includes quick facts about distribution, diet, behavior and conservation status. Informative essays on the natural history, adaptations, and characteristics of Great Lakes fishes are also covered. Also included are detailed diagrams of the Great Lakes food chain.

Both the soft cover (waterproof paper) and a limited edition hard cover are available from Michigan Sea Grant. The waterproof copy sells for $22.

Explore Fishes, Plants, Rocks and More- Choose either the Guide to Great Lakes Fishes (new) the Guide to Great Lakes Coastal Plants or the Lake Michigan Rock-pickers Guide and receive a free invasive species notepad.

See Michigan Sea Grant store
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