newbe in michigan

[warthog]

I've been metal detecting as a hobby for a while but my friends keep talking about panning so i thought id give it a try. upper lower (traverse city, leeland area) any tips for the newbe?

 

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[TerryC]

Just one tip. If you're looking in MI, you are not going to get alot. Just don't give up! Consider any color a success! Go where it's been known to be found. Watch for other goodies... native copper, silver. I know Lake Michigan also has diamonds. I am a WI native. Remember... don't give up. TTC

 

[49erjohn]

Welcome Warthog, Here in michigan there is a club called the " MICHIGAN GOLD PROSPECTORS" that you may want to join. They have outings that teach you all about Michigan gold and how to find it. As for me, after 30 years of prospecting in Michigan, I have never found any Michigan gold. Thats why I have a mining claim in Downieville, California. Good Luck...JOHN

 

[oneeye]

Like previously mentioned, not a lot of gold found here in Michigan. But, there is some out there. I am interested in making a trip West myself. Good luck.

 

[Sluice Box]

What's up Warthog? This will actually be my first post as well, since I just joined. Anyways, I've been prospecting for about a month actually now, and actually just found a spot with small amounts of gold flakes, very small though, but their there! That was actually my 2nd outing as well. I dug underneath a log that had looked as if it had been there for quite some time in a small stream that runs into a river. And for tips, I suggest just reading as much as you can cause it really paid off for me. Also look up Gold Panning Mistakes, that will give you some good info. Hope luck runs your way. I will post pics soon once I get my camera operational. Happy Hunting!

Sluice Box

 

[KevinInColorado]

here is what I found on another web site:
From Charlebois Kenneth
Placer Gold found in Ogantz River.

Near Ralph, MI placer gold in Ford River and some of it's tributary creeks.

Most of the creeks flowing into the Yellow Dog and Salmon Trout have some gold.

From David Payant AKA MadDog
There are gold deposits in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Marquette County has one closed mine, Roper's, located north of the City of Ishpeming. Allegedly, there are gold bearing formations near Rocking Chair Lakes, near the Mulligan Plains. The Longyear Corporation tried to block making a wilderness area there because they claim it has potential for a big gold strike. I have heard of placer gold in Bushy Creek, a tributary of the the Yellow Dog River. Placer gold has been found in the Yellow Dog Plains, south of the AAA road. The Marquette County Planning Department has a map of the sites. Two failed mines are locate off Gold Mine Road. The road starts at the ghost town of Birch which is on County Road 550. I have located one of the these mines and a test pit. Allegedly, the gold is found in a association with silver and copper. There is a legend about two lost silver deposits. One was found by an old prospector who showed the nuggets to several people and then died in a fire in a L'anse boarding house. He claimed the find was from the Huron Mountains. Another deposit was found near the Holyoke Mine (silver), north of the Dead River. That depost was simply lost and the prospector forgot how to go back to the site.

From Johnny Banjo
I'm in southeast lower Michigan and I've found nearly all the streams in Washtenaw, Livingston, Lenawee, Jackson, and Oakland Counties show color in minor amounts.

I usually get a couple dozen specs and flakes per sluice load. I also found one nice "soup-bean" size copper and gold nugget in the Huron river in Wasthenaw County ten minutes west of Ann Arbor.
>>>>>>>>>
...in addition there are black sands on some Great Lakes beaches...try that...really impressive gold has come out of beaches up on the Michigan shore of Lake Superior. ( I have seen the youtube videos of prospectors there myself!)

Good luck searching and be sure to at least PM me with any successful results you get from this info. My folks live up in Cheyboygan so I am particularly interested in learning about any gold in the northern part of the lower penninsula. Thanks!!

 

[makton]

My in'laws own the property with one of those failed mines. I plan to find it this summer along with trying my luck on some of the creeks.

I collected some black sand from the beach this past summer but I still need to get a pan.
Can't see any visible gold even through a loupe.

Good luck to you and hope you find more gold!!!

Makton