April is the Pere Marquette’s final strong steelhead window before summer, with fresh fish, active spawners, and dropbacks all present in the same reaches through late April. The river runs unregulated from Baldwin to Ludington — no dams, no managed flow — and sits in the mid-to-upper 40s (48.6°F at the upper-river M-37 sensor this year) during a typical mid-April morning. The productive water is almost all walk-and-wade, concentrated between M-37 and Reek Road, and the last real push of the run ends as the Michigan trout opener begins on April 25.
When to Go and What the River Is Doing
The Pere Marquette’s April steelhead window runs from the first week of the month through the Michigan trout opener on Saturday, April 25. Fresh fish continue pushing in from Lake Michigan, colored-up spawners are working gravel in reaches that have it, and dropbacks are holding in deeper current and eating streamers.
Current conditions read like a healthy, pushy April. The USGS Scottville gauge (USGS 04122500) showed 1,330 cfs on April 12, above the historical 75th percentile (1,290 cfs) but well below the 86-year max (2,510 cfs). The Trout Unlimited M-37 sensor in the upper river logged 48.6°F the same morning. A late-March cold snap dropped lower-river temperatures to 32–33°F for two days before the system rebounded, which explains why the run is compressed and still arriving rather than spread evenly across the month.
A local operational note: the Scottville gauge can be misleading for walk-and-wade anglers upstream. The upper river can run clear above the Big South confluence while the lower river is still stained from an overnight event. For current conditions, call Baldwin Bait & Tackle at 231-745-3529 — the shop is the local clearing-house for flow, color, and shuttle logistics.
Access Points, Segments, and Regulations
The Michigan DNR divides the mainstem into four creel survey segments that map directly onto named access points. For a walk-and-wade Pere Marquette April steelhead trip, these are the reaches to know:
- PM396 (M-37 to Gleason’s Landing) — Flies-only, catch-and-release. Highest catch rate and highest pressure.
- PM397 (Gleason’s to Rainbow Rapids) — Gear-legal, often less crowded, solid pressure-relief option.
- PM398 (Rainbow Rapids to Reek Road) — Highest trout/salmon harvest, second-highest catch rate.
- PM399 (Reek Road to Old US-31) — Broader water, generally better suited to float fishing.
Primary walk-and-wade access points (all with published lat/long on Outdoor Michigan) include M-37 Bridge, Green Cottage, Gleason’s Landing, Bowman Bridge, and Rainbow Rapids. USFS access sites require a Recreation Pass. A Watercraft Permit is required only between Memorial Day and Labor Day — not an April concern. The 2026 Michigan fishing license is $26 resident / $76 nonresident (each with a $1 surcharge) or $10 daily.
One regulation anglers frequently miss: the 2026 Michigan rulebook explicitly states that “a bead is not a fly and is not allowed in flies only gear restricted waters.” Effective bead sizes this spring run 8–14mm — useful in PM397–PM399 and illegal in PM396.
Flies and Rigs That Actually Match April Conditions
Eggs and salmon fry are the dominant non-hatch drivers. Local shop reports from early April describe trout “gobbling up eggs and salmon fry,” with a few fish looking up to black stones (sizes 10–14) and the first Blue-Winged Olives. Productive egg colors in stained-to-tea water include pale orange, bright orange, chartreuse, and “clown” combinations. Other April producers include PM Blondes, egg-sucking leeches, and hex/wiggler nymphs. The Hendrickson window (Ephemerella subvaria) typically opens in late April, right at the trout opener.
For rigs, local guide guidance gives usable specifics. An indicator rig on the Pere Marquette’s 2–4-foot depths runs a 9-foot leader (excluding tippet) with 3.5–4 feet of tippet to a single fly, and a weight setup calibrated so the shot rides just above the bottom, only touching occasionally. Most anglers use more weight than the river requires. A 9.5-foot rod works; a 10-foot single-hand or 11-foot switch is better for line control.
The Last Push
The productive, legal, and ethical answer in April is to target fresh fish and staging fish in pools and runs near — but not on — active gravel. Drifting weighted rigs through visible redds produces mostly foul-hooked fish and is inconsistent with Trout Unlimited, NOAA Fisheries, and Fly Fishers International ethics guidance. The fishing is better off the gravel anyway. The run won’t outlast April by much.
4. FAQ
When is the best time to fish steelhead on the Pere Marquette in April?
The most productive window runs from the first week of April through the Michigan trout opener on April 25. Fresh fish, spawners, and dropbacks are all present in mixed cohorts, and early hatches begin in late April. After the opener, steelhead fishing overlaps with the beginning of classic spring mayfly fishing.
Is the Pere Marquette’s flies-only section less crowded than the gear water?
No. The 2011 Michigan DNR creel survey found that PM396 — the flies-only reach from M-37 to Gleason’s Landing — had both the highest total catch per hour and the highest angler-hours per mile of any segment on the river. Flies-only water concentrates proficient anglers, not solitude. Expect company near access points.
Are beads legal in the Pere Marquette flies-only water?
No. The 2026 Michigan fishing regulations explicitly state that “a bead is not a fly and is not allowed in flies only gear restricted waters.” Beads remain legal and effective in PM397–PM399 (Gleason’s downstream to Old US-31), with common sizes running 8–14mm. In PM396, use legal constructs — egg flies, yarn eggs, and tied patterns.
Do I need a special permit to fish the Pere Marquette in April?
You need a 2026 Michigan fishing license ($26 resident / $76 nonresident plus $1 surcharge, or $10 daily) valid through March 31, 2027. Several USFS access points — Green Cottage, Gleason’s, Bowman Bridge, Rainbow Rapids, Maple Leaf, Indian Bridge — require a USFS Recreation Pass. The Watercraft Permit is required only between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
What flies should I bring for an April Pere Marquette trip?
Bring egg patterns in pale orange, bright orange, chartreuse, and “clown” combinations; salmon fry patterns; black stoneflies in sizes 10–14; PM Blondes; egg-sucking leeches; and hex or wiggler nymphs. Add early Hendrickson nymphs and emergers for the late-April crossover window. For the flies-only section, keep egg imitations to tied constructs — yarn, tied egg flies — not beads.
