Fly Fishing the Au Sable River, Michigan: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
Location Details / Michigan / Au Sable River
Fly Fishing the Au Sable River, Michigan: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
The Au Sable River starts near Grayling and runs east to Lake Huron at Oscoda. Wade the flies-only, no-kill Holy Water from Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge, float the bigger water below, and fish the South and North Branches on foot. Late April through September is trout season's heart, with the night Hex hatch from mid-June.
No Fly Fishing Insider Podcast episode covers the Au Sable River by name yet. The closest is Andrew Steketee of FlyLab, who grew up night-fishing the Hex for Michigan browns and told us on our October 7, 2024 episode that the biggest fish he chased stayed hidden by day and roamed after dark. That is the Au Sable in June.
Species
Wild brown and brook trout, some rainbows; steelhead and chinook salmon below Foote Dam
Best months
Late April to September; mid-June to mid-July for the night Hex
Character
Spring-fed freestone with a very stable flow; dammed below Mio
Nearest towns
Grayling, Luzerne, Mio, Oscoda
Nearest airports
Traverse City (TVC); Detroit (DTW)
Rule to know
Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge: artificial flies only, no trout kept
Au Sable River Section by Section
The Holy Water: Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge
Just east of Grayling, this 9.0-mile stretch of mainstream is the Au Sable's signature: flies only, open all year, catch-and-release. Burton's Landing and Keystone Landing are state forest campgrounds on the river; DNR notes wild brook trout to 12 inches and browns past 20 inches at Keystone. It is classic wading water.
Wakeley Bridge to McMasters Bridge and Mio
Below Wakeley the rules shift to artificial lures with a two-trout limit and an 18-inch minimum on browns, and the river gets wider and deeper. This is drift boat water, the classic place for an Au Sable riverboat float and for night trips during the Hex.
South Branch and North Branch
The South Branch runs north from Lake St. Helen, and its flies-only water includes the Mason Tract, a state-owned corridor with walk-in access. The North Branch, past Lovells, is smaller, gentler water with its own flies-only stretch. Both suit anglers who would rather walk.
Mio Dam to Alcona Pond: the Au Sable National Scenic River
The Huron-Manistee National Forests manage these 23 miles as the Au Sable National Scenic River, with access at McKinley Landing, the 4001 Canoe Landing and other day use sites. Bigger water and fewer wading anglers; streamer and float water. USFS access list.
Below Foote Dam to Lake Huron
Foote Dam is the last dam before Lake Huron, and Michigan DNR's river assessment notes runs of Lake Huron fish below it, steelhead and chinook salmon among them. The Forest Service's Whirlpool Angler Access off River Road west of Oscoda is the walk-in spot. Fish it fall through spring.
Reading the Au Sable Flows
Live USGS gauges: Au Sable near Red Oak, at Mio, South Branch near Luzerne and North Branch near Lovells. Michigan DNR's Au Sable assessment calls it probably the most stable streamflow of any large stream in the United States, because groundwater feeds it. USGS monthly means at Red Oak from 2011 to 2025 peak in April near 1,300 cfs and bottom out near 650 cfs in August.
Our reading: a reading well above the April mean is a streamer and float day; the Holy Water wades easiest near the summer lows.
When to Fly Fish the Au Sable River
Our reading of the upper Au Sable, not agency data; hatches follow water temperature and slide a week or two year to year.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hendrickson | ||||||||||||
| Caddis and sulphurs | ||||||||||||
| Hex (night) | ||||||||||||
| Hoppers and terrestrials | ||||||||||||
| Streamers, browns | ||||||||||||
| Steelhead below Foote Dam |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Blank cells mean not worth planning around. A 1950 Michigan Department of Conservation study found the Au Sable's Hex emerging about an hour after dark.
Au Sable River Rules to Know
- Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge (Holy Water): artificial flies only, open all year, possession limit of zero trout; children under 12 may keep one (Michigan DNR 2026).
- Wakeley Bridge to McMasters Bridge: artificial lures only, two-trout limit, 18-inch minimum on brown trout (Michigan DNR 2026).
- South Branch and North Branch: each has its own flies-only, gear restricted reach; check the boundaries in the current digest before you fish (Michigan DNR 2026).
- Trout season elsewhere: Type 1 and 2 trout streams open the last Saturday in April and close September 30; gear restricted reaches have their own seasons (Michigan DNR 2026).
Plan a 3-Day Au Sable River Trip
Day 1: Wade
The Holy Water
Base in Grayling. Walk in at Burton's Landing or Keystone Landing and fish the flies-only water upstream, dries if bugs are up, small streamers if not.
Day 2: Float
Wakeley Bridge Downstream
Float the wider water below Wakeley with a guide. In late June, book the evening float and stay for the Hex.
Day 3: Pick by season
South Branch or Below Foote Dam
Summer: wade the South Branch through the Mason Tract. October to April: drive to Oscoda and swing for steelhead below Foote Dam.
What to bring: a 9-foot 5-weight, a 6-weight for night fishing and streamers, 3X to 5X tippet, a headlamp, bug spray and a Michigan fishing license.
Want it planned for you?
Book a Local Pro on the Au Sable River
Guide, lodge or outfitter on the Au Sable River? Get listed. No FFIP Certified pro is listed on the Au Sable River yet. Put your business in front of anglers planning this river.
Market Your ServicesNot a guide listing, but one Au Sable shop is in our fly tyer directory: Gates Au Sable Lodge in Grayling sells flies through its own site.
See all pros in the FFIP directory.
Plan an Au Sable River Trip with Frontiers
No Au Sable River lodge is on our Frontiers list yet. We represent many great lodges through Frontiers International Travel, roughly 250 worldwide, so if a Great Lakes steelhead river or a wild trout week is on your list, ask anyway.
Au Sable River Tips from Podcast Guests
No Au Sable guide is in our Tips Library yet; these four are transferable, from guests on similar water.
-
Wait for the pull, not the splash, before you set
Transferable: night mousing and Hex nights.
Tanner Barbeau, Colorado night mousing guide -
Fish dark streamers on overcast, off-color days for trophy trout
Transferable: the water below Wakeley.
Simeon Myers, Pennsylvania trophy trout angler -
Use a heavier sink tip to manage streamer depth
Transferable: Mio to Alcona.
Cody Kowitz, Michigan and Alaska migratory fish guide -
Let the fly hang at the end of the swing
Transferable: steelhead below Foote Dam.
Roger Hinchcliff, Great Lakes steelhead angler, Episode 88
Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library.
Hear the Au Sable River on the Podcast
How to Target Big Trout (with FlyLab's Andrew): Andrew Steketee on big brown trout, night fishing the Hex in Michigan, heavy tippet and fighting big fish. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Shop the Water: Flies for the Au Sable River
Adams Wulff, Size 8
Parachute Adams, Size 12
Goddard Caddis, Size 16
BWO Parachute, Size 18
Chubby Chernobyl, Tan, 4 Pack
Mighty Mouse Deer Hair, Size 4
Zuddler and Muddy Buddy Streamers
Brown Crystal Woolly Bugger, Size 4
Au Sable River Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
When is the best time to fly fish the Au Sable River?
Late April through September is the core of the Au Sable River season: Hendricksons in late April and May, caddis and sulphurs into June, then the night Hex hatch from mid-June to mid-July and terrestrials in August. The Holy Water stays open all year for winter and early spring streamer days.
What is the Holy Water on the Au Sable?
The Holy Water is the 9.0-mile reach of the Au Sable mainstream near Grayling from Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge. Michigan DNR manages it as artificial flies only, open all year, with no trout kept except one fish for children under 12. It is classic wading water and a fine place to learn the river.
Should you wade or float the Au Sable River?
Wade the Holy Water and the South and North Branches; they are the Au Sable's classic wading water. Float below Wakeley Bridge and from Mio to Alcona, where the Au Sable gets wider and deeper.
Au Sable or Manistee: which should you fish?
Choose the Au Sable for dry fly water, the flies-only Holy Water and the Hex near Grayling. Choose the Manistee if you want trout up high and a Lake Michigan steelhead and salmon run below Tippy Dam on the same trip. Both rivers start near Grayling, so you can fish both on one trip.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed November 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.