Michigan

Priority Waters

• Manistee

  Located in the northwest region of the Lower Peninsula, this is one of the most stable river systems in the country. The main stem and nearly all its tributaries support robust populations of brook, brown, and rainbow trout, as well as migrating steelhead and salmon. Despite its relatively healthy condition, more than 500 road-stream crossings in the watershed may present barriers to upstream trout passage and be in need of replacement.

• Au Sable River

  The Au Sable River, in the northern region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, is one of the most iconic coldwater rivers in the country and the place where TU was founded. Much of the mainstem and most of its tributaries are designated trout streams that support robust populations of brook, brown, and rainbow trout. The Au Sable is a renowned fishery with a large group of stakeholders focused on protection and improvement.

• White River

  The White River watershed in west central Michigan is a rare large river with temperatures that remain cold throughout the summer. It is a critical climate refuge for trout. The river has two branches, the South Branch, which starts in Newaygo County, and the North Branch, which begins in Oceana County. The 538-square-mile watershed supports varied land use, with portions of the watershed located in the heart of the region’s Fruit Belt, while 23 percent consists of national forest.

• Pere Marquette River

  The Pere Marquette River is a high-quality trout stream in Northwest Michigan. It is a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, and a state-designated Natural River and Blue Ribbon Trout Stream. The Pere Marquette offers anglers unique year-round opportunities to fish for brook trout, brown trout, and migrating steelhead, coho, and Chinook salmon. Despite healthy conditions, dam removals, road culvert upgrades, and habitat enhancements can improve its condition, and water quality monitoring can help TU and our conservation partners understand baseline conditions and prioritize restoration.

• Manistique River

  Located in the Upper Peninsula, the Manistique watershed drains more than 1,400 square miles, a significant section of the peninsula containing dozens of trout tributaries. Historically, the Manistique received wastes from sawmills, a paper mill, small industries, and the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The watershed was heavily logged and subsequently burned, which contributes to sediment issues in areas of the watershed. Yet, native brookies and wild brown trout inhabit the Manistique River watershed and have the potential to thrive through robust restoration work.

• Western Upper Peninsula

  The western portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula consists of high-quality watersheds that have remained relatively healthy and intact due to a relative lack of human disturbance. The Ontonagon River main stem and almost all tributaries are designated trout streams that support robust populations of brook, brown, and rainbow trout, as well as steelhead and salmon. The Brule and Paint Rivers are also National Wild and Scenic designated rivers and trout streams. Despite relatively pristine conditions, land use practices and predicted climate change pose a direct threat to brook trout.

• Coaster Brook Trout

  Typically growing to larger sizes than stream resident brook trout, coaster brook trout use lake habitats to complete a portion of their life cycle. Once widely distributed in the Lake Superior watershed, few remaining populations are currently known to exist in Lake Superior tributaries in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well as Wisconsin and Minnesota. The decline was likely caused by a combination of over-harvest and watershed degradation. To date, stocking efforts aimed at the restoration of coaster brook trout have been largely unsuccessful, but a rejuvenated conservation effort aims to restore them to fishable populations.