Fly Fishing Michigan: Guides, Rivers, Seasons and Tips
Location Details / Michigan
Fly Fishing Michigan: Guides, Rivers, Seasons and Tips
Michigan fly fishing centers on the Lower Peninsula: the flies-only Holy Water of the Au Sable near Grayling, the Pere Marquette, the Manistee and the Muskegon, where steelhead and salmon run in from Lake Michigan. Night Hex hatches run from mid-June into July, and smallmouth and pike carry the summer. A nonresident annual license costs $76.
Michigan gives a fly angler three fisheries in one state: wild trout rivers with long fly-only traditions, Great Lakes steelhead and salmon that run those same rivers from fall through spring, and native smallmouth and pike that most visiting trout anglers drive past. Rules change by section.
The Michigan story in our archive worth carrying to the river is about boots, not fish. On the November 2023 episode of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, Dan Waschura, host of the Points North Podcast and a Traverse City resident, walked through Michigan State University research. Among surveyed anglers who knew New Zealand mud snails were in the water they fished, 55 percent still did not clean their gear, and the snails turned up in abundance around angler access points; Waschura said they are now common in northern Michigan. When the same team set out simple boot-brush stations at Michigan river access points, preliminary results showed about 87 percent of anglers walked straight past. Parents stopped more often, because their kids asked about the sign. Brush your boots between rivers.
Top species
Brown, brook and rainbow trout, steelhead, chinook and coho salmon, lake trout, smallmouth bass, northern pike
Best months
Late June to July for the Hex; October to November and March to April for steelhead; June to September for smallmouth
Top waters
Au Sable River, Pere Marquette River, Manistee River, Muskegon River and the Lake Michigan tributaries
License and regs
Michigan DNR license information; anyone 17 or older needs a license to fish public waters
Nearest airports
Traverse City (TVC) for the Au Sable and Manistee; Grand Rapids (GRR) for the Pere Marquette and Muskegon; Detroit (DTW)
Rule to know
Type 1 and 2 trout streams open the last Saturday in April and close September 30; gear restricted reaches have their own seasons
Where to Fly Fish in Michigan
Au Sable River: the Holy Water and the Hex
The Holy Water is the Au Sable mainstream in Crawford County from Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge, 9.0 miles that Michigan DNR lists as artificial flies only, open all year, with a possession limit of zero trout (children under 12 may keep one). Below Wakeley Bridge to McMasters Bridge it switches to artificial lures, a two-trout limit and an 18-inch minimum on browns. The North and South Branches have their own flies-only stretches.
The Au Sable is also home to the Hex, Hexagenia limbata, the giant burrowing mayfly. A 1950 Michigan Department of Conservation study found the largest Hexagenia population of any Michigan stream it sampled here, with emergence starting about an hour after dark and heavy hatches from mid-June to mid-July. Andrew Steketee of FlyLab, who grew up night-fishing dries for Michigan browns, cited telemetry work on the podcast showing 20-inch-plus Michigan browns moving seven to eleven miles in a night. Read his big trout episode notes.
Pere Marquette River
The Pere Marquette's flies-only water runs 8.5 miles in Lake County from M-37 down to the boat ramp at Gleason's Landing: open all year, artificial flies only, zero trout and salmon kept (children under 12 may keep one). Below Gleason's Landing to Rainbow Rapids the rules change by date, so check the current digest. Across all of the Pere Marquette, terminal gear is restricted from August 1 to November 15.
Manistee River
The upper Manistee is trout water: artificial lures only from County Road 612 to M-72, then 16.7 flies-only miles from M-72 to the CCC Bridge, each with a two-trout limit and an 18-inch minimum on browns. Below Tippy Dam the river becomes Great Lakes water, and from Tippy Dam to the railroad bridge below M-55 special artificial lure rules and the August 1 to November 15 terminal gear limits apply.
Muskegon River
The lower Muskegon, from the mouth up to Croton Dam, is steelhead and salmon water under the same artificial lure rules and August 1 to November 15 gear limits. The 1950 Hexagenia study listed it, the Manistee and the Pere Marquette among rivers with major Hex hatches.
Great Lakes steelhead and salmon tributaries
Cody Kowitz, who guided 12 years in Alaska and guides migratory fish in Michigan, told the podcast in October 2024 that Michigan's fall surge is short: the river can drop from 75 to 38 degrees in about six weeks, and kings go from chrome to bronze and shut down in roughly two weeks. Fresh fall fish sit in shallower, faster runs; winter fish settle into deeper holes; spring drop-backs chase fry and sculpin right onto the bank. Read his migratory fish episode notes.
Smallmouth and pike
Alan Campbell, a Grand Rapids guide, argues on the podcast that Michigan smallmouth and pike are native, wild and close to town, while the best brown trout water can be a two or three hour drive. Michigan bass are catch and immediate release all year, with possession from the Saturday before Memorial Day through December 31 and a 14-inch minimum.
Also worth the drive
- Boardman River: trout water at Traverse City.
- Platte River: where Dan Waschura first went fly fishing.
- Two Hearted River: Upper Peninsula water.
- Grand Traverse Bay: Lake Michigan lake trout within reach of a small boat.
When to Go Fly Fishing in Michigan
For trout, late April through September is prime, with the Hex as the headline from mid-June into July. Steelhead peak in fall and spring; smallmouth carry the summer. Treat this table as general guidance built from Michigan DNR season rules, the 1950 Hexagenia study and our guests, not a promise for any week.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au Sable Holy Water trout | ||||||||||||
| Hex hatch (night) | ||||||||||||
| Steelhead (Lake Michigan tribs) | ||||||||||||
| Chinook salmon run | ||||||||||||
| River smallmouth and pike |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Blank cells mean closed or not worth planning around. Hatches follow water temperature, so call a local shop the week you travel.
Book a Local Pro in Michigan
Guide or lodge in Michigan? Get listed. No FFIP Certified guide, lodge or outfitter is in Michigan yet. Put your guide service, lodge or outfitter in front of the anglers planning trips here.
Market Your ServicesBrowse every FFIP Certified pro in the guides and lodges directory.
Custom Flies and Rods from Michigan
These independent Michigan fly tyers and shops sell flies through their own sites.
- Zudbubbler (Matt Zudweg), Newaygo
- Gates Au Sable Lodge, Grayling
- Schultz Outfitters, Ypsilanti: owner Mike Schultz was a guest on the podcast in August 2020.
Michigan custom fly rod builders, several working in bamboo and cane:
- R.W. Summers Co., Traverse City
- McKellip Brothers Bamboo Rods, Bay City: bamboo rods.
- Leon F. Hanson Quality Cane Fly Rods, Plymouth: cane rods.
- RKP Cane Rods, Grayling: cane rods.
- Razing Kane Rod Company, Grayling
- Greybeard Flyrods, Harbor Springs
- J.A. Henry Rod & Reel Co., Cannonsburg
- Graywolf Rods
- Wanigas Rod Company
- Michigan Streamside Custom Rods
Michigan Tips from Podcast Guests
-
Change fish, not flies, when nothing is working
A trusted fly fished through new water beats a fly box tour of one run.
Cody Kowitz, Michigan and Alaska migratory fish guide -
Let the fly hang at the end of the swing
Assume a steelhead is following until the fly stops.
Roger Hinchcliff, Great Lakes steelhead angler, on Episode 88 -
Stop bombing casts: steelhead sit closer than you think
Most fish hold mid-river, not on the far bank.
Jeff Liskay, Ohio steelhead guide, on Episode 90 -
Bounce and strip your line to keep streamers in the strike zone
A pop of the rod tip keeps a buoyant streamer above structure.
Alan Campbell, Grand Rapids smallmouth and pike guide -
Match your tippet, leader length and depth to the day's tactic
Heavier tippet near wood; longer leader and a cone head for streamers.
Jon Ray, Michigan smallmouth guide, on Guided EP #15
Want more? Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library, sorted by region, water type, species and skill.
Hear Michigan on the Podcast
Fishing Opportunities in the Great Lakes Areas and Invasive Species: Dan Waschura on northern Michigan's trout streams, Grand Traverse Bay and the mud snail research. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Michigan Fly Fishing for Smallies and Pike: Alan Campbell on seasonal smallmouth and pike tactics around Grand Rapids. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Also worth a listen: Cody Kowitz on How to Streamer Fish for Migratory Fish, Mike Schultz on high level guiding for smallmouth year round and Jon Ray on smallmouth tactics on the fly.
Shop the Water: Flies and Gear for Michigan
Streamers and buggers for browns and steelhead, nymphs, big dries for summer nights and poppers for smallmouth, all in stock in the FFIP shop.
Mini Sex Dungeon Sampler, Size 6
Zuddler and Muddy Buddy Streamers
Slumpbuster and Bunny Streamers
Brown Crystal Woolly Bugger, Size 4
Jigged Pat's Rubber Legs, 14 Flies
Parachute Adams, Size 12
Adams Wulff, Size 8
Bass Bug Collection, 12 Flies
Deer Hair Diver, White, Size 4
Clouser Deep Minnow, Black
Egg Hook 105 for Egg Flies
Blue Line Net, Small
Michigan Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
How much is a Michigan fishing license?
Michigan DNR lists an annual all-species license at $76 for nonresidents and $26 for residents, and a $10 daily license for anyone. Michigan seniors 65 and older pay $11. Anglers 17 and older need a license, and the annual license runs March 1 through March 31 of the next year.
When is the Hex hatch in Michigan?
The Hex hatch usually runs from mid-June into July on northern Lower Peninsula rivers. A 1950 Michigan Department of Conservation study on the Au Sable recorded heavy emergence between mid-June and mid-July, starting about an hour after dark and peaking around 10:30 to 11:30 at night. Warm years run earlier and tighter; cold years run later.
What is the Holy Water on the Au Sable River?
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 between 8 and 12 inches for children under 12.
When do steelhead run in Michigan rivers?
Steelhead enter Lake Michigan tributaries such as the Pere Marquette, Manistee and Muskegon in fall, hold through winter in deeper holes and spawn in spring, so October to November and March to April are the core windows. Guide Cody Kowitz says the freshest fall fish sit in shallower, faster runs.
Au Sable or Pere Marquette: which should you fish first?
Fish the Au Sable first for wild trout, dry fly water and the night Hex hatch near Grayling. Choose the Pere Marquette if steelhead and salmon are the goal: its 8.5-mile flies-only reach from M-37 to Gleason's Landing is open all year and gets runs from Lake Michigan.
Book the season you actually want
The best weeks go first, and the difference between a good trip and a great one is usually timing. Tell us the season you want and we'll find the water that fishes then.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed October 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.
Sources: License fees: Michigan DNR fishing license information. Seasons, gear restricted streams, terminal gear rules and bass limits: Michigan DNR, 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations. Hex timing: Michigan Department of Conservation, Report 1240 (1950). Guest insights: Dan Waschura, Cody Kowitz, Alan Campbell and Andrew Steketee on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.