Baldwin Hatchery Boat Launch

There are zero actual launch lanes here — it's a steep, unimproved bank access. You can slide in a canoe or kayak, but if you're bringing anything with a trailer, forget it. Guys with drift boats use it, but you'll want a long winch strap and a buddy to help muscle the boat back up.

This stretch of the Pere Marquette is strictly flies-only and catch-and-release. Don't show up with spinners or you'll be writing a check. The fish see a lot of pressure and are line-shy, so your dead drift better be dialed in.

When the salmon are running, this little access point turns into a circus. People standing around the put-in blocking access, no room to squeeze a boat in or out. If it looks packed, beach your boat upstream around the bend and walk down to scope it out first — once you commit to the current, you're going past whether there's room or not.

The bank gets dangerously icy in winter. The grade is already steep, and frozen ground turns it into a toboggan run. Bring cleats or Yaktrax if you're wading in during the cold months.

Shore access is extremely limited. Private land boxes you in quickly in both directions, and the old Fisherman's Trail is essentially gone — overgrown and dead-ending into posted property. Bring waders and stick to the river itself, or you'll waste your afternoon wandering into no-trespassing signs.