We had a later than normal thaw this spring and we expect good fishing in the lower Pere Marquette river until May. The nice thing about the lower PM is that the fish are not spawning. We catch them going up the river and again on the way down, still actively feeding in both directions. The water is much colder in the spring than in the fall. The key to Springers is knowing that they are not directly on the current seams because the water is too cold, they sit just off the inside or outside of the seam.
When the snow melt happens the lower section of the river turns to mud. Your best bet is to head upstream. You could luck out and catch the main push of fish one day and they could be gone the next. During a spring blowout, the fish will shoot upstream and head for spawning gravel. The best fishing is during a year of a slow, gradual snow melt without dirty water and the water level being in the woods.
As the water drops and clears, the fishing will improve again. Plugs fishermen during the muddy water periods are normally the top producers. Larger Rattle Plugs will help draw a steelheads attention. Spawn Bags and Egg Fly Patterns about the size of a nickel work in brighter colors in the stained water, but not normally as well as plugs. For both spawn and flys they are best fished under a float; using either with a fly rod, spinning rod, or centerpin rod. The main reason for float fishing is the amount of wood on the bottom in the lower PM. You will spend more time fishing and less time tying knots.
If you venture north to the Pere Marquette this spring and see low, clear water upstream near M-37 then the lower Pere Marquette is the place to be. High-water fish high in the river system and low-water fish low.
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