Fly Fishing
Veterans call it “The PM”—the Pere Marquette River, a designated National Wild and Scenic River. The PM empties into Pere Marquette Lake and extends 66 miles East, and boasts a flies-only section that attracts fly fisherman from all over the world every spring and fall.
Some anglers like the Middle Branch—only about 25 feet wide, with a bottom composed of sand, gravel, and silt. Assisted by boulders, fallen trees, and sharp bends, the Middle Branch offers seams and holding water for resident brown trout, which can reach up to twenty inches in this area of the river. If you’re looking for a peaceful day without a lot of other people around, the Middle Branch should be your starting point.
The main river is much larger, and has a special-regulations area about eight miles long: artificial flies only, catch and release. This is one of the most popular areas of the river. The water has classic pools, riffles, and runs to hold large trout and steelhead extremely well. If you’re into wading, the upper regulations area is great for that. The lower regulations area near Gleason’s Landing is deeper and much faster.
The potential of Gleason’s Landing is huge. It’s not uncommon to snare a 15-pound steelhead by drifting a black stonefly nymph behind a fallen tree. With very deep pools, strong runs, and riffles, Gleason’s Landing lends itself to whatever you want to do—wade, float fish, drift egg patterns—and will produce results. Wading will put you into some of the best steelhead and trout water in Michigan, although you need to wade carefully, especially below Gleason’s Landing, because the volume and depth of the river grows.
The PM is world-famous for its trout, steelhead, and salmon fisheries. Resident brown trout highlight the regular trout season in the Spring. In late summer, salmon join in and provide great angling through mid-fall. In early fall, acrobatic steelhead make their way from Lake Michigan and provide outstanding fly fishing throughout the winter and into the spring.
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