BirdTrout

Pere Marquette-White Watershed, Michigan

2,802 miles of mapped stream across 2,083 square miles of drainage in Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana counties, in 151 named streams. Michigan designates 1,088 of those miles as trout water, on 136 streams.

Open in BirdTrout
Map key
Public land — where the bank is open to walk and fish
USGS gauge — live water temperature
Water temperature — the colour of every stream in the basin

50°F and colder is cold, through cold-transitional and cool, to warm above 70°F — the same four bands the app paints. On this map the colour is MDNR's classification of the valley segment, not a measurement, except at the gauge dots, which read live. Grey is water MDNR has not typed.

The watershed in numbers

HUC8 04060101 in the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset. Every figure below adds up the river pages in this basin — same records, one basin at a time.

2,802 mi
of mapped stream
9,664 NHD reaches
2,083 sq mi
drainage area
1,333,104 acres
330,799 ac
public land
24.8% of the basin · 357 units

Cold, cool and warm water

MDNR's Valley Segment Ecological Classification, which types the valley segment rather than measuring the water. It covers 18% of this basin's stream miles (491.1 of 2,802); the rest is untyped and is drawn grey on the map above.

323.1 of the 491.1 typed miles in this basin — 66% — are cold or cold-transitional water. The dominant class is cold.

There is no elevation model behind this page, so it carries no elevation range. MDNR's gradient class is the field that answers the same question, and over the typed miles it reads: medium 222.7 mi, high 164.8 mi, low 75.5 mi, very low 28.2 mi.

What makes this watershed distinctive

Five Blue Ribbon designations sit in this basin — the Pere Marquette and its Little South Branch, the White River, the Big Sable River and Bear Creek — and 136 of the 151 named streams are designated trout water across 1,088.2 miles. That is the second-highest designated mileage on this map. The typed water leans cold: of 491.1 miles classified, 207.8 are cold and 115.3 cold-transitional against 161.2 cool and just 6.9 warm. Coverage is 18% of the 2,802.4 mapped stream miles. The Pere Marquette runs 63.9 miles typed cool and carries all four MDNR trout types; the South Branch White River, 59.4 miles, does the same on cold-transitional water. The Little South Branch, 28.7 miles, types cold. Public ground is 330,799 acres, 24.8% of the basin, and the US Forest Service holds the largest share at 152,598 acres. No gauge here carries a July record.

Every named stream in the basin

All 151 of them, longest first. 57 have a page of their own and are linked; the rest are in the app. Thermal class is MDNR's, over the reaches it has typed. "Now" is the live USGS reading where a gauge stands in that stream.

Stream Miles Class Now Designation
Pere Marquette River Blue Ribbon 63.9 Cool — Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4
South Branch White River 59.4 Cold-transitional — Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4
Big South Branch Pere Marquette River 52.2 Cool — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Big Sable River Blue Ribbon 52.0 Warm — Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4
Black Creek 31.4 Cool — Type 2, Type 3
Little South Branch Pere Marquette River Blue Ribbon 28.7 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
North Branch Lincoln River 25.9 Cool — Type 2
North Branch White River 25.7 Cold — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Middle Branch Pere Marquette River 25.3 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
Cedar Creek 24.4 Cold-transitional — Type 2, Type 4
White River Blue Ribbon 23.6 Cool — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Sanborn Creek 21.7 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
North Branch Pentwater River 19.2 Cold — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Beaver Creek 18.0 Cool — Type 2
Freeman Creek 17.3 Cold-transitional — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Baldwin River 14.3 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
South Branch Pentwater River 13.9 Cold — Type 2
Carlton Creek 13.7 Cold — Type 2
McDuffee Creek 13.6 untyped — Type 2
Weldon Creek 13.1 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
South Branch Lincoln River 13.0 untyped — Type 2
Flower Creek 11.5 Cool — Type 2
Tank Creek 11.3 Cool — Type 2, Type 3
Mena Creek 11.3 Cold — Type 2
Pentwater River 10.8 Cool — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Fivemile Creek 10.4 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
Mud Creek 9.7 Cold — Type 2
Cleveland Creek 9.4 Cold — Type 2
Sand Creek 9.3 Cold — Type 2, Type 4
Stony Creek 9.3 Cold — Type 2
Skeel Creek 9.2 Cold — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Robinson Creek 9.2 Cold — Type 2
Osborn Creek 9.0 Cold — Type 2
Pierson Drain 9.0 Cool — —
Little Black Creek 8.5 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Crystal Creek 8.5 Cold — Type 2
Cushman Creek 8.4 Cold — Type 2
Martin Creek 8.3 Cold — Type 2
Duck Creek 8.1 untyped — Type 2
Gurney Creek 8.0 Cold — Type 2
Knutson Creek 8.0 Cold — Type 2
Bear Creek Blue Ribbon 7.8 Cold — Type 2
Lincoln River 7.8 Cool — Type 1, Type 2, Type 4
Silver Creek 7.5 untyped — Type 1, Type 2
Flinton Creek 7.3 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
Swan Creek 7.3 Cool — Type 2
Quinn Creek 7.2 untyped — Type 2
Dumaw Creek 6.9 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Ewing Creek 6.7 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Pease Creek 6.6 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Dorrance Creek 6.5 untyped — Type 2
Allen Creek 6.4 untyped — Type 2
Muckwa Creek 6.2 Cool — Type 2, Type 3
Brayton Drain 6.2 Cold — Type 2
North Branch Flower Creek 5.9 Cool — Type 2
Danaher Creek 5.8 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
Mullen Creek 5.6 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
Frog Paradise Drain 5.6 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Carr Creek 5.5 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Huftile Creek 5.3 Cold — Type 2
Winnepesaug Creek 5.3 untyped — Type 2
Wrights Creek 5.2 untyped — Type 2
Cranberry Creek 5.1 untyped — Type 2
Davis Creek 4.9 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Lichte Creek 4.8 Cool — Type 1, Type 2
Coonskin Creek 4.8 untyped — —
Reunions Creek 4.5 Cold — Type 2
South Beaver Creek 4.5 Cool — —
Little Sable River 4.4 untyped — Type 2, Type 3
West Michigan Creek 4.4 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Piper Creek 4.4 untyped — Type 2
Donaldson Creek 4.4 Cold — Type 2
India Creek 4.2 Cool — Type 1, Type 2
Slater Drain 4.2 untyped — Type 2
Twin Lakes Creek 4.2 untyped — Type 2
Golden Drainage Ditch 4.2 untyped — —
Burke Creek 4.1 Cold — Type 2
Kinney Creek 4.1 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
East Branch Heald Creek 4.0 untyped — Type 2
Lambricks Creek 4.0 Cold — Type 2
Saint Clair Creek 3.8 Cool — Type 1, Type 2
Dennis Creek 3.8 Cool — —
Triple Lakes Creek 3.7 Cool — Type 2
Ruby Creek 3.6 untyped — Type 2
Mason Creek 3.6 untyped — Type 2
Cooper Creek 3.5 Cold — Type 2
Blood Creek 3.5 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
Waldron Drain 3.5 Cold — Type 2
Scholes Creek 3.4 untyped — Type 2
Woody Creek 3.4 untyped — Type 2
Big and Outlet Drain 3.3 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Allen Drain 3.3 Cold — Type 2
Kibby Creek 3.3 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Ruper Drain 3.2 untyped — Type 2
Swinton Creek 3.2 Cold — Type 2
Au Sable Creek 3.1 untyped — Type 2
Watson Creek 3.1 Cold — Type 2
McCarthy Creek 3.1 untyped — Type 2
Russell Creek 3.1 Cold — Type 2
Yonkers Drain 3.1 untyped — —
Whipple Creek 3.0 untyped — Type 2
Bender Creek 2.8 Cold — Type 2
Mosquito Creek 2.8 Cool — Type 1, Type 2
Second Cole Creek 2.6 untyped — Type 2
Swanson Creek 2.6 Cool — Type 1, Type 2
Mill Pond Creek 2.5 untyped — Type 2
South Branch Cole Creek 2.4 untyped — Type 2
Porter Creek 2.4 Cold — —
Magoon Creek 2.3 Cold — Type 2
Jenks Creek 2.3 untyped — Type 2
Whiskey Creek 2.2 untyped — Type 2
North Branch Cole Creek 2.2 Cold — Type 2
Burr Creek 2.2 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Hatting Creek 2.2 untyped — Type 2
Poll Drain 2.2 Cold — Type 2
Bowman Drain 2.2 Cold — —
James Creek 2.1 Cold — Type 2
Muskegon Newaygo Drain 2.1 untyped — Type 2
Porter Drain 2.1 untyped — Type 2
Rattlesnake Creek 2.0 Cold — Type 2
Ritters Creek 2.0 untyped — Type 1, Type 2
Baker Creek 2.0 Cold — Type 2
Robinson Drain 2.0 Cold — Type 2
Routley Creek 2.0 untyped — Type 2
Olson Drain 1.9 Cool — Type 2, Type 4
Dailey Drain 1.9 untyped — Type 2
Little Flower Creek 1.8 untyped — Type 2
Hodges Creek 1.8 Cold — Type 2
Big Springs Creek 1.8 Cold — —
West Branch Heald Creek 1.7 untyped — Type 2
Knox Creek 1.7 Cold — Type 2
Brayden Creek 1.7 untyped — —
Hall Drain 1.6 untyped — Type 2
Wildcat Creek 1.6 untyped — Type 2
Carleton Creek 1.5 Cold — Type 2, Type 4
Birch Brook 1.5 untyped — Type 2
Oxbow Lake Drain 1.5 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Costello Creek 1.4 Cold-transitional — Type 2
Bush Creek 1.4 untyped — —
Thomas Creek 1.3 untyped — —
Hunter Creek 1.2 untyped — Type 2
Whisky Creek 1.2 Cold — —
Bray Creek 1.1 Cold — Type 2, Type 3
Strawberry Creek 1.1 untyped — Type 2
Sweetwater Creek 1.1 untyped — Type 2, Type 3
Blue Lake Drain 1.0 untyped — Type 2
Makins Creek 0.8 untyped — Type 2
Todd Creek 0.8 untyped — Type 2
First Cole Creek 0.7 untyped — —
Cargill Creek 0.5 untyped — —
Cole Creek 0.4 Cold — Type 2, Type 3

Public land in the watershed

330,799 acres in 357 units, which is 24.8% of the 1,333,104 acres the basin covers. Private inholdings carried in the same source file are excluded, here and on the map.

Managing agency Acres Share Units
US Forest Service 152,598 46% 7
Local Government land 99,662 30% 95
Michigan DNR 42,539 13% 76
Designation overlay 18,462 6% 4
U.S. Forest Service 4,884 1% 1
Pathway to Adventure Council 4,832 1% 1
City and township land 936 0% 33
Michigan Crossroads Council, BSA 716 0% 1

The biggest named blocks of it, each with its own page — the streams on that ground, what is open to hunt on it, and where the access sites are.

Species present

Recorded by MDNR at 3 survey stations in this basin, or in its stocking record. The temperature ranges are our own species table and are the same numbers the app's picker uses.

Species Best water Tolerates Evidence
Brook trout
Salvelinus fontinalis
 50–60°F 42–65°F stocked
Brown trout
Salmo trutta
 55–63°F 45–70°F surveyed stocked
Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
 55–64°F 44–70°F surveyed stocked
Chinook salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
 50–58°F 42–68°F surveyed stocked
Coho salmon
Oncorhynchus kisutch
 48–56°F 40–65°F surveyed stocked
Walleye
Sander vitreus
 62–72°F 50–80°F stocked
Fathead minnow — — stocked
White bass — — stocked

Best time to fish

The hatch calendar for northern lower Michigan, which is the region this basin's centre falls in — the same regions the app's hatch panel uses. It is a regional record, not a survey of this watershed: nobody has counted insects basin by basin. Year-round records (midges, scuds, sculpins) are left out; they are true every month and they are not what a calendar is for.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

53 insects are recorded from northern lower Michigan. Each links to its own page, with the flies that imitate it.

Neighbouring watersheds

The subbasins that share a boundary with this one and carry coldwater streams.

Plan a weekend around it

The weekend this basin adds up to — the biggest water in it, what is hatching when, the public land in range and a three-day plan.