Share your catch
US

Pere Marquette River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Pere Marquette: a free-flowing Wild and Scenic river from Baldwin to Ludington, with a flies-only, no-kill reach and self-sustaining steelhead and salmon runs.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
503 cfs
Air / High
58 / 65 F
Wind
SE 6 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Pere Marquette River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 503 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SE around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1027 hPa and a high of 65. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:20 AM-12:20 PM and 10:50 PM-12:50 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

SteelheadGood

Main tributary season: fish seams, pool heads and tails and structure with drifted eggs, beads, nymphs or streamers, and plan trips around rising or falling water.

Tomorrow: Similar at 66 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Michigan requires a fishing licence from age 17, from $26.00 for residents. What a Michigan licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing steelhead here? Check the size and bag limits with DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Michigan, read off the agency, are on the Michigan seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from PERE MARQUETTE RIVER AT SCOTTVILLE, MI.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04122500.

451514576503 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 87 years of October 23

At 503 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 04122500 (PERE MARQUETTE RIVER AT SCOTTVILLE, MI) is at the 33rd percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 87 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 577 cfs; the highest was 1,310 cfs and the lowest 386 cfs.

p10 429median 577p90 920

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 04122500; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp58 F
High / Low65 / 41 F
WindSE 6-8 mph
Pressure1026.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain38% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset08:09 / 18:48
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Pere Marquette River this week

The best day on Pere Marquette River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:20 AM-12:20 PM and 10:50 PM-12:50 AM
Minor period
4:42 AM-5:42 AM
Sun
08:09 to 18:48
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 7 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

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

Great Lakes tributaries from fall through spring; West Coast rivers have both summer and winter runs

Steelhead are rainbow trout that migrate to the Pacific or the Great Lakes to grow, then return up rivers to spawn; unlike most Pacific salmon they can survive spawning and spawn again. Main tributary season: fish seams, pool heads and tails and structure with drifted eggs, beads, nymphs or streamers, and plan trips around rising or falling water.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

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
Brown trout
Rainbow trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Brown trout led the card at excellent. High of 66 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Steelhead led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Steelhead led the card at excellent. High of 66 F, wind to 6 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

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

Michigan fishing license. 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations: M-37 to Gleason's Landing is artificial flies only, open all year, with no possession except 1 fish of 8-12 inches for children under 12; special artificial lure regulations apply on all waters of the Pere Marquette. Read the digest for the reaches below Gleason's Landing.

Access

Watercraft permits are required from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend to launch or retrieve at Forest Service access sites (watercraft hours 9 a.m.-6 p.m.), through Recreation.gov. Camping on National Forest land in the corridor is at designated sites only; Forest Service access sites are plowed in winter.

About this water

Wild and Scenic river (66.4 Scenic miles) in Lake and Mason counties, MI. Flow on this page comes from USGS gauge 04122500, Pere Marquette River at Scottville.

Fishing Pere Marquette River: the full guide

A free-flowing river

Rivers.gov describes the Pere Marquette system as rising east of Baldwin and reaching Lake Michigan at Ludington, the longest river system in the Lower Peninsula with no dams or impoundments. On Nov. 10, 1978, 66.4 miles from the junction of the Middle and Little South branches to US 31 were designated Scenic; the Huron-Manistee National Forest manages the corridor.

The fishery

The river supports a self-sustaining resident trout fishery and runs of salmon and steelhead from Lake Michigan. It was the site of the first brown trout introduction in the United States, in 1884, and rainbow trout planted in 1885 became a self-sustaining steelhead population. The only salmon stocking in the system took place in Ruby Creek in 1967, and salmon now reproduce naturally. The river from Reek Road up to Switzer Bridge on the Middle Branch is a designated Blue Ribbon trout stream.

The flies-only reach

Michigan's 2026 regulations make the 8.5 miles from M-37 to the downstream edge of the boat ramp at Gleason's Landing, in Lake County, flies-only and no-kill all year; only children under 12 may keep 1 trout or salmon, from 8 to 12 inches. Below Gleason's Landing other gear-restricted and Type 4 rules apply, and on all Pere Marquette waters an artificial lure is defined as a body bait, plug, spinner or spoon.

Common questions

Was the Pere Marquette the first brown trout river in the US?

Rivers.gov says the first brown trout introduction in the United States took place on the Pere Marquette in 1884.

Can I keep fish in the flies-only water?

No. From M-37 to Gleason's Landing the possession season is closed all year, except that children under 12 may keep 1 trout or salmon from 8 to 12 inches.

Is the Pere Marquette stocked with salmon?

Rivers.gov records a single salmon stocking in the system, in Ruby Creek in 1967; salmon now reproduce naturally in the river.

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: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Hamlin Lake10 miBig Manistee River22 miLittle Manistee River23 miMuskegon River47 miBetsie River47 miPlatte River53 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 04122500 — PERE MARQUETTE RIVER AT SCOTTVILLE, MI
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 16:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.9450, -86.2787 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.