Float down the Escanaba

[WILDCATWICK]

Anyone float from gwinn to the big dam. I was considering doing it over a long weekend or maybe a week. Just was wondering time, I know that you can camp pretty much anywhere along it, and how it went. Not to much ever discussed about it. I fished all along the Iron Pin when I lived in Gwinn but I never floated it. I spent more time betweene Marquette & Big Bay. Now that I'm a troll again I was thinking of this float.

[AceMcbanon]

We do it every spring from a canoe in 2 1/2 days from gwinn to boney falls, that was with a lot of stopping to fish and a couple tip overs and recovery of gear. Lots of great places to camp, specially the swimming hole, and sawmill creek. Iron pin down to the swimming hole campground is my favorite, and i normally fish the east branch and iron pin on a weekley basis wading in the summer. Gets a bit to warm downstream later in the year. Never tried the fly waters after boney though.

[Whit1]

Sawmill Cr.

I'm a map looker and have always had a fascination of looking at county maps. Over the years I've looked at Sawmill Cr. in Marquette County and how it covers a lot of ground and is not accessible for most of its length. Does it hold brook trout? You won't be giving away any great tidbit as the creek is way out of the way from the casual wanderer.

That canoe trip on the Escanaba from Gwinn down is one I've always wanted to do.

Sorry Ace, I misplaced the above sentence into your post and had to remove it, thus the notice that I had edited your post.

[WILDCATWICK]

Whit I was reading Canoe Michigan a couple of nights ago and they said that there is Brook trout with a few browns as well. They said that they tried to canoe down but it's only 6 feet to 12 feet wide through much of it with alot of downed trees. If memory serves me right they explored from Ewen (not 100% sure I'd have to double check) to the mouth. They said the best way is to go from Escanaba and work your way upstream.

[Whit1]

Ewen is way to the west in the U.P. and not in the Escanaba R. watershed. I would suppose that Sawmill Cr. is way to small to be canoed.

I have that book Canoe Michigan. The focus is on the canoeing part rather than fishing, although they did some fishing. If the water temps are cold enough in Sawmill Cr. it must hold some outsized brook trout (given an ample forage base) as it is flows through parts of 12 sections before dumping into the Escanaba R., the vast majority of which is not accessible.

I'm sure the Big Escanaba offers some superb trout fishing opportunities and would be more than enough for anyone. However, that trout fishing map reader in me tells me that Sawmill Cr. might be some prime water, you know, the "grass is always greener" dreamer that rests in many of us. :lol:

[WILDCATWICK]

I'm sorry it comes out of little lake. Most of those creeks do have some nice fish. Bob's Truck Trail Creek and others that flow into the Escanaba or it's branches. I spent alot of time around Anderson Lake State Park and Bob's Truck trail. Big fish, big bear, big deer, and lots of grouse and small duck ponds. I really miss living in Gwinn. Small community. I went without T.V. while living there. I put in the field constantly.

I'm sure if I float it this year I'll tromp up alot of those creeks. If you read much of voelker he names or identifies alot of the feeder creeks to the Escanaba. I found myself really way out in the middle of no where trying to hunt down one creek in paticular that he gave alot of clues to. Sure enough I located the creek and looked like it had alot of promise. There were some nice deep holes, plenty of vegitation and undercuts. Cold water.....but silt everywhere. No fish anymore. They were selling some lakes and Islands in this wilderness area and had been putting in some new dirt roads over the river and it appeared that the damage was done.

I can only dream of the rivers and streams that I would be discovering if I still lived there. The possiblities seem endless.

[AceMcbanon]

There is plenty of brookies in sawmill whit, I've only fished it up from the eskie but there is fish, and like wild said it is hard to fish, the banks have tons of alders and what not, but there is a ton of structure for brookies just gotta put up with the bugs, plants, trees/ hundreds of snags ect to get to them. It's always a bit colder then the main river, and I've done real well fishing there once the eskie warms up a bit to much for most the trout. If you want to try some real wild water try the upper east branch of the eskie or middle, gorges, waterfalls ect and no one ever around, real hard to fish but nearly never fished. Consider the escanaba my home waters i put most of my time on them and the stretches in marquette county are great and isolated.

[GVSUKUSH]

I'm sorry it comes out of little lake. Most of those creeks do have some nice fish. Bob's Truck Trail Creek and others that flow into the Escanaba or it's branches. I spent alot of time around Anderson Lake State Park and Bob's Truck trail. Big fish, big bear, big deer, and lots of grouse and small duck ponds. I really miss living in Gwinn. Small community. I went without T.V. while living there. I put in the field constantly.

I'm sure if I float it this year I'll tromp up alot of those creeks. If you read much of voelker he names or identifies alot of the feeder creeks to the Escanaba. I found myself really way out in the middle of no where trying to hunt down one creek in paticular that he gave alot of clues to. Sure enough I located the creek and looked like it had alot of promise. There were some nice deep holes, plenty of vegitation and undercuts. Cold water.....but silt everywhere. No fish anymore. They were selling some lakes and Islands in this wilderness area and had been putting in some new dirt roads over the river and it appeared that the damage was done.

I can only dream of the rivers and streams that I would be discovering if I still lived there. The possiblities seem endless.


Well, you wet my appetite, I gotta go re-read my Voelker books now......

[WILDCATWICK]

Be carful while fishing the Upper East Branch of the Escanaba. There are holes out of nowhere!! My girlfirend and I have stopped off there 3 times in the last 4 years and each time we have encounter ddp holes that pop up out of nowhere. THe river was stained pretty good so they were not visible to the eye. Make sure you use a wadding staff even though where much of the access is, is only a foot or two deep. Great water, no one around, but easy to get lost on the back roads. I read in one of the fly fishing guides that a LO got lost and was asking the fisherman for directions how to get back on to the main road. And even thu I lived there for awhile I still get turned around because for most of it the dirt roads have no street signs!!!! :lol:

[DANN09]

Now You guys have Me dreaming. Milt it looks like we might have to do that UP trip this year. I think I'll have the time to do it :lol:

[WILDCATWICK]

Well, you wet my appetite, I gotta go re-read my Voelker books now......

Have the book in one hand and a good map in the other. Honestly you will be able to nail donw a creek or two and even the area on the creek he fished! ;)

[Whit1]

If you want to try some real wild water try the upper east branch of the eskie or middle, gorges, waterfalls ect and no one ever around, real hard to fish but nearly never fished..


I'm looking on my map and can only find the Big and Little West Branch of the Escanaba. Is that what you mean?

That sounds like very interesting water!

[AceMcbanon]

No the east branch and middle combine just south of gwinn, the east branch runs in from the north and is my favorite stretch it runs north south for awhile not far off 553, then further up it is much harder to get to as there is tons of two trails back there. It's a bit easier to access it from the two trails west of sawyer and even that is prime water and much smaller then when the two branches combine south of gwinn, but the northern, Northwest section of the river is in prime wilderness other then the two trails.

The middle branch is larger then the east branch and runs all the way up to greenwood reservoir and then up north of 41. I've fished it from Voelker lake down, and it gets a bit warmer then the other branches because of all the lakes it passes through, but still good early and late.

[WILDCATWICK]

Whit, He's referring to the East Branch of the Escanaba. If your looking at the map it connects with the Main Branch in Downtown Gwinn. The section we're referring to is just slightly north east of Gwinn. Gwinn has a twp. campground. The deepest pool on the East Branch that I'm aware of is right at the campground. Anything above that is great trout water. The pool is great water too but you have to get there before the swimmers start swimming there. They rope off a section of the river for swimming.

The upper East Branch has alot of rocks and boulders. It offers pocket water, riffles, and pools. Very secluded. GPS is highly recommened!

The upper middle branch (before the east branch connects) is very interesting water indeed. There are numerous dams and old reminates of mineing(sp?). It is very difficult to wade and access. But very secluded. You never know what your going to get becuase of the dam. There are a few stretches that I fished but had to access thru private land. For the most part I fished after the East Branch connected.

In the Gwinn area there are many Trout lakes as well. Many that can be fly fished from land. Just do a search on stocking. I would think that no trip would be complete in that area with out visiting at least one of the trout lakes.

If anyone's considering going and would like some company let me know. :)

[WILDCATWICK]

Ace, I worked at the Red Fox Run G.C. at Sawyer. Is the creek that goes through there O.K. to fish yet. It was heavily contaminated because of the rifle range. There were several groups that were working to get it cleaned up. I never personaly fished it but I heard some really amazing stories from some people at Jacks hideaway!

[Whit1]

Thanks guys! I found the East Branch. On my map the area around Gwinn is a bit cluttered with markings and the river doesn't show up until it gets away from the town. That whole system up there looks like it needs exploring. Watcha think George? You'll have some free time coming up soon..........real soon........plenty of free time.........:lol:

I love poring over maps like this.

Let's see, east of Gwinn on M35 County Rd. 553 goes north (past the former air base?). About 2 and 3/4 miles north of M35 a road enters 553 from the west (in Section 10 of whatever township that is). This road crosses the East Br. How's the fishing upstream from the bridge. It looks promising.

You guys are sure right about all the 2-track roads up that way. A guy could really get lost in there. No street signs you say?...........:lol:

[AceMcbanon]

I fished it last spring and didn't realize it was contaminated till i was talking to a local in a bar at gwinn. But he said it still was, mabye the name silver lead creek should have tipped me off

Speaking of those trout lakes i spent 4pm till 1 am last night trying for some bows and didn't even get a nibble on little shag

[WILDCATWICK]

I fished it last spring and didn't realize it was contaminated till i was talking to a local in a bar at gwinn. But he said it still was, mabye the name silver lead creek should have tipped me off

Speaking of those trout lakes i spent 4pm till 1 am last night trying for some bows and didn't even get a nibble on little shag


Silver lead :lol: Did you catch anything? That creek has never had pressure because it was always off limits when it was the AFB. Then when it became open access there was no one left in the town to fish it! :lol: I knew it was heavily contaminated so i never bothered. Just was curious.

Are you staying the summer up there? If so I'll make sure to stop buy and say hello, if I come up....I almost always do.

[jpolson]

There is a book that I read quite a bit called "FlyFisher's Guide to Michigan". It is a great resource for stream information, even if you don't flyfish. If you do not want to buy it, or your local library does not have it, just go to a bookstore and see if you can thumb through the area of interest. If you do that you will be tempted to buy it, I know I was. I would let you know what it says but I am in class right now and do not have access to it right now.
Joel