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The introduction of brown trout to the United States started in Michigan, and the fly fishing opportunities have grown over the years for great fly fishing for trout in Michigan. Michigan is one of the better areas in the Midwest as well as the United States for fly fishing opportunities for Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Brook Trout.
Spring in Michigan marks a traditional time on every fly fisherman’s calendar “Trout Opener”, the last Saturday in April. Many rivers have been opened in the state for year round fishing opportunities, but the opener is still tradition. Prior to opener the climate of Michigan limits the fly fishing techniques to midge fishing, streamer fishing, nymph fishing, and a few early hatches such as hendrickson’s and small early stones.
Once the season get’s rolling and the weather and water temps warm is when the trout fishing action heats up! Large trophy sized trout are willing to chase any food source that looks like a meal. Streamer fishing can produce a trout of a lifetime. Sculpin and baitfish patterns are often used to lure these monster trout from cover.
Early season hatches of caddis, mayflies, and stones can also produce good numbers of trout, but the large fish are looking for a meal! Using a guide service allows an angler to focus on the task at hand, get your streamer near cover and strip!
Late May brings brighter days and streamer fishing slows. The fish that have been willing to chase are more laid back and shy during high sun periods, but are looking up for opportunities to feed. These fish can become wise to the fly in a short period. Prolific hatches of bwo’s and sulphurs bring large fish to the surface providing a great game of match the hatch between fly angler and fish.
June in Michigan provides some of the best dry fly action to be found anywhere for anglers looking for trout on a fly. Isonychia and drakes (Mayflies) in many sizes and colors can be found. Isonychia are the mainstay hatch for most of the month, but become over looked by many eager fish when Large (#10) Brown Drakes start to emerge. When spinner falls of these large mayflies hit the water at dusk, the river becomes a fly fisherman’s paradise. Mid to later June produces a world famous hatch of the largest mayflies trout see “Hexagenia Limbata” also know as Hex’s and to some of the old time fisherman “The night caddis”. Fishing a hatch at dusk till 4am in the morning at times can be hard on the sleep meter, but when it sounds like someone is throwing bowling balls into the river, most anglers looking for a trophy trout on a fly find a way.
July brings warmer weather and the large hatches fade. Terrestrial fishing starts to see large trout feeding along grassy banks on hoppers and ants. Night time is still very productive for large trout. Waking mouse patterns and fishing large sculpin patterns below the surface can produce large fish on any given night!
August provides great opportunities for angler looking to catch trout on a fly as well. Hopper fishing becomes the main course of the day for trout, but smaller hatches start to emerge in great numbers. Hatches of Trico’s and small (#20) bwo’s are found in the am hours, and produce good numbers of trout rising each morning, and lasting until the heat of the day pushes the Mayflies to the trees. Anglers in Michigan looking for trout on a fly are not out of luck when bad weather and rains hit the region at this time if the year. When Rivers in Michigan get rain during the summer, the fly angler is not out of luck, but rather the opposite, the streamer bite is on!
September on Michigan trout streams can offer some of the most peaceful fishing opportunities anywhere. Other fall outdoor activities such as hunting pull a large number of anglers away from the rivers, leaving only a few anglers with an abundance of opportunity for catching trout on a fly. The end of September marks the end of the fly fishing for the year on many trout streams, but many rivers are open for year round fishing opportunities.
October through April can produce some hatches, but the mainstay for trout anglers looking to fish with the fly is Nymphing and streamer fishing. Many great trout are hooked in Michigan while fishing for other species such as salmon and steelhead. Trout are eager to feed on the roe (eggs) from these spawning fish, and gorge on as many eggs as possible to prepare for the long winters.
Trout fishing in Michigan on a fly is some of the best fresh water fishing on a fly rod to be found. Finding these trout that are located in hundreds of miles of river, not to mention multiple numbers of rivers can be the larger task at hand. A good guide will help in the pursuit of Michigan trout on a fly! A good guide service will put you into the best fishing the river has to offer at the time your on the river. Finding a Michigan Fly Fishing Guide with the years of knowledge and the water craft used for smaller rivers (drift boat) and for larger rivers (jet sled) can be the difference between a great day, and a boat ride!
Jon’s Guide Service has over 25 years experience chasing Michigan trout on a fly, and understands what it takes to produce great trout fishing on a fly day in and day out. The use of multiple watercraft and techniques produce an experience not soon forgotten
There are many great guide services that can teach you how to pursue trout in Michigan and can teach you how to streamer fish, nymph fish, and what dry flies to look for, how to fish the hatch, and what to look for during the spinner fall.
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