Pere Marquette River
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Brown trout water; 3 stockings on the 2026 record, all in April. One of 5 stocked waters on the Mason County record. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Mason County · Michigan · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brown trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked Oct 14.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28 | Brown trout | adult | 3,300 | completed |
| Apr 28 | Brown trout | adult | 2,400 | completed |
| Apr 28 | Brown trout | adult | 5,200 | completed |
When to fish Pere Marquette River
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:24 am-12:24 pm and 10:47 pm-12:47 am | 4:41-5:41 am and 4:55-5:55 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:10 am-1:10 pm | 5:52-6:52 am and 5:16-6:16 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Apr 28
- Flow near normal for the season
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Michigan fishing forecast
Getting on the water
| Access point | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| US-31 | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| Walhalla Road Bridge | boat ramp | Recreation Passport required · accessible facilities |
| Scottville Riverside Park | carry-in launch | Recreation Passport required |
Access points from the Michigan DNR boating access inventory. Ramps, fees, and hours change; check before towing a boat a long way.
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (brown trout stocked 3 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
| Drifted bait | single salmon egg or half a crawler under light split shot, rolled along the bottom |
| Small jerkbaits | floating minnows in the 2 to 3 inch class for the deeper bends |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Big Sable River | 5.9 mi | May 13 |
| Hackert (Crystal) Lake | 7.1 mi | Jun 2 |
| Hamlin Lake | 8.4 mi | Jun 2 |
| Pentwater River | 12 mi | Apr 29 |
| Big S Br Pere Marquette River | 13 mi | Apr 29 |
Follow Mason County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule