The Manistee River, rarely called the Big Manistee River, is a 190-mile-long (310 km) river located in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It begins in the Northern Lower Peninsula and flows generally southwesterly to its mouth at Lake Michigan near the city named Manistee.

The Manistee River is considered, like the nearby Au Sable River, to be one of the best places for catching trout east of the Rocky Mountains. Scientists are also studying ways to restore Arctic grayling to the river, as these fish have not been found in Michigan since 1936.

History

The name "Manistee" comes from an Ojibwe word, though its exact meaning is not certain. It may be related to the word "ministigweyaa," which means "river with islands at its mouth." The Ojibwe (known as 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 its reservation in Manistee County and also on lands in Mason County.

Historically, the upper part of the river was famous for its Arctic grayling fishery, one of the best in the world and at the southern edge of the fish's range. People often caught more than 1,000 fish in a single weekend outing until the 1880s, when logging damaged the river's streams and habitat. Logging began in earnest by European-American settlers between 1880 and 1910, with the most logging happening in the 1890s. This activity removed trees, caused silt and debris to pollute the river, and harmed water quality.

The river’s large size, steady flow, and few waterfalls or obstacles made it good for moving lumber. During this time, large white pine logs, some as wide as 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter, were floated down the river to Manistee’s port and then sent to lumber markets in cities like Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, and Chicago. The wood was used to build cities and towns in the Midwestern United States. Some logs became stuck along the river 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, about 6 miles (10 km) southeast of the town of Alba. The deep glacial sands in this area provide the river with a remarkably stable flow of clean, cold water throughout the year. This makes the river a popular place for fishing and canoeing. As the river flows, its height decreases from about 1,250 to 579 feet (381 to 176 m). The average slope of the river is approximately 2.9 feet per mile (55 cm/km).

Ecology

The Manistee River is home to native river-dwelling 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 to its environment, including large-scale logging and the construction of two hydroelectric dams that block fish from moving freely. Native fish also face challenges from competition or predation by non-native fish species, such as brown trout (Salmo trutta), steelhead or rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has shown interest in bringing back Arctic grayling to the river. Between 2011 and 2013, a study examined whether the Big Manistee River and parts of the main river could support Arctic grayling. Researchers found that non-living factors such as water temperature, gravel, and water quality were suitable for reintroducing grayling, which was once the most common fish of its kind in Michigan. Another study showed that tributaries with few non-native brown trout might be best for Arctic grayling. This is because two fish species that historically lived with grayling—brook trout and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus)—are found in smaller numbers when brown trout are present.

Activities and Recreation

Today, the river is widely used for recreation, providing good conditions for canoeing, boating, and fishing. After being restored from the damage caused during the logging period, the river is once again regarded as one of the best trout and salmon rivers in the country. Boats can travel commercially along 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 winding marshes near the main river channel. This area is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and covers 3,920 acres along the Manistee River east of Manistee, Michigan. Nearby areas for hunting and fishing include Tatches Bayou, Claybanks Bayou, and Anderson Bayou. Duck hunting and northern pike fishing are common activities in the managed marshland.

Drainage basin

The Manistee River drains land in 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