Share your catch

Pere Marquette River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The flies-only classic: wild steelhead, fall kings and Michigan's most storied trout water.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
468 cfs
Air / High
78 / 78 F
Wind
S 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04122500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Pere Marquette River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 468 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 78. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutExcellent

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 77 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from PERE MARQUETTE RIVER AT SCOTTVILLE, MI.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04122500.

412436459468 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low78 / 68 F
WindS 5-7 mph
Pressure1012.3 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 91%
Sunrise / Sunset07:12 / 20:16
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 78/68 F, wind 9 mph, rain 91%

Slow. High rain chance; fish the front edge before it arrives.

Species guide

The species that matter on Pere Marquette River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Pere Marquette River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Pere Marquette River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 80 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 83 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Michigan requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Flies-only/no-kill zone marked; seasonal hook rules; stamps required. Confirm with MDNR.

Access

Green Cottage, Gleason's, Bowman Bridge, Custer accesses; liveries in Baldwin.

About this water

Michigan's wild-run icon, Lake/Mason counties: unstocked steelhead and salmon in a Blue Ribbon trout stream.

Fishing Pere Marquette River: the full guide

The PM

The Pere Marquette is Michigan royalty: the first river stocked with browns in America (1884), a flies-only stretch that defines Midwest fly culture, wild steelhead that run October to April and salmon that own September. Small, intimate and endlessly readable: the connoisseur's river.

The flies-only heart

Green Cottage to Gleason's Landing runs fly-only, no-kill: the PM's soul. Wild steelhead winters, gray drake springs, hex nights in June, salmon Septembers: every month has a protagonist, and the river's size keeps it intimate: one good cast per lie.

Guides, drift and etiquette

PM drift boats run shuttle ballets in peak seasons: wade anglers pick weekday windows and side channels. The river's wild-fish emphasis (no stocking on the mainstem) makes handling ethics part of the culture: rubber nets, wet hands, quick pictures.

The flies-only sanctum

The PM's flies-only, no-kill stretch (M-37 to Gleason's Landing) is Michigan holy water: unbroken gravel where steelhead spawn in plain sight, salmon stack in September, and resident browns sip sulphurs on June evenings. No pellet-head hatchery vibe here: the river runs wild fish on wild gravel under century-old cedar sweepers. Book fall lodging a year out: the faithful reserve first.

Common questions

Why does everyone whisper about the PM?

Because it earned it: America's first brown trout, wild steelhead that never saw a truck, and a fly culture protective of both. Fish it once and you'll whisper too.

When are salmon in the Pere Marquette?

Kings enter late August and peak in September's gravel spectacle: the flies-only water fills accordingly. Steelhead follow the eggs by October: the two-month overlap is the river's high season.

Is fishing good at Pere Marquette River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Hamlin Lake7 miManistee River21 miBig Manistee River26 miLittle Manistee River31 miBetsie River48 miMuskegon River54 mi
Share your catch