Michigan Fly Fishing

Steelhead, Trout,

Salmon, Smallmouth

Michigan is one of the strongest destinations in the United States and North America when talking of great waters to fish for fly fishing anglers. Michigan is a state surrounded by the great lakes (world’s largest bodies of fresh water, hence great numbers of fresh water species to fly fish).

The state of Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes and more than 36,000 miles (58,000 km) of rivers and streams for anglers to wet a fly. When traveling Michigan an angler is at no point more than 6 miles (10 km) from an inland lake or river, and no more than 85 miles (137 km) from one of the Great Lakes. Michigan is a great place to be a fly fisherman!

Michigan angler’s can find hundreds of miles of “Blue Ribbon Trout Streams” like the Manistee River, AuSable River, Muskegon River and Pere Marquette River as well as  hundreds of lesser known high quality trout streams to fly fish in Michigan. Within the state of Michigan a fly fisher can find good to excellent fly fishing for trout, steelhead, salmon, small and large mouth bass, walleye, pike and panfish, and yes even a carp on a fly. Michigan is a world class destination for the non-angling members of your party as well. It has quality shopping, dining, world class golfing and entertainment, not to mention parks, camp grounds, and thousands of B&B’s and small towns located along major fly fishing water ways. Fly fishing in Michigan is one of the strongest destinations in the United States and North America when talking of great waters to fish for fly fishing anglers.

Jon's Guide Service specializes in Michigan Fly Fishing, and Michigan Guided Fly Fishing instruction, schools, and guided fishing. With over 25 years in the business, we know what it takes to make a great Michigan fly fishing experience.

March brings spring rains and the spring run of steelhead gets under way (March – early May), this run of steelhead starts a new season of fly fishing in the state of Michigan. The steelhead fishing in Michigan can produce double digit numbers of steelhead (some of the best steelhead fishing in the world). Brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout all dine on the roe (eggs) from the spawning steelhead, and hatches start to emerge again, the cycle has turned and another great fly fishing season arrives in Michigan. Steelhead are hard fighting fish that provide high levels of fun on a fly rod. Multiple day fishing trips can be spent on many fine rivers, one day fishing for steelhead and the next chasing brown with a dry fly or streamer, which makes Michigan fly fishing so distinct from so many other fly fishing destinations.

Michigan rivers, including the Manistee River, AuSable River, Muskegon River and the Pere Marquette River, boast quality fly-fishing for brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout with all of these rivers offering flies only stretches with quality fishing regulations, not to mention annual runs of Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, steelhead, and lake run brown’s from Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Michigan offers fly fishing year around, trout rising to dry flies from April to Oct. The streamer fishing and nymph fishing are productive year round, and with extended seasons on many rivers and streams, fly fishing is a great past time throughout the year. Major hatches of Michigan include the world famous hex hatch where trout landed in the 20” range are common, and can also provide a chance at a trout up to the 30 inch range while fishing these great waters at night. In addition Michigan rivers have high bio mass (numbers of aquatic insects), terrific Hendricksen, Sulphurs, Isonychia, and Brown and Gray drake hatches, as well as diverse and heavy caddis hatches. Later summer (late July – Late August) brings Blue Wing Olives hatches and Effrons (white fly) , as well as trico’s and great hopper fishing during the long hot days of Michigan’s summers, all of these insects and hatches become major players bringing large trout to the surface and provide an opportunity unmatched by most fishing destinations. Heavy summer rains can shut down many fly fishing destinations, but in Michigan heavy rains bring monster trophy brown trout to streamers with little thought about being caught.

Summer (late May – August) in Michigan offers more then just fly fishing trout on a stream. Grand Traverse Bay located in Northern Michigan (Traverse City) is ranked in the top 10 of places to fish for Smallmouth bass in the USA. Bass tournaments held on Grand Traverse Bays have broken catch limit weight records for many tournaments in the past several years. It is not uncommon to have days of 15 smallmouth bass on a fly in the 4 – 6 lb range. Carp fishing with a fly rod has been around for many years but has grown in popularity over the last 10 years. Carp or “Golden Bones” as they are commonly referred to by fly fisherman who chase these large shy bottom feeders, will top the list of fish that will test your patience very much like a permit. Carp fishing with a fly is very much like fishing redfish in the reeds, or like fishing to small groups of large bonefish next to mangroves (one mistake and the fish will leave in a hurry).

If you are interested in lake fishing, Michigan has hundreds of lakes that produce well for fly fisherman. Some of the best fishing is found in Lake Michigan, and many of the inland lakes found in the state. Both Smallmouth Bass and Carp are found in significant numbers and size, as well as pike and musky on a fly. Flats fishing for Carp in the 20# range and smallmouth bass in the 4 -6 # range, as well as trout fishing on “Michigan's Blue Ribbon Trout Streams” are just minutes from the downtown of area of Traverse City. Large Smallmouth spawn in the shallows of the Bay and are susceptible to a well-placed fly. Many of the state’s lakes host hatches of large mayflies during the summer and lots of top water action on a fly rod. A quality guide (Jon’s Guide Service) can put you into some great fly-fishing opportunities hooking bass, large pan fish, and other warm water species on a fly.

The spring and fall seasons bring the anadromous species of fish (sea going species, in Michigan these fish use the great lakes as an ocean) into the rivers to spawn. Starting in Late August and running into November salmon and steelhead ascend the rivers. The king (Chinook salmon) and Coho (silver salmon) are looking for spawning gravel to carry the race on and provide great fly fishing opportunities for the future(try landing a king salmon on fly tackle with 6 - 10 pound test tippet, in fast moving log riddled rivers). The steelhead that follow salmon into Michigan rivers and streams in the fall are looking to dine on the feast of salmon roe (Fish eggs) produced by the salmon. Michigan fall steelhead are a great fish on a fly (There is no greater thrill in freshwater fly fishing than seeing a dime bright steelhead jump several feet out of the water and rip backing off a fly reel down stream, with the fall colors of Michigan as a backdrop). Since Michigan has spring, summer, and fall runs of steelhead, steelhead are available all winter long in the rivers around the state (winter steelhead packages). It is said “there is nothing more beautiful than a nice winter day in Michigan, fishing on the river with just you, the river, and your fishing companions fly fishing for winter steelhead”.

Michigan offers great accommodations for the time you spend off the river while on your trip  fly fishing. There are literally thousands of places available in all types of accomodations, from five star resorts to rustic cabins riverside,  as well as B&B’s.  Dining and golf are as varied as the fly fishing. Choose your type of trip and it can be found while fly fishing Michigan.

Year round quality fly fishing for a variety of species in a variety of water types and settings is what “Michigan Fly fishing” is all about.

• The state of Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes and more than 36,000 miles (58,000 km) of rivers and streams for anglers to wet a fly. When traveling Michigan an angler is at no point more than 6 miles (10 km) from an inland lake or river, and no more than 85 miles (137 km) from one of the Great Lakes. Michigan is a great place to be a fly fisherman!

Michigan fly fisherman are fortunate to be surrounded by more than 36,500 miles of rivers and streams, 12,500 miles of which are classified as cold water trout streams. Great Lakes salmon and steelhead fishing ranks among Michigan’s premier fly fishing opportunities.

Jon Kestner

5421 E. Main St.

South Boardman, MI 49680