# Panning for Gold in Michigan



## chopperloui

I've recently developed an interest in gold mining/Hunting. I'm looking for information on Michigan sites for gold panning. Any past or present info on finds in streams, rivers, lakes and anywhere in michigan. Also any tips about learning gold panning.

Thanks

Dale


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## WAUB-MUKWA

Sorry, only on Private property in Michigan.


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## stinger63

The Grand river water shed has some of the largest deposits of gold to be found anywhere in the state.I never have done it myself but it has me interested.Do a google serch on panning for gold in michigan you will find alot of answers and info on where you can start.


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## bow sniper

will anyone let me pan for gold on thier property this summer? let me know. ill split the profits with ya! lol:xzicon_sm


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## WILDCATWICK

WAUB-MUKWA said:


> Sorry, only on Private property in Michigan.


:16suspect

There are plenty of rivers in the U.P. that people pan with success. Too many to even list. Google it. Yellow Dog is one that comes to mind. Also gold gets washed up onto the beaches of Lake Superior. 

I've never done it myself but have talked to a few that have done it numerous times and plan holidays around their panning for gold. Let you're fingers do the walking and then go enjoy the experience.


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## Steve

Hmmm, if there were enough interest I could see a new forum about it.


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## Frantz

I have a pan and instructions and have panned a little but have not found anything.


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## tangleknot

I've always found it pretty interesting but never gave it a try. Cash and Treasures on the travel channel had a neat segment on panning last year. If you are interested in stuff like that, you would probably enjoy that show.


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## krt

Steve said:


> Hmmm, if there were enough interest I could see a new forum about it.


Maybe combine it with metal detecting.


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## twohats

I enjoy metal detecting and gold panning. I have a bag of material to pan thats from an open pit mine from Georgia.Its all fine gold but fun to do when I get bored around the house. Also have some nuggets that I have purchased.


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## Ausable Junkie

Found some small flakes of color less than 2 weeks ago in an area river. Its out there. Like the old timers say, "Gold is where you find it". Almost any river or stream with good seasonal flow will have some gold in it. 

Look up moraine deposits in Michigan. These are the deposits left by the glaciers as they melted away. Kinda like when a guy snowplows your driveway before the frost sets in. When the snow melts, you see the little ridges of material that got scraped away from the topsoil and left there when he put the truck in reverse and backed up.

Look for moraine deposits that cross rivers and stream beds. Good place to do some prospecting.


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## Hamilton Reef

Going for gold: High price has prospectors looking

Currently, gold is selling for about $827 an ounce. Earlier this year, the price peaked at $1,018.

Prospectors look for clear, fast-running streams where specks of the heavy metal are sometimes lodged under logs, rocks or gravel. The work is slow and tedious, with no guarantee of success.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=786439


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## RoadKillCafe

twohats said:


> I enjoy metal detecting and gold panning. I have a bag of material to pan thats from an open pit mine from Georgia.Its all fine gold but fun to do when I get bored around the house. Also have some nuggets that I have purchased.


 I saw gold metal detectors for sale online. do those actually work?


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## twohats

RoadKillCafe said:


> I saw gold metal detectors for sale online. do those actually work?


 
The detecors for gold prospecting are used for nugget hunting.They wont pick up the fine gold. 


Findmall.com has a lot of info on treasure hunting. From relics and coin to gold prospecting.


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## RoadKillCafe

twohats said:


> The detecors for gold prospecting are used for nugget hunting.They wont pick up the fine gold.
> 
> 
> Findmall.com has a lot of info on treasure hunting. From relics and coin to gold prospecting.


My best impersonation of Homer ... "Mmmmm gold nuggets" I'll take a pound or two please


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## Laketrotter

It would be pretty nice to got up north from a weekend and pan for gold and come home with a $100 to $200 in gold dust.


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## snakebit67

i have a couple creeks that run through my property i will be trying. Also bought a metal detector. will let you know how i do


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## mdad

I went gold panning in the UP last year after paying 25 bucks on a web site that gave me GPS coordinates to a site. It was worth it. I found gold and learned alot about what to look for and how to pan. I also joined the GPAA. This is another great source for learning how. I also bought a bag of dirt to learn how to pan correctly along with a video from the GPAA. This year I went back to a little different spot in the UP and found gold again. I brought 8 five gallon buckets back full of dirt and am slowly going thru them to remove the gold. Panning can be a painfully slow process when the gold flakes are small. Just bought a mini sluice and love it. I don't think many people will be very specific on where they find gold but I could definitely show someone how to pan. I would like to make a UP run again this year to get more buckets and to look in another area for some nuggets. I now try to take a pan with me when I go fishing. I think it is a great outdoor activity.


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## WAUB-MUKWA

Dear Hobby Gold / Mineral Collector:

Recently you requested information about mineral collecting and/or gold panning in Michigan. The following very briefly covers some frequently requested information related to recreational mineral collecting and gold prospecting in Michigan.

Unlike some Western states, there is no claim staking in Michigan. It is important to obtain permission from the owner of the land and minerals. Ownership may be private, State, or federal. Surface and mineral rights are sometimes severed and all owners would need to be contacted. Mineral ownership can sometimes only be determined by a county courthouse search of records for each land parcel involved.

Some recreational mineral collecting and gold panning, with a pan only, is allowed under certain circumstances on privately-owned surface and mineral lands. Ownership of inland lake and stream bottoms usually extends from the adjacent owners of the highlands, and is projected to the center of the lake or stream. Permission of the owner(s) is needed at the location to be panned.

The federal forests we have in Michigan all have professional, prospecting, permitting procedures for their lands. They do not always own the minerals even though they may own the surface. Contact the U.S. Forest Headquarters for more information about permission to do recreational or commercial gold panning and mineral prospecting on these lands.

State of Michigan owned lands also have various mineral ownerships. Professional commercial mineral prospecting on State-owned mineral lands requires a State-issued Mineral Lease. This is a fairly involved legal process. Contact our office, Mineral and Land Management Section, Forest, Mineral and Fire Management, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), P.O. Box 30452, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7952 (Phone 517-373-7663), for further details. There are no regulations specifically allowing recreational mineral collecting or gold panning on State lands. Thus there currently is no mechanism to legally allow these activities on a casual, recreational, or hobby level.

Dredging for gold or other minerals requires a dredging permit. This is a requirement, no matter who is the surface or mineral owner of the stream or lake bottom. Both the use of a dredge or a sluice box requires a dredging permit. The purpose of a permit is to limit sedimentation disturbances in water bodies to prevent problems with fish and other biota habitat. Dredging permits are issued by the Land & Water Management Division (LWMD), Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), in Lansing. Their non-refundable application fee of $50 allows you to apply for a site-specific, two-month permit to use a small dredge on a specific 

segment of certain streams. For information, call LWMD at 517-373-1170. Specific circumstances may require additional permits. Contact the Environmental Assistance Division, MDEQ, Lansing, for information and assistance with meeting any MDEQ permit requirements. The phone number for the Environmental Assistance Center is 1-800-662-9278. 

The use of metal detectors to search for minerals also falls under the need for permission of land and mineral rights owner(s). Use of detectors to locate and remove lost items on public and private lands such as parks, beaches, etc., is frequently restricted or prohibited. Check with the owner or manager of the property first.
Gold / Mineral Collector - 2 - Spring, 2007

For information about some old gold mines and prospects in Michigan, the OGS of the MDEQ offers several books and bulletins, two of which are: 

The Mineralogy of Michigan, Bulletin 6, by E. Wm. Heinrich, 225+ pages, 1996, sells for $5, describes many minerals, and lists locations where they have been found.

Gold in Michigan offers references and photocopies of selected out-of-print publications of the Office of Geological Survey (OGS). It is available as OGS Open-File Report 80-1, includes about 78 pages, and sells for $4.

Both can be ordered from Publication Sales, OGS, MDEQ, P.O. Box 30256, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7756. You may wish to request their current list of publications. Postage charges are $2 for orders up to $9.99, and $3 for orders $10.00 to $49.99. Make checks payable to the State of Michigan. Include six percent Michigan State sales tax for orders to Michigan addresses. 

As we discussed, you may want to check into the following two additional sources for gold and mineral collecting information: 
The Minerals Program Manager, Huron-Manistee National Forest, 1755 South Mitchell, Cadillac, Michigan, 49601; 
The website for the Michigan Chapter, Gold Prospectors Association of America, http://www.michgpaa.homestead.com/index.html .

Remember to allow sufficient time for seeking property and mineral owners permission, obtaining any needed printed materials, and up to 180 days for the permitting process. Good luck and happy hunting!

Sincerely,


Milton A. Gere, Jr., Geologist
Mineral and Land Management Section
Forest, Mineral and Fire Management 
517-335-3249


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## UltimateOutdoorsman

Open the new forum Steve!


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