The Pigeon River is a freestone river in Michigan, listed as Blue Ribbon by Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
1 USGS gauge on the water reports flow. 1 shop nearby are listed here; the nearest destination hub is Grayling & the Au Sable.
Pigeon River is a freestone river in Michigan. Our destination hub Grayling & the Au Sable is 36 mi away in a straight line. Michigan has 4 waters named Pigeon River in the USGS Geographic Names Information System; this page is the stream whose mouth is in Cheboygan County, the one the agency list names.
Pick one of its USGS gauges and hear from us when the flow moves into or out of its usual range for the date, or crosses a flow you set. We check the public USGS reading every 2 hours and email only when it crosses, at most once every 6 hours. Flow alone is not a fishing forecast or a safety call.
Signed in: one step. Otherwise we email a confirmation link first. Every alert has one-click links to stop it.
Start from the agency's public access map. Nothing on this page grants or implies access: check the agency map, posted signs and landowner permission before you fish.
Nothing on this page grants or implies access.
Gauges, shops and guides within 40 miles
Map of Pigeon River: gauges, shops and guides
Map of Pigeon River with 1 USGS gauge, and shops and guides with an exact address within 40 miles.
Restrooms within 2 miles of Pigeon River in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.
No restroom mapped within 2 mi yet — add one you know.
Campgrounds, fishing access sites and boat ramps often have one that isn't on the map yet.
Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.
Blue RibbonThe Black River in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Photo: SweetCanadianMullet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not East Branch Black RiverThe Au Sable River from the Highbanks, Huron-Manistee National Forests. Photo: Jessica Piispanen / USFWS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Not East Branch Black River.
Michigan · about 10 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not West Branch Sturgeon RiverThe Manistee River, Michigan. Photo: Eric Schmuttenmaer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not West Branch Sturgeon River.
Michigan · about 12 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not West Branch Big CreekThe Boardman River in the Brown Bridge Quiet Area, near Traverse City. Photo: Phoenix-Five, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not West Branch Big Creek.
Michigan · about 23 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not Middle Branch Big CreekThe Pere Marquette River in autumn, Manistee National Forest. Photo: Yetiwriter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Middle Branch Big Creek.
Michigan · about 24 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not North Branch Au Sable RiverThe Muskegon River near Newaygo, Michigan. Photo: Marc Steensma, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not North Branch Au Sable River.
Michigan · about 24 mi
Seasons, limits, special regulations and closures for each reach are on the agency pages below. Read them before you go.
Each comes from the agency's own published list; where the list names a reach it is quoted. A designation applies to the listed reach, not necessarily the whole water. Listed in the finder under trout.
On the Blue Ribbon Trout Streams list (Michigan Department of Natural Resources, read 2026-10-16). All waters with this designation
On the Gear-Restricted Trout Streams: artificial lures only list (Michigan Department of Natural Resources, read 2026-10-16). All waters with this designation
Measured from the NHDPlus High Resolution (flowlines and waterbodies) (U.S. Geological Survey, read 2026-11-04) for this water’s own mapped feature. Rounded figures; they describe the channel, not today’s conditions.
Whole Pigeon River, not only this reach.
Areas the Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), public access (U.S. Geological Survey, Gap Analysis Project, read 2026-11-05) lists as owned or held in easement and open to the public, crossed by the mapped channel of the whole Pigeon River. Boundaries are mapped, not surveyed. Nothing on this page grants or implies access: check the agency map, posted signs and landowner permission before you fish.
17.1 of 43.5 mi on public land
Nothing on this page grants or implies access.
Listings marked Unclaimed are built from open map records and the business's own website: confirm licensing, rates, dates and hours directly.
No guide within 40 miles yet.
The hatch and season chart for this water's region.
2 hatches charted for the region, not measured on this water. From Michigan DNR.
Hex (Hexagenia) (June to July) · Mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies (June)
Grayling sits at the head of the Au Sable River in northern Lower Michigan, with the upper Manistee River a few miles west and the Boardman River toward Traverse City.
Destination hub · 36 mi away in a straight line
What to bring on a guided float fishing trip: rain gear, polarized sunglasses, sun protection, a dry bag and your license. Most guides supply rods and flies. Estimated prices and where to buy.
Usually supplied by the guide; a 9′ 5–6 weight if you bring your own · Trout on most western float rivers
Open the checklistSeams, shelves and soft water, shown on real rivers.
Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.
Not sponsored All videos on reading water
Indicator rigs, depth and detecting the take.
Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.
Not sponsored All videos on nymphing
Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly and tagged with Pigeon River.
No stories from here yet.
Not a statement of access, fish presence or conditions.
A water page organises discovery. It does not assert public access, legal access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.
Flows, gauge statistics and flood stages come from USGS and the National Weather Service when the page is shown. Regulations, stocking, species and season statements link to the agency that publishes them; this page copies only the species names and the quoted sentences. Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories. Position: the USGS gauge PIGEON RIVER NEAR VANDERBILT, MI. Water type is our own classification.
Caution: Rising water: fishable, but watch the level
No water temperature here.
At PIGEON RIVER NEAR VANDERBILT, MI (USGS 04128990) Provisional USGS data
USGS 04128990 · NWS SVRM4
What the agencies suggest
Stand back from the shoreline and be aware of surroundingsRhode Island Department of Environmental Management
General guidance from the readings and the published lines named above, not a fishing forecast. Local rules and closures come first.
Reading Nov 5, 5:15 PM EST · provisional USGS data
Above normal for Nov 5 Rising · 24 h
Discharge, last 7 days: 168 readings from Oct 29, 7:30 PM EDT to Nov 5, 5:15 PM EST; ranging 77 to 97.4 ft³/s; latest 96.2 ft³/s.
USGS provisional data may be revised. Source: USGS instantaneous values.
| Time | Discharge (ft³/s) | Gauge height (ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 5:15 PM EST | 96.2 | 2.41 |
| Nov 5, 4:15 PM EST | 96.2 | 2.41 |
| Nov 5, 3:15 PM EST | 96.2 | 2.41 |
| Nov 5, 2:15 PM EST | 96.2 | 2.41 |
| Nov 5, 1:15 PM EST | 97.4 | 2.42 |
| Nov 5, 12:15 PM EST | 96.2 | 2.41 |
| Nov 5, 11:15 AM EST | 96.2 | 2.41 |
| Nov 5, 10:15 AM EST | 96.2 | 2.41 |
| Nov 5, 9:15 AM EST | 95 | 2.4 |
| Nov 5, 8:15 AM EST | 95 | 2.4 |
| Nov 5, 7:15 AM EST | 93.7 | 2.39 |
| Nov 5, 6:15 AM EST | 91.3 | 2.37 |
| Nov 5, 5:15 AM EST | 90.1 | 2.36 |
| Nov 5, 4:15 AM EST | 88.8 | 2.35 |
| Nov 5, 3:15 AM EST | 87.6 | 2.34 |
| Nov 5, 2:15 AM EST | 86.4 | 2.33 |
| Nov 5, 1:15 AM EST | 84 | 2.31 |
| Nov 5, 12:15 AM EST | 82.9 | 2.3 |
| Nov 4, 11:15 PM EST | 82.9 | 2.3 |
| Nov 4, 10:15 PM EST | 81.7 | 2.29 |
| Nov 4, 9:15 PM EST | 81.7 | 2.29 |
| Nov 4, 8:15 PM EST | 81.7 | 2.29 |
| Nov 4, 7:15 PM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 4, 6:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 5:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 4:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 3:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 2:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 1:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 12:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 11:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 10:15 AM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 4, 9:15 AM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 4, 8:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 7:15 AM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 4, 6:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 5:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 4:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 3:15 AM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 4, 2:15 AM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 4, 1:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 4, 12:15 AM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 3, 11:15 PM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 3, 10:15 PM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 3, 9:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 8:15 PM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 3, 7:15 PM EST | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Nov 3, 6:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 5:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 4:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 3:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 2:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 1:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 12:15 PM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 11:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 10:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 9:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 8:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 7:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 6:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 5:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 4:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 3, 3:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 2:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 1:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 3, 12:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 11:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 10:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 9:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 8:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 7:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 6:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 5:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 4:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 3:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 2:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 1:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 12:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 11:15 AM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 2, 10:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 9:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 8:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 7:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 6:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 5:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 4:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 3:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 2:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 1:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 2, 12:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 11:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 10:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 9:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 8:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 1, 7:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 1, 6:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 1, 5:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 4:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 1, 3:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 1, 2:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 1, 1:15 PM EST | 77 | 2.25 |
| Nov 1, 12:15 PM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 11:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 10:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 9:15 AM EST | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Nov 1, 8:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 7:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 6:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 5:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 4:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 3:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 2:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 1:15 AM EST | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 1:15 AM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Nov 1, 12:15 AM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 11:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 10:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 9:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 8:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 7:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 6:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 5:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 4:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 3:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 2:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 1:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 12:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 31, 11:15 AM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 10:15 AM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 9:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 31, 8:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 31, 7:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 31, 6:15 AM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 5:15 AM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 31, 4:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 31, 3:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 31, 2:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 31, 1:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 31, 12:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 11:15 PM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 10:15 PM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 9:15 PM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 8:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 30, 7:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 30, 6:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 30, 5:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 30, 4:15 PM EDT | 77 | 2.25 |
| Oct 30, 3:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 30, 2:15 PM EDT | 78.2 | 2.26 |
| Oct 30, 1:15 PM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 12:15 PM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 11:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 10:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 9:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 8:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 30, 7:15 AM EDT | 79.3 | 2.27 |
| Oct 30, 6:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 30, 5:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 30, 4:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 30, 3:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 30, 2:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 30, 1:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 30, 12:15 AM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 29, 11:15 PM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 29, 10:15 PM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 29, 9:15 PM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 29, 8:15 PM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
| Oct 29, 7:30 PM EDT | 80.5 | 2.28 |
Normal for Nov 5: 64–87 ft³/s (middle half of 76 years of record). Now: 96.2 ft³/s, above normal.
Above normal for this date. 96.2 ft³/s is between the 75th and 90th percentiles of daily mean flow for Nov 5 at this gauge over 76 years of record (1951–2026): 10th 61, 25th 64, median 73, 75th 87, 90th 111 ft³/s.
Daily means on record for Nov 5: lowest 54 ft³/s, highest 244 ft³/s.
Classes as USGS labels them (hyswap: flow categories (WDFN_stats schema) (U.S. Geological Survey) ); percentiles from the USGS daily statistics (U.S. Geological Survey) (approved daily means; the reading is provisional and instantaneous).
Rising over 24 hours: discharge up 21.3%, from 79.3 to 96.2 ft³/s. Rising or falling means a change of more than 10% in discharge (or 0.2 ft of gauge height) over 24 hours; our rule of thumb, not a USGS class.
NWS observed 2.41 ft stage, 90 ft³/s at Nov 5, 5:15 PM EST (NWS gauge SVRM4; its stage datum can differ from the USGS gauge height).
NWS has not set flood categories for this gauge.
Forecasts are not available. Only observed stages are available for this point.
Open the NWS gauge page · What the categories mean (National Weather Service)
No current water-temperature reading at this gauge, so no temperature guidance is given. Take a stream thermometer. Michigan DNR publishes no water-temperature line for trout anglers that we found. The lines below are the National Park Service's, federal guidance, not a Michigan rule: 68°F.
This gauge is on our page for Pigeon River, but no agency page we read lists its species.
Rising water. Rising over the last 24 hours (discharge up 21.3%). Keep your way back to the bank in sight and watch the level while you fish. “Rising” is our rule of thumb: more than 10% in discharge or 0.2 ft of gauge height in 24 hours, not a USGS or NWS class.
Turn Around Don't Drown. “A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult.” No flow number makes a crossing safe; if in doubt, stay out.
Turn Around Don't Drown (National Weather Service)Guidance from the readings above and the published thresholds named with each line; not a fishing forecast, a safety guarantee or a statement about access. Local rules and closures come first.
Checked Nov 5, 6:19 PM EST; readings refresh at most every 15 minutes and statistics daily. Provisional USGS data can be revised. Conditions change: re-check before you go. This is general guidance, not a fishing forecast, a safety guarantee or a statement about access.
Blue RibbonThe Black River in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Photo: SweetCanadianMullet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not East Branch Black RiverThe Au Sable River from the Highbanks, Huron-Manistee National Forests. Photo: Jessica Piispanen / USFWS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Not East Branch Black River.
Michigan · about 10 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not West Branch Sturgeon RiverThe Manistee River, Michigan. Photo: Eric Schmuttenmaer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not West Branch Sturgeon River.
Michigan · about 12 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not West Branch Big CreekThe Boardman River in the Brown Bridge Quiet Area, near Traverse City. Photo: Phoenix-Five, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not West Branch Big Creek.
Michigan · about 23 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not Middle Branch Big CreekThe Pere Marquette River in autumn, Manistee National Forest. Photo: Yetiwriter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Middle Branch Big Creek.
Michigan · about 24 mi
Blue RibbonRepresentative photo · not North Branch Au Sable RiverThe Muskegon River near Newaygo, Michigan. Photo: Marc Steensma, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not North Branch Au Sable River.
Michigan · about 24 mi
