River-by-river notes on Michigan's named trout waters. Where Chris fishes, what hatches when, and why each river matters.
Michigan has more cold-water trout rivers than any other state east of the Rockies. Chris Izworski has fished most of them, and the ones he returns to are the named rivers of the Lower Peninsula and the wild streams of the western Upper Peninsula. This page covers the rivers he writes about most often.
The AuSable is Michigan's most famous trout river and the spiritual home of the state's fly fishing tradition. The Holy Waters, the eight-and-a-half-mile flies-only stretch from Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge, holds wild brown trout and a Hendrickson hatch that begins in late April and runs through mid-May. The Hex hatch in late June and early July, when giant Hexagenia limbata mayflies emerge after dark, is the event that defines the Michigan trout calendar. Chris fishes the Holy Waters and the South Branch in spring, and is planning the 2026 opener weekend at Wakeley Bridge June 12 through 14.
The Manistee is the AuSable's sister river. Cold, deep, and trophy-rich, it runs from the headwaters near Frederic down through the Big Manistee section that draws steelhead and salmon in the fall. The wild brown trout fishery on the upper Manistee is excellent. The river fishes well from May through October, with strong Sulfur, Isonychia, and Trico hatches through summer. Chris monitors the gauge at the M-72 bridge daily during season.
Western Michigan's flagship trout river. The Pere Marquette is spring-creek fed and runs cold all summer. The flies-only section above Lower Branch Bridge holds wild browns, and the Sulfur hatch in late May through June draws anglers from across the country. The river also gets the famous fall king salmon and winter steelhead runs. Chris fishes the upper river for trout and follows the gauge data on the Baldwin and Scottville stations.
Recently restored after the Brown Bridge and Sabin dam removals, the Boardman near Traverse City is again a free-flowing trout stream of national significance. The restoration reconnected over 160 miles of river and has revitalized the brown and brook trout populations. Chris pays attention to the Boardman because the dam removal story is one of the great conservation wins of the past decade in Michigan.
The Jordan flows through one of Michigan's most beautiful river valleys, north of East Jordan. It is small, intimate trout water, designated a Natural Scenic River. Brook trout fishing on the upper river is exceptional in spring and early summer. The Jordan does not get the press of the AuSable or Manistee, which is part of its charm.
The wild rivers of the western UP — the Black, the Sturgeon, the Two-Hearted, and the Tahquamenon — are different country. Brook trout dominate, the rivers are smaller, and the access is harder. Chris writes about these rivers with respect for their wildness and for the work it takes to fish them well.
Chris built the Michigan Trout Report to track live USGS gauge data across 110+ Michigan rivers. The tool combines flow, water temperature, and NWS weather forecasts with hatch charts and an interactive map of 310 DNR access points. For daily morning reports on individual rivers throughout trout season, visit Michigan Trout Daily. More on Chris's broader Michigan trout fishing background is on the trout fishing page and the Michigan trout streams page.
← chrisizworski.com