The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan in the United States. The main stream of this river is 63.9 mi long, running from Lake County south of Baldwin into the Pere Marquette Lake, and from there into Lake Michigan. This river is named after the French Roman Catholic missionary Jacques Marquette, who explored the Great Lakes and Mississippi River areas during the mid-17th century. He died in the vicinity of the river in spring 1675 on his way from Chicago to the French fort at Mackinaw.

National Wild and Scenic River designation

The upper portion of the Pere Marquette runs approximately 44 mi from the forks of the Little South and Middle Branches downstream to highway M-37. In 1978, 66 mi of the river was designated a National Scenic River. This section begins near Baldwin at the junction of the Little South and Middle Branches and continues until the river meets U.S. Highway 31 in Scottville.

Sport fishing

The Pere Marquette River is designated a Blue Ribbon fishery.

Wildlife

This river's original native fish was the Grayling, but due to deforestation after the great Chicago Fire, they disappeared from the river. It was then stocked with rainbow trout in 1876. In 1884, the Baldwin River, a major tributary, became the first American river to ever be stocked with European brown trout fish, which were imported from Germany, and is why they are referred to by some as German Brown Trout.

Other animal species living along this river

Crossings