Located in Brethren, Michigan, Premier Angling Guide Service is situated near several lakes, rivers, and streams near the Manistee National Forest. This includes the Manistee River, Pine River, Little Manistee River and Bear Creek. However, it’s the world-famous Pere Marquette River, which was the first river in America to be stocked with German Brown Trout back in the late 1880s, that sends so many fishermen into a frenzy when they call on us to be their fly fishing and light spin tackle guide service. The Pere Marquette River has even been designated as both a Natural River by the state of Michigan and a Blue Ribbon Fishery.
The Pere Marquette River—which got its name from French missionary Jacques Marquette, who was an early explorer of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes—starts in Lake County, Michigan and runs for nearly 64 miles before emptying into Lake Michigan in Ludington, Michigan. The river was originally home to a large grayling population, but they all but disappeared towards the end of the 1870s as a result of the deforestation that took place following the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The river was then stocked with Rainbow Trout and eventually Brown Trout that were brought in from Germany.
Today, the Pere Marquette River is home to more than just Brown Trout. You can also find Steelhead and Salmon in the river as well, especially when you have a guide from a company like Premier Angling Guide Service by your side. The ideal times to fish for these species are:
Brown Trout: Late April through September
Steelhead: Late February through April during the spring and late September through December during the fall
King Salmon: Late August through early October
To experience everything the Pere Marquette River has to offer, contact Premier Angling Guide Service at 231-477-5554 or 231-510-5862 today.