Michigan, USA
The Pere Marquette is a free-flowing river system running from east of Baldwin toward Lake Michigan at Ludington. Its resident trout and migratory salmon and steelhead fisheries share a river corridor with paddlers and private landowners. Choose the reach first, then plan access and tackle.
Sources reviewed October 8, 2026. This is a planning guide, not a live fishing report, legal regulation digest, or confirmation that a ramp or facility is open today. Dated notices are historical unless explicitly stated otherwise. Check current operator notices and fishing rules before travel. Official source links are non-affiliate links.
The Forest Service identifies Gleason’s Landing as a back-in access for canoeing, kayaking and boating, with parking for 40 vehicles and vault toilets. Motors are prohibited on this stretch. The access page describes year-round use unless otherwise posted, but that does not guarantee safe flows, an unobstructed launch or a fishable river on your date. Check its active restrictions before departure.
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers profile identifies M-37 to Gleason’s Landing as flies-only, catch-and-release water. Do not extend that description to every downstream reach, or assume tackle legal elsewhere can be used here. Match your put-in, take-out and fishing location to the current Michigan DNR fishing regulations before rigging a rod. A river-access permit and a fishing licence serve different purposes.
Recreation.gov requires permits for all watercraft, including tubes and paddleboards, between Forks and Indian Bridge during the summer permit period. Its published 2026 calendar is May 22–September 7; these dates must not be reused for another year. Reservations are organised by three river segments, and a same-day multi-segment trip requires selecting every intended segment before booking. The permit page lists watercraft hours of 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; check the current rules for your trip rather than assuming a 24-hour access listing overrides them.
Much of the corridor is privately owned. Use signed public sites for rest stops, and arrange your take-out and shuttle before launching. National Forest corridor camping is limited to designated sites, not any convenient bank. The river profile confirms resident trout plus salmon and steelhead runs from Lake Michigan, but does not establish a peak week for your trip. Our recommendation is to check current flows and access conditions rather than build an itinerary around a guaranteed run or catch.
Explore the species guides for fish recorded at Pere Marquette River:
Check FishFinder's regulation records for rules that apply at Pere Marquette River: