BirdTrout

St. Clair Watershed, Michigan

2,698 miles of mapped stream across 1,265 square miles of drainage in Saint Clair, Sanilac counties, in 308 named streams. Michigan designates 298 of those miles as trout water, on 26 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 04090001 in the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset. Every figure below adds up the river pages in this basin — same records, one basin at a time.

2,698 mi
of mapped stream
3,686 NHD reaches
1,265 sq mi
drainage area
809,557 acres
21,628 ac
public land
2.7% of the basin · 250 units

Cold, cool and warm water

MDNR's Valley Segment Ecological Classification, which types the valley segment rather than measuring the water. It covers 35% of this basin's stream miles (940.0 of 2,698); the rest is untyped and is drawn grey on the map above.

1.5 of the 940.0 typed miles in this basin — 0% — are cold or cold-transitional water. The dominant class is warm.

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: low 343.4 mi, medium 286.9 mi, very low 218.9 mi, high 90.7 mi.

What makes this watershed distinctive

308 named streams — the most of any basin on this map — across 2,697.6 mapped miles, and almost all of the water that has been typed is warm: 898.2 of 940 miles, against 40.3 cool and 1.5 cold-transitional. That is a 35% sample of the network, so it describes the basin rather than a corner of it. 26 streams are designated trout water over 298.1 miles, and the Black River and Pine River hold Blue Ribbon designations. The Black runs 81.2 miles warm and carries Type 4 water; the Belle River, 73.8 miles, is warm and Type 1. The Saint Clair River, 26.8 miles here, is untyped. Public land is 21,628 acres, 2.7% of the basin, across 250 units and split roughly evenly between the state and local government. MDNR has no survey station in the basin; brown trout, rainbow trout and warmwater species have been stocked.

Every named stream in the basin

All 308 of them, longest first. 6 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
Black River Blue Ribbon 81.2 Warm — Type 1, Type 4
Belle River 73.8 Warm — Type 1
Pine River Blue Ribbon 42.2 Warm — —
Mill Creek 33.7 Warm — Type 1
Elk Creek 28.2 Warm — —
Saint Clair River 26.8 untyped — —
Black Creek 16.1 Warm — —
Smiths Creek 14.4 Warm — —
South Branch Pine River 12.7 Warm — —
North Branch Mill Creek 11.8 Warm — Type 1
Talfourd Creek 11.8 untyped — —
Setter Drain 11.4 Warm — —
Potts Drain 11.2 Warm — —
Quakenbush Drain 10.9 Warm — —
East Branch Speaker and Maple Valley Drain 10.9 Warm — —
Clay Creek 10.8 untyped — —
Moore Creek 10.0 untyped — —
Apply Drain 9.9 untyped — —
South Branch Mill Creek 9.3 Warm — Type 1
Spring Creek Drain 9.2 Warm — —
Smith Drain 9.0 Warm — —
Plum Creek 8.7 Warm — —
Elk Flynn and Maple Valley Drain 8.7 Warm — —
North Branch Belle River 8.6 Cool — Type 1
Sanilac and Saint Clair Drain 8.6 Warm — Type 1
Eves Drain 8.4 Warm — —
Beals Frizzle Drain 8.3 Warm — —
Riley-Wales Drain 8.2 untyped — —
Holland Drain 8.2 Warm — —
Jackson Creek 8.2 Warm — —
Indian Creek 7.8 untyped — —
Seymour Creek 7.6 Warm — —
McDonald Drain 7.6 Warm — —
Rattle Run 7.5 Warm — —
Lapeer and Sanilac Drain 7.5 Warm — —
Cox Doty Drain 7.4 Warm — Type 1
O'Loughlin Drain 6.8 Warm — —
Berry Drain 6.6 Warm — —
Livergood Drain 6.6 Warm — —
Tinsman Drain 6.6 untyped — —
Elk Lake Creek 6.5 Cool — —
Hunt Drain 6.5 Cool — —
Jerome Creek 6.4 Warm — Type 1
Black Segate Reid Drain 6.3 Warm — —
Shaver Drain 6.2 untyped — —
Silver Creek 6.0 untyped — —
Wolvin Drain 6.0 Warm — —
Mills Creek 6.0 Warm — —
Emmett Drain 5.8 Warm — —
Gillett Drain 5.6 Warm — —
Cork Drain 5.5 Warm — —
Fletcher Drain 5.5 Warm — —
Arnot Creek 5.4 Warm — —
Thompson Drain 5.3 Warm — Type 1
Neaton Drain 5.3 untyped — —
Dwight Drain 5.3 Warm — —
Winters Drain 5.3 Warm — —
Meharg Drain 5.2 Warm — Type 1
Brandymore Drain 5.2 Warm — —
Barringer Drain 5.1 Warm — —
Capac Drain 5.1 Warm — —
Cuttle Creek 5.0 untyped — —
Jackson Drain 5.0 untyped — —
William Doan Drain 5.0 untyped — —
White Drain 4.9 Warm — Type 1
Alpine Drain 4.9 untyped — —
Dawson Drain 4.9 untyped — —
Brant Lake Drain 4.9 Cool — —
Hyde Drain 4.8 Warm — —
Stony Creek 4.8 untyped — —
Baird Drain 4.7 Warm — Type 1
Baby Creek 4.7 untyped — —
Fye Drain 4.7 Warm — —
Madison Drain 4.7 Cool — —
Hale Drain 4.6 Warm — —
Lovejoy Drain 4.6 Warm — —
Wilson Drain 4.5 untyped — —
McManus Drain 4.5 Warm — —
Mackley Drain 4.5 untyped — —
McPherson Drain 4.5 Warm — —
Smalldon Drain 4.5 Warm — —
Johnson Drain 4.4 untyped — —
Angel Creek 4.4 Warm — —
Harris Drain 4.3 Warm — Type 1
Sheehy Drain 4.3 Warm — Type 1
Hayes Drain 4.3 untyped — —
Burgess Drain 4.3 Warm — —
Sullivan Drain 4.2 Warm — —
Kinney Drain 4.2 Warm — —
Jordan Creek 4.1 Warm — —
Courter Drain 4.1 Cool — —
Gleason Drain 4.0 Warm — Type 1
Bunce Creek 4.0 Warm — —
Cooper Drain 4.0 untyped — —
Papst Drain 4.0 Warm — —
Bishop Drain 4.0 Warm — —
Sheldon Drain 3.9 untyped — —
Willey Drain 3.9 untyped — —
French Drain 3.9 Warm — —
Galley Drain 3.9 Warm — —
Freel Drain 3.9 Warm — —
Bradley Creek 3.8 Warm — —
Pyette Drain 3.8 untyped — —
Witmer Drain 3.8 Warm — —
Franklin Drain 3.8 Warm — —
Heenan Drain 3.8 Cool — —
Weston Drain 3.7 untyped — Type 1
Brandywine Creek 3.7 Warm — —
Kelly Drain 3.7 untyped — —
Marsh Creek 3.6 untyped — —
McLaren Drain 3.6 Warm — —
Cowhy Drain 3.6 untyped — —
Darlington Drain 3.6 Warm — —
Morris Drain 3.5 Warm — —
Moak Drain 3.5 Warm — —
Liverance Drain 3.5 untyped — —
Topping Drain 3.5 untyped — —
Loomis Drain 3.5 Warm — —
East Goodland Drain 3.5 untyped — —
Middleton Drain 3.4 Warm — Type 1
Lynn Mussey Drain 3.4 Warm — —
Brandy Run 3.4 Warm — —
Pelton Drain 3.4 Warm — —
Hewitt Drain 3.3 Warm — —
Drain Number Two Hundred Two 3.2 Warm — —
Pauly Drain 3.2 Warm — —
Brinker Drain 3.2 untyped — —
Willoughby Drain 3.2 Warm — —
Eggert Drain 3.2 Warm — —
Parker Drain 3.2 untyped — —
Baerwolf Drain 3.2 Warm — —
Downey Drain 3.1 Warm — —
Rickett Drain 3.1 untyped — —
Mullen Drain 3.1 Warm — —
Jones Drain 3.1 Warm — —
Pennell Drain 3.1 untyped — —
Evans and McKillen Drain 3.1 Cool — —
Clarks Corner Drain 3.1 untyped — —
Robertson Drain 3.0 Warm — —
Swamp Corners Drain 3.0 Cool — —
Huffman Drain 2.9 untyped — —
Shell Drain 2.9 Warm — —
Varney Drain 2.9 untyped — —
Cummer Drain 2.9 Warm — —
Stevenson Drain 2.9 untyped — —
Shrapnell Drain 2.9 Warm — —
Sage Creek 2.8 untyped — Type 1
Glyshaw Drain 2.8 Warm — Type 1
Howe Drain 2.8 Warm — —
Lemon Drain 2.8 Warm — —
Bowman Drain 2.8 Warm — —
Lavell Drain 2.8 untyped — —
Green Drain 2.8 untyped — —
Logg Drain 2.8 Warm — —
Frasier Drain 2.8 Warm — —
Sidel Drain 2.8 untyped — —
Long Lake Drain 2.8 Cool — —
Big Hand Drain 2.7 Warm — —
Price Drain 2.7 untyped — —
Mullaney Drain 2.7 Warm — —
Engle Drain 2.7 Warm — —
Wagner Drain 2.7 Warm — —
Omard Drain 2.7 Warm — —
Gordon Drain 2.7 untyped — —
Corneil Drain 2.6 Warm — Type 1
O'Dette Drain 2.6 Warm — —
Hurst Drain 2.6 Warm — —
Baldwin Drain 2.6 untyped — —
Cole Drain 2.6 Warm — —
Lindsay Drain 2.6 untyped — —
Freeman Drain 2.6 Warm — —
Roskey Drain 2.6 Warm — —
Scott Drain 2.5 untyped — —
Layle Rabbins Drain 2.5 Warm — —
Sloat Drain 2.5 Warm — —
Kolb Drain 2.5 Warm — —
Alexander Drain 2.5 Warm — —
Wilkins Drain 2.5 untyped — —
Lloyd Drain 2.5 Warm — —
Stocks Creek 2.4 Warm — Type 1
Root Drain 2.4 Warm — —
Kaufman Drain 2.4 untyped — —
York Drain 2.4 untyped — —
Crowe Drain 2.4 untyped — —
Custer County Drain 2.4 Warm — —
Richie Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Hewitt Carroll Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Mason Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Pohly Drain 2.3 untyped — —
Perry Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Foley Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Powers Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Watertown State Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Carsonville Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Lombar Drain 2.3 Cool — —
Graves Drain 2.3 Warm — —
Hextell Drain 2.2 untyped — —
Lawson Drain 2.2 Warm — —
Nelson Drain 2.2 untyped — —
Shanahan Drain 2.2 untyped — —
Beemer Drain 2.2 untyped — —
Grandy Drain 2.2 Warm — —
Miller Drain 2.2 Warm — —
Parks Drain 2.2 untyped — —
Beehr Drain 2.2 Warm — —
McElhinney Drain 2.2 Warm — —
Kelly Creek 2.2 Warm — —
Phillips Drain 2.2 Warm — —
Doty Drain 2.2 untyped — —
Weitzig Drain 2.2 Warm — —
Wendt Drain 2.2 untyped — —
Clarkson Drain 2.2 Cool — —
Doggan Drain 2.2 Warm — —
Wonderlic Drain 2.1 untyped — —
Cuttle Drain 2.1 untyped — —
Bowens Creek 2.1 untyped — —
Stone Drain 2.1 Warm — —
Scheffle Drain 2.1 untyped — —
Campbell Drain 2.1 untyped — —
Taylor Drain 2.1 untyped — —
Putney Drain 2.1 Warm — —
Wait Drain 2.1 untyped — —
Murray Drain 2.1 Warm — —
Hydorn Drain 2.1 Warm — —
Eagle Drain 2.1 untyped — —
Toman Drain 2.1 Warm — —
Severance Drain 2.1 Warm — —
Eschenburg Drain 2.0 Warm — Type 1
Fueslein Drain 2.0 untyped — —
Welch Drain 2.0 Warm — —
Rankin Drain 2.0 untyped — —
McClelland Drain 2.0 untyped — —
Harlan Drain 2.0 Warm — —
Recor Drain 2.0 Warm — —
Ashery Creek 1.9 untyped — Type 1
Cline Drain 1.9 untyped — —
Jeffrey Drain 1.9 untyped — —
Valley Center Drain 1.9 untyped — —
Black Drain 1.9 Warm — —
Jurn Drain 1.9 Warm — —
Badgero Drain 1.9 Warm — —
Bradshaw Drain 1.9 Warm — —
Ohmer Drain 1.8 Warm — Type 1
Wolf Drain 1.8 Warm — —
Schneider China Drain 1.8 Warm — —
Pickard Drain 1.8 untyped — —
Macklem Drain 1.8 Warm — —
Stein Drain 1.8 untyped — —
Methven Drain 1.8 Warm — —
Kenney Drain 1.8 Warm — —
Johnson Barrett Drain 1.8 Warm — —
Kreusel Drain 1.7 untyped — —
London Drain 1.7 Warm — —
McIntyre and Willing Drain 1.7 Warm — —
Teets Drain 1.7 Warm — —
Beaver Creek 1.7 untyped — —
Thody Drain 1.7 untyped — —
Colebough Drain 1.7 untyped — —
Willoughby Branch 1.7 Warm — —
Flansburg Drain 1.7 untyped — —
Devall Drain 1.7 untyped — —
Warner Drain 1.6 Warm — —
East Branch Jordan Creek 1.6 untyped — —
Crouce Drain 1.6 untyped — —
Thomas Drain 1.6 Warm — —
Smafield Drain 1.6 untyped — —
O'Connell Drain 1.6 Warm — —
Mudcat Drain 1.5 Warm — —
Baum Drain 1.5 Warm — —
McGauley Drain 1.5 Warm — —
Benke Drain 1.5 untyped — —
Winn Drain 1.5 Cool — —
Flannigan Drain 1.5 Warm — —
Howse Drain 1.4 untyped — —
Sparlingville Drain 1.4 untyped — —
Barber Drain 1.4 Cool — —
Tallmadge Drain 1.4 untyped — —
Carrol Drain 1.4 Warm — —
Meyers Drain 1.4 Warm — —
Hughes Drain 1.4 untyped — —
Mud Lake Drain 1.4 Cool — —
Anchor Drain 1.4 Cool — —
Wilkie Drain 1.4 untyped — —
Burdie Drain 1.3 Warm — —
Popplewell Drain 1.3 Warm — —
Lynch Drain 1.3 Warm — —
Big Creek 1.2 Warm — —
Marshy Creek 1.2 untyped — —
Allen Drain 1.2 untyped — —
Slaght Drain 1.2 untyped — —
Bunde Drain 1.2 Warm — —
Cadillac Drain 1.2 Cool — —
Black River Canal 1.1 Warm — Type 1
Mallory Drain 1.1 untyped — —
Engles Drain 1.1 untyped — —
Hickory Street Drain 1.1 untyped — —
Ryall Drain 1.1 untyped — —
Bowers Drain 1.1 Warm — —
Monroe Drain 1.1 Warm — —
Anderson Drain 1.1 untyped — —
Terpinning Drain 1.1 untyped — —
Barr Drain 1.0 Warm — —
Dunlap Drain 1.0 Warm — —
Read Drain 0.9 Warm — —
Sumner Drain 0.8 untyped — —
West Branch Stevenson Drain 0.8 untyped — —
Kruse Drain 0.8 untyped — —
Elgin Drain 0.5 untyped — —

Public land in the watershed

21,628 acres in 250 units, which is 2.7% of the 809,557 acres the basin covers. Private inholdings carried in the same source file are excluded, here and on the map.

Managing agency Acres Share Units
Michigan DNR 8,594 40% 7
Local Government land 8,351 39% 124
City and township land 1,576 7% 35
St Clair County 814 4% 5
Michigan Nature Association 435 2% 11
County land 378 2% 4
Port Huron Twp 249 1% 5
Detroit Audubon Society 185 1% 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 0 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
Brown trout
Salmo trutta
 55–63°F 45–70°F stocked
Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
 55–64°F 44–70°F stocked
Northern pike
Esox lucius
 60–70°F 40–78°F stocked
Smallmouth bass
Micropterus dolomieu
 67–75°F 55–85°F stocked
Walleye
Sander vitreus
 62–72°F 50–80°F stocked
Channel catfish — — stocked

Best time to fish

The hatch calendar for southern 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

47 insects are recorded from southern 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.