Pere Marquette River

The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Its main stem is about 64 miles long. It begins in Lake County south of Baldwin and flows west through Lake and Mason counties into Pere Marquette Lake at Ludington, and from there into Lake Michigan. The river drains a basin of 740 square miles that also reaches Newaygo and Oceana counties. Its tributaries include the Middle Branch, Little South Branch, Big South Branch and Baldwin River. With no dams or impoundments, it is the longest unregulated river system in the Lower Peninsula. In 1978, 66 miles of the river were designated a National Scenic River, running from the junction of the Middle and Little South branches down to U.S. Highway 31. It is also a Michigan Natural River.

The Huron-Manistee National Forests manage the federal river access sites, including Green Cottage, Rainbow Rapids, Bowman Bridge, Gleason's Landing, Upper Branch Bridge, Lower Branch Bridge and Indian Bridge. Further downstream, launches at M-37, Walhalla Road Bridge, Scottville and US 31 are run by the state or the city. From the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Monday, every watercraft needs a permit between the Forks and Indian Bridge, including tubes and stand-up paddleboards. Launching and retrieving are limited to 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Motorized vessels are not allowed upstream of Indian Bridge on National Forest land, and glass and foam containers are prohibited on the river. Each spring, the Pere Marquette Watershed Council organizes a float to clear fallen trees and keep the channel passable.

The river supports resident trout and runs of steelhead and salmon. From M-37 to Gleason's Landing, fishing is catch-and-release with flies only. In 1884 the Pere Marquette system became the site of the first brown trout stocking in the United States.