ANY GOLD IN LOWER MICHIGAN!!!!!!!

Gravel Pit

bigfootbandaid said:
I worked for a couple of years at a gravel pit in Kent county. The pay was poor but a bonus was the gold nuggets we would find often. with the ones I pulled out I cant help but wonder how many got by.
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Hi Big foot, I live in the Ada / Lowell area, I need to get some 1" wash stone for my dirt driveway what kind of stone and what pit would you recomend? Thanks
 

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Hickory that is not how glaciers really work. They will often leave large concentrations at their southern extreme points ...thus the good gold in Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. There are oddly decent concentrations sprinkled from north to south all through Mich, Wisconsin and Minn. as a result.

The key difference in the central/west UP is the lode deposits there...nothing to do with glaciers.

Mine it and recycle it!
 

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Hey Devil Dog! no offense marine, do you really think he's gonna tell you if so? Semper Fi! 1st div rss scout team 3
 

Hi Everyone! New here obviously and happy to of found this thread!

I have a question regarding some land I have here in Michigan near metro airport. I'm sitting on about 30 acres of wooded property and deep into the woods there is a shallow creek which I can say pretty much without a doubt has never been prospected. You'll have to excuse my ignorance, I love the outdoors but I'm a super newbie at prospecting, what would I be looking for exactly to give me a sign that it's POSSIBLE for there to be something out there? I ask because the creek runs through a bunch of gravel pit type areas and with the Michigan weather a lot of material flows through it so if I'm not wrong it could have some promise. Are there certain formations or conditions that I should looking for through the creek?
 

Congrats on finding a gold mine in your backyard!

Seriously, decent water flow and glacially deposited gravel are a promising combination...no guarantee but worth some real testing as long as finding a few flakes is enough to excite you :)

Mine it and recycle it!
 

FrancisK said:
Hi Everyone! New here obviously and happy to of found this thread!

I have a question regarding some land I have here in Michigan near metro airport. I'm sitting on about 30 acres of wooded property and deep into the woods there is a shallow creek which I can say pretty much without a doubt has never been prospected. You'll have to excuse my ignorance, I love the outdoors but I'm a super newbie at prospecting, what would I be looking for exactly to give me a sign that it's POSSIBLE for there to be something out there? I ask because the creek runs through a bunch of gravel pit type areas and with the Michigan weather a lot of material flows through it so if I'm not wrong it could have some promise. Are there certain formations or conditions that I should looking for through the creek?
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No formations to look for, just dig and pan. Dig in areas where the water slows down, downstream side of boulders, inside bends, sand bars, where the creek widens, etc.
But dig deep and sample as you go, pay layers could be anywhere..not always all the way down to bed rock. Also check for false bedrock ( a tightly compacted layer of sand and gravel) sometimes you have to break it up to get imbedded gold. sometimes the gold is above false bedrock sometimes below it.

That's why you have to sample ... to find where the deposits and pay streaks are.

GG~
 

Hi there, new to the forum and very surprised that you state you have been doing this for 20 years and found nothing. I have found about a dozen small flakes on my first try after a single pan and the about 4 gallons of classified dirt through my sluice which was about 2 hours or work. Needless to say I have gold fever now and plan on prospecting in all of my free time. There is gold in Michigan!
 

Hey guys! I'm here in Allendale and I just built a sluice and started panning some gravel from my dads valley. Glad to say I found some small flakes after only running half my 5 gallon bucket and the dirt was only from 0-9 inches down.
I also have been sampling dirt from local creeks and rivers, with mixed results I have been able to locate lots of black sand, but I have not yet separated the shiny from the fine black sand so no word yet. If anyone wants to go out ill share my info and finds. I have been looking for a partner to help sluice and pan my dads property so if anyone local would like to share the fun let me know.
 

I've looked on the internet that there is gold in Muskegon river and the white river by me and a list of others I cant remember. I get out when I can which hasn't been much lately still haven't found anything but I'm still tryong to figure it out if anyone ever needs a partner it would be helpful. My names DAN FROM Holton Mi.
 

you know you sound like kind of a JERK/IDIOT. you ask a question, the guy gives you his answer and you become a smart ass and call him "Mr Know It All" I followed his instructions and went to the Glennie damn and found 11 flakes in 2 days... His advice wasn't all bad as far as I am concerned. Maybe when you ask a question you be a bit more receptib=ve to more than t=just one answer or opinion... Just Sayin !
 

Hello everyone! Tori_Gold here from Newaygo, Michigan right off the muskegon river. Prime area from what I have read throughout this thread. I am new to panning/sluicing myself, but have watched the hubby and best friend do it all the time. Now please correct me if any of these questions are wrong:

I thought gold was normally only found in "black pay dirt"? Would you find that at the edge of a creek/river?
Does anyone else know of any spots to look for in Newaygo County? (I don't want your "secret" spot that is not what I am asking)
Also, I have searched all sorts of hints and tips for building a sluice box, my problem is that I am not that handy and would like some extra help...does anyone know of other tips or hints on this site I can search?

Thanks everyone, I am not new to other forums and know how hard it is to accept a "newbie" as well as their incessant questions when the answers are here, but sometimes they are buried and I would LOVE the help. Thanks!
 

idighistory, Placer deposits are old water/stream/river and even glacial deposits where any of these have cut through a mineral deposit and have deposited it along the path of the "historical" water course. Concentrations of these deposits occur in 'typical' zones: on the downstream side of large boulders and certain bends along a river

There have been several discussions here on Tnet about Reading a River, more are available on the internet. Usually placer deposits are indicated by the presence of rocks that have been somewhat or drastically rounded due to all the abrasion taking place while spinning in eddy currents, rolling down bedrock and just being mixed with other rocks of all sizes and spun around, think of a rock tumbler/polisher, same sort of 'polishing' action.

Another sort of basic 'washing' tool that can be used along with a pan is one of the smaller size's of Bazooka Gold Trap Sluice Boxes. They are more pricy than a simple gold pan but they wash a whole lot more dirt per hour than a pan does and they trap the fine gold quite well. Lot's of folks here on Tnet have them and more importantly Use Them with good success.

Classifying your raw sample, sorting out the finer materials from the larger materials, is a typical process in any small prospecting operation. The Bazooka units do this using the force of the water in a flowing stream, you shovel the raw sample into the unit and the water does the work. Classifier's can be purchased or MADE! They can also be purchased from the "Prospecting Section" of stores like Bed Bath & Beyond as well as Wal-Mart. These classifiers in the two stores listed are in the "Drawer Organizer" locations in the stores and are made from perforated metal, I like the one that is about 4" square with about a 1 1/2" high wall. These have holes that are sub 1/16" in diameter so only the "fines" will go through and since you are looking in 'fines country' they should work well. Fill the drawer divider about half full of dirt, with water in your gold pan or a rubber maid tub of water - insert the classifier into the water and shake the classifier back and forth. Bingo the sample is washed clean of any free flowing dirt, clay particles must be smeared through the screen to get them to break up. Now you have a bunch of fines to pan.

Have fun out there, enjoy yourself, do not expect to find any gold right off but then some do and please spend some time fishing and think of me when you catch a big one, I'm a displaced Detroit/Dearborn/Livonia Michigander myself. As someone else has suggested a true gold bearing state is a real treat to go to. I lived in northern California for many years, have spent 50 years backpacking in the "Mother Load" country and have had the thrill of finding up to ~ 1/4 oz. of gold one season. I've also caught lots of trout out there and have seen many beautiful scenes. Best of success...........................63bkpkr

062.JPG Way in the background of this picture is Tahoe/Reno and yes there is gold in the canyons in this picture.
 

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lower michigan is a waste of time if looking for gold. Take a 2 week vacation and go to cali or az this winter. Im from lower michigan and have only found flour gold and i have hit up many creeks and rivers
 

bigfootbandaid said:
I worked for a couple of years at a gravel pit in Kent county. The pay was poor but a bonus was the gold nuggets we would find often. with the ones I pulled out I cant help but wonder how many got by.
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Rights im sure you found gold nuggets lol. maybe pyrite or fools gold
 

Only gonna find glacial gold in michigan which is 99.999 percent fine flour.
 

There is no gold in Michigan they say.

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It is all glacial in the southern part of the state. Mostly fines and small flakes. But it is there!
 

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Yep, no gold in lower Michigan
Hahaha
 

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Impressive! I will be in Novi/Northville area in January visiting family. Any tips on a place I can pan despite the wintertime weather?
 

Don't know what January is gonna bring here in Michigan Kevin.
I've pretty much surrendered to waiting for next spring.
Don't have any tips as this area will be frozen over by then.
But, if the weather allows, there is a good area near Rochester
on the Clinton river that I have found most of my color
 

Yeah, I figured it might be all frozen up ...I grew up in metro Detroit myself :)
 

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