The Manistee River ( /mænɪstɪ/ man-iss-TEE, seldom called the Big Manistee River) is a river that is 190 miles long (310 kilometers) in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It begins in the Northern Lower Peninsula and flows mostly in a southwesterly direction until it reaches Lake Michigan at the city named Manistee.

The Manistee River is known, like the nearby Au Sable River, as one of the best places to fish for trout east of the Rocky Mountains. Scientists are also considering restoring Arctic grayling to the river. These fish have not been found in Michigan since 1936.

History

The name "Manistee" comes from an Ojibwe word, but its exact origin is not known. It might mean "river with islands at its mouth." The Ojibwe (also called Chippewa in the United States) and Ottawa peoples lived along the river. The Ottawa people had a reservation on the river since 1836. Today, the federally recognized Little River Band of Ottawa Indians still lives on this reservation in Manistee County and also on lands in Mason County.

In the past, the upper part of the river was famous for having a very good fishery for Arctic grayling, one of the best in the world. These fish lived at the farthest southern point of their range. People often caught more than 1,000 fish in one weekend trip until the 1880s, when heavy logging in the area damaged the river and its habitat. European-American settlers began logging in the area between 1880 and 1910, with the most logging happening in the 1890s. Logging removed trees and plants, causing dirt and debris to wash into the river and harm its water quality.

The river’s large size, steady flow, and lack of waterfalls or other difficult areas made it a good place to move logs. During this time, many large white pine logs, some as wide as 6 feet (1.8 meters), were floated down the river to the port in Manistee. From there, the logs were sent to cities like Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, and Chicago. The wood was used to build towns and cities in the Midwestern United States. Some of these logs became stuck in the river at different places and can still be seen on the river bottom today.

Watershed and Course

The river begins in the sand hills of southeastern Antrim County, near the border with Otsego County, approximately 6 miles (10 km) southeast of the town of Alba. The deep glacial sands in this area provide the river with a very steady flow of clean, cold water throughout the year. This makes the river a popular place for fishing and canoeing. Along its path, the river drops in elevation from about 1,250 feet to 579 feet (381 to 176 m). The average slope of the river is about 2.9 feet per mile (55 cm/km).

Ecology

The Manistee River is home to native fish species such as brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and the extinct Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus). Over the past 100 years, the river has experienced many changes in its environment and wildlife. These changes include past logging activities and the presence of two hydroelectric dams that block fish from migrating. Native fish also face challenges from non-native salmonids, such as brown trout (Salmo trutta), steelhead/rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), which compete with or prey on native species.

Efforts to reintroduce Arctic grayling to the river were led by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. A study conducted between 2011 and 2013 examined the suitability of habitats in the Big Manistee River tributaries and parts of the main river for Arctic grayling. The study found that non-living habitat conditions, such as temperature, gravel, and water quality, were suitable for reintroducing grayling, which was once the dominant fish species in Michigan. Another study showed that tributaries with fewer non-native brown trout may be better for reintroducing Arctic grayling. This is because two fish species that historically shared the habitat with grayling—brook trout and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus)—were found in smaller numbers when brown trout were present.

Activities and Recreation

Today, the river is used a lot for fun activities like canoeing, boating, and fishing. After being restored from the damage caused during the logging era, the river is now one of the best places in the country for catching trout and salmon. Boats can travel commercially on the lower parts of the river below Tippy Dam.

The Manistee River State Game Area is located upstream from Lake Manistee. It includes areas with bayous and wetlands that are next to the main river channel. This area is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and covers 3,920 acres of land along the Manistee River east of Manistee, Michigan. Nearby areas for hunting and fishing include Tatches Bayou, Claybanks Bayou, and Anderson Bayou. Popular activities in these wetlands include duck hunting and fishing for northern pike.

Drainage basin

The Manistee River flows through the following counties:

• Antrim County
• Benzie County
• Crawford County
• Grand Traverse County
• Kalkaska County
• Lake County
• Manistee County
• Mason County
• Missaukee County
• Osceola County
• Otsego County
• Wexford County