| Pere Marquette River | |
| River | |
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Tourists canoeing on the Pere Marquette River in the Manistee National Forest.
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| Country | USA |
|---|---|
| State | Michigan |
| Counties | Lake, Mason, Newaygo, Oceana |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Little South Branch, Big South Branch |
| - right | Middle Branch, Baldwin River |
| Cities | Ludington, Scottville |
| Source | |
| - location | Lake County, Michigan, USA |
| - coordinates | |
| Mouth | Lake Michigan |
| - location | Ludington, Michigan, USA |
| - coordinates | |
| Length | 64 mi (103 km) |
| Basin | 740 sq mi (1,917 km2) |
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The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan in the United States. The main stream of this river is 63.9 miles (102.8 km) long,[1] running from Lake County south of Baldwin into the Pere Marquette Lake, and from there into Lake Michigan.[2]
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.
Contents |
The upper portion of the Pere Marquette runs approximately 44 miles (71 km) from the forks of the Little South and Middle Branches downstream to highway M-37. In 1978, 66 miles (106 km) 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.[3]
The Pere Marquette River is designated a Blue Ribbon fishery.[4]
This river has been stocked with rainbow trout since 1876. In 1884, the Baldwin River, a major tributary, became the first American river to ever be stocked with brown trout fish.[5]