Michigan · Baldwin, MI

Pere Marquette River float season

Gauge 04122500 on the Baldwin to Custer on the undammed lower river. A free-flowing National Scenic River where drift boats chase salmon and steelhead in the shoulder seasons and Baldwin's summer tube hatch takes over in July.

canoekayaktubingdriftboat Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Jul–Sep
Pere Marquette River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 100 500 1k 1.5k
median flow for the date middle half of years (25th–75th percentile) most years (10th–90th)

Right now at this gauge

loading CFS

Checking the live gauge…

Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Pere Marquette River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Baldwin gauge, the Pere Marquette River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Jul–Sep. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past April days at this gauge ran above 952 CFS; the August median is 474 CFS.

Median of daily flows in each month across this gauge's full record — half of past days ran above these figures, half below.
Month Typical flow (CFS)
January 684
February 691
March 868
April 952
May 769
June 619
July 500
August 474
September 476
October 542
November 669
December 675

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1939 — 87 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 6,020 CFS, in September 1986. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.

Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.

More Michigan float rivers

Common questions

When is the Pere Marquette River usually at its fullest?

At the Baldwin gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 952 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Pere Marquette River?

The July median at this gauge is about 500 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.

Is the Pere Marquette River safe to float right now?

No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 86 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.

Which USGS gauge does this page use?

USGS gauge 04122500 (PERE MARQUETTE RIVER AT SCOTTVILLE, MI), chosen because it best represents the Baldwin to Custer on the undammed lower river. Daily records here reach back to 1939.

Data: USGS gauge 04122500, approved daily records 1939–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.