Fly Fishing Seasons in Michigan Rivers

Spring (March) in Michigan brings spring rains and kicks off the spring rainbow trout season (March – early May). This rainbow trout run kicks off a new fly fishing season in the state of Michigan. Fishing for rainbow trout in Michigan can produce double-digit numbers of rainbow trout (one of the best rainbow trout catches in the world). Brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout feed on the roe (eggs) of spawning rainbow trout, and the hatches begin to emerge again; the cycle has changed and another great fly fishing season is coming to Michigan. Steelhead is a tough fighting fish that provides high levels of fun on a fly rod. Multi-day fishing trips can be spent on many fine rivers, one day fishing for rainbow trout and the next chasing brown with a dry or streamer fly, which makes fly fishing in Michigan so different from so many other destinations. fly fishing

Summer (late May through August) in Michigan offers more than just fly-fishing for trout in a stream. Grand Traverse Bay, located in northern Michigan (Traverse City), is ranked in the top 10 places to fish for largemouth bass in the U.S. Bass tournaments held at Grand Traverse Bays have broken catch limit weight records for many tournaments in recent years. It is not uncommon to have days of 15 smallmouth bass on a fly in the 4-6 pound range. Carp rod fishing has been around for many years, but has gained popularity in the last 10 years. Carp or “Golden Bones” as they are commonly called by fly anglers who go after these big, shy bottom feeders, will top the list of fish that will test your patience like a permit. Fly fishing for carp is a lot like fishing for redfish in the reeds, or fishing for small groups of large bonefish by the mangroves (one mistake and the fish will be gone in a hurry).

Fall (September – November) in Michigan means salmon and fall rainbow trout fly fishing. In early September, thousands of Chinook salmon migrate up Michigan’s western tributaries. Salmon anglers from across the Midwest flock to rivers like the Pere Marquette River, Manistee River, and Betsie River to tangle with big fish on a fly. October brings Steelhead and one of the best freshwater fights available. Tell me bright rainbows jump and run to the back. Fall fishing only gets better in November. Rivers like the Grand and the Muskegon begin to see large numbers of rainbow trout in the fall. The Muskegon River offers world-class steelhead fishing well into December as the water temperatures help prolong Michigan’s best fishing season of the year.