Au Sable River Michigan flyfishing report

 
 
North East Michigan Steelhead Fishing Report - April 28th
 
 
Spring steelhead appears to be winding down on the lower Au Sable River.  The last couple days numbers of fish have really dropped.  Typically this river gets one of the latest runs of steelhead in Michigan and there is good fishing till at least mid May.  I think the combination of such an early spring and extreme low water right now is why numbers of fish are as low as they are right now.  If some good rains come in the next couple weeks I would except another good push of fresh fish from Lake Huron.  For those looking for steelhead right now best to look at the fastest gravel runs and deep water right behind them.  
 
The stocking processes has been going some so smooth this year!  75,000 plus were stocked at Rea Rd and young steelhead are throughout the system now.  20,000 steelhead are being held in a safe net pen in the lower river and will be released in a few weeks.  The good news is no cormorants have been coming to the river this year!  Looks like past river harassment project and Lake Huron control is really have a positive effect.  Another 10 days of no birds and all should be safe.
 
For those looking to streamer fish, the mouth of the river has been producing some Atlantic Salmon, Lake Trout, Steelhead, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass and Walleyes.  Right now many of the young stocked steelhead are making there way to mouth and many different species are looking to feed on them.  Sinking tips and rainbow patterns (Great Lakes Deceiver and Murdich Minnows) will produce some good fish.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
April 22nd - Fighting a steelhead in clear waters of the Au Sable River.
 
 
 
 
April 22nd - Eric and Mark with some very nice Au Sable River steelhead!  The morning started out very slow but had a good afternoon of fishing. 
 
 
 
 
April 21st - Joe and Larry had a good day of steelhead fishing on the lower Au Sable River.  Water levels have been very low of late and the small nymphs & egg patterns did the job today.
 
 
 
 
 
April 16th - Summer like weather today and we hooked and landed a couple nice steelhead.  As you see water levels are getting very low and river is need of a little rain.  In the low water swinging leech & sculpins patterns on sink tips can be very productive this time of year.  Should be at least a couple more good weeks of steelhead fishing in the lower river.
 
 
 
   
April 9th - Good rains with higher water and some excellent fishing today on the lower Au Sable.  Double digit hookups!
 
 
 
Cormorants (flying rats) will be coming very soon to the lower Au Sable!  This picture is from last spring but look for an early migration due to the early spring.  The last three springs USDA Wildlife Services and the Michigan DNR have setup a cormorant harassment project to protect these young steelhead.  This project will be going again this coming April and volunteers are needed.  To protect the steelhead volunteers are stationed throughout the river where the birds really group up.  Flare-type guns are used to shoot pyrotechnics to keep birds on the move.  When birds do get very heavy USDA personal do come in and remove some birds with shotguns.  The last 3 years steelhead have been put in the river very close to the mouth and this year some changes are being made to the stocking process.  Stocking pens are going to be used to hold a good number of the steelhead in the lower river.  With the use of these pens young steelhead are safe and will grow & get imprinted to the Au Sable.   A good portion of fish will not fit in the pens and they will be stocked just below Foote Dam at Rea Rd.  With stocking these young fish 10 miles up from the mouth the cormorant harassment will have to change from past years.  Now the problem will be in the upper portion of the river to begin with and volunteers and fisherman are needed to help.   Young fish are supposed to stocked in the second week of April and I will post dates when I have them.

I would like to really thank our DNR, USDA, and all volunteers who have helped the past 3 years!  So far this year there has been an increase in the number of steelhead returning to the Au Sable and we are seeing larger fish.  Not letting these young fish get eaten is huge and hopefully this year goes even better.

Those that would like to help or want more info just email me at kelly@michiganstreamside.com

 
 
 
 
March 29th - A beautiful Au Sable River steelhead.  Water levels are low right now and good rain is really needed.   Even in the low water we have been getting some nice bright silver fish in the deep runs and holes.
 
 
 
 
March 19th - Ron with a very cool Au Sable River steelhead!  Some say it is a little early for steelhead on the Au Sable.  Other say it is prime time right now!  We have been hooking some very nice steelhead each float down the river of late.  If you're looking for some bright silver steelhead in the deep holes in a gin clear river with no pressure now is the time. 
 
 
 
March 19th - I just love this photo of Ron releasing steelhead back into the clear waters of the Au Sable.  You want more steelhead to catch and larger fish - then do not kill the ones we have!
 
 
 
 
March 16th - Matt with a bright silver Au Sable River steelhead.  Just a perfect day on the river today!  Got to love seeing fresh run steelhead like this one.  River is in great shape right now - up a bit and running very clear. 
 
 
 
March 16th - Went to shoreline of Lake Huron this evening and had some good action with two steelhead on streamers.  Right now is the time to fly fishing the river mouths and shoreline of Lake Huron for these big trout - Steelhead, Browns and Lakers.
 
 
 
 
March 6th - Kris Walley with a very nice Au Sable River Steelhead.  Such a nice day on the river today.  Perfect weather for March with temp into the middle 40's, almost no fishing pressure and a few nice fresh run steelhead!  The river is still running very low and fish are holding in the slow deep water.  Today we fished switch rods (Sage 11' 8wt Z-Axis) with floating lines, floats and small nymphs/eggs down deep.  Top fly producer were Great Lakes Shrimp and our Streamside Hex.  Warm weather is forecasted for the next few days.  This should bring water levels up a bit and some fresh run fish from Lake Huron.
 
 
 
 
Sage Switch rod in action fighting an Au Sable steelhead!  These 11'ers are just ideal rods for the early spring steelhead fishing.  Float lines and large indictors (just coming out of water in photo) with these longer rods work extremely well for slow deep pools.  This time of year that is where the fish are.
 
 
 
 
 
Here are some of our most productive steelhead nymphs of late on the lower Au Sable of late.  From left to right:  Impossihex is new pattern we got this winter from Michael Schmidt and it has been very effective in the clear water of the lower Au Sable.  Great Lakes Shrimp, Streamside Hex and 20 incher Stone are all long time favorites for winter and spring steelhead.
 
 
 
 
March 1st - There have been a lot of young steelhead 18-20" of late caught on the lower Au Sable River like the one above.  These fish are the future of our steelhead fishing and need to be released.  The last few years the Michigan DNR has been trying to improve the stocking process by putting stocked fish in earlier in the spring and lower in the system.  Also volunteers have worked the last three Aprils to protect these young stocked steelhead from the nasty Cormorants that try to eat them.  It is so good to now see more of these 2 year old steelhead in the river and hopefully it means more adult fish in the future.  
 
 
 
 
Feb 24th - A very nice fresh run steelhead on the lower Au Sable.  There are some nice steelhead around right now and fishing is pretty good for winter fishing.  After fishing the very lower section by Lake Huron and I went upstream and hit a couple holes.  Hooked two nice adult steelhead in a couple hours using floats and small hex nymphs & egg patterns.  I ran into some buddies from Alpena and they had put a couple in the net with this nice chromer above that Chris caught.  Spring is coming soon and typically what kicks spring steelhead run into high gear is a good flush of water - which I'm sure is not far off.  Weather is looking pretty nice for the coming week with highs in the upper 30's!  
 
 
 
Feb 24th -  This is still a bit early but with the mild February went looking for one of those giant Lake Huron Brown Trout at the mouth of the Au Sable River this morning.  No luck today but mouth of river is in very good shape and it will not be long now.  There was some some chuck ice blowing around in the lake but it was not a problem to fish around.  This area can produce some quality trout on streamers in March and April - Steelhead, Brown Trout, Lake Trout and even the occasional Atlantic Salmon.  Top flies are baitfish patterns (Great Lakes Deceivers, Alewives, Perch) and goby imitations.
 
 
 
January 25th - Good winter steelhead fishing continues on the lower Au Sable River!  Today I had the entire river to myself and landed 5 nice steelhead.  Deep water nymph fishing with strike indictors produced all hookups today.  Hex nymphs, Great Lakes Shrimp, and micro egg patterns all had some action.  The river is in great shape right now for winter steelhead fishing.  Water levels of late have been at a very normal winter level and did rise a couple inches today from the recent rains.  Water temps are very cold right now and bright sunny days have been producing the best fishing of late.  There are a few slightly warmer spots in the river and hitting them in the late morning till mid afternoon has been productive.
 
 
 
 
 
 
January 16th - Lisa & Ron Matthews with some very nice Au Sable River steelhead today!  Last week finally some much improved flow management at Foote Dam and now much better steelhead fishing.   So nice to see those like Lisa & Ron, that care so much about the lower Au Sable, enjoying the river and some good winter steelhead fishing.
 
 
 
January 16th - As you can see from graph above flows sure started to change last week at Foote Dam.  Removing these sharp extreme flow changes has sure improved fishing the last few days!  Automated system is up and running now at Foote and after the fine tuning it seems to be doing a better job of handling the flows.
 
 
 
 
January 14th - A bright silver Au Sable River steelhead.  Much improved conditions today on the river!!  River was running a very normal level and found a few nice fish.   Mild weather is supposed to continue thru the weekend and into next week.  These winter thaws typically bring more fish and hopefully better fishing continues.
 
 
 
Jan 4th - Water flow was basically turned off yesterday in the lower Au Sable ending any chance for winter steelhead fishing for a bit.  Consumers Energy continues to operate Foote Dam in a manner that is very destructive to the our steelhead fishery. 
 
Here is update I got from Consumers today (Jan 4th) on the automated system at Foote.  Along with this came a very lame explanation for recent water levels.  Hopefully some improvements later this week!
On December 21, 2009 the hardware for the Foote auto-control system was installed.  During the remainder of that week the individual components were tested and accepted.    The system however was not activated.  The control system requires operating data from the existing Hydro Monitoring System and this interface has not yet been tested.  Due to the limited availability of personnel during the Christmas Holiday we decided not to activate the auto-control system because we wanted to ensure adequate coverage in response to any glitches encountered during the start-up period.  Consumers will begin the final connections and testing on Tuesday, January 5 with the expectation that Foote will be operating with the auto-control system by Friday, January 8.
 
 
 
Here is water flow graph from Foote Dam in December.  We were told last year Foote Dam is suppose to simulate "run of river" operations - to mimic flows of the upper river as if the dams were not in place.  This is not even being attempted!
 
 
 
Dec 31st - Finished out the year steelhead the lower Au Sable.  The river is in great shape right now but fish numbers are low.  Had a little action today but no adult steelhead.  Fished the bottom few miles of the river all the way to the pier heads at Lake Huron.  Did hook one very large Northern Pike on a bait fish streamer but he bite me off right near boat.  Above is my new favorite two handed steelhead rod - Sage 12' 6" 7wt TCX.  Loaded up with the new Rio Skagit Flight line (550grain) it is the ideal setup for heavy sink tips and big flies.
 
 
 
Dec 28th - A beautiful winter steelhead!  The high water from rain on Christmas day has brought a few new silver fish in from Lake Huron.
 
 
 
December 21st - Water levels have been a big issue the last two winters below Foote Dam in the steelhead water of the lower Au Sable River.  The past two weeks it has not been good - up and down with some huge spikes and drop offs.  This leads to very inconsistent steelhead fishing and that was been the case of late - some days very good but other days you can not find a bite.  Hopefully some changes are finally coming!!!  A new automated system has been installed at Foote and system will start be used very soon.  Here is report from Consumers that I received this morning:
Last week Consumers completed installation of the hardware for the new Foote auto control system.  This week Consumers will be performing some initial testing of the system components while the auto control system and the existing hydro monitoring system are tied together.  During this testing we may experience some short flow oscillations as the "bugs" are worked out of the system.  The Operators will be doing their best to balance flows during the test to try and maintain normal re-regulating flows.
Hopefully some improvements are coming!!!!
 
 
 
Dec 18th -  Good action today in the lower Au Sable!  Could not find an adult steelhead to bite today but smaller skippers were very active.  Using floating lines and small floats have been most productive of late to get long drifts thru the slow deep holes and runs - most of the steelhead are holding very deep right now.  Water levels from Foote Dam have been very inconsistent of late and hopefully some changes are coming soon.
 
 
 
December 14th - A nice winter steelhead on the Au Sable River!  Nymphs and egg patterns down deep in the slow holes have been producing the best of late.  The current cold weather sure does not the help the fishing but those putting in the time have been getting a few nice fish of late.
 
 
 
 
December 13th - Fished some of the northern rivers that feed Lake Huron today.  The Ocqueoc is just a beautiful river this time of year and typically no fishing pressure.  Also fished Thunder Bay River.  Had some action on both rivers today and was just such a nice winter day to fly fishing.  Nuke eggs and small crystal white buggers (perfect minnow imitation) were top producers. 
 
 
 
 
 
November 21st - Greg Miller with a very nice Au Sable River Steelhead.  It did not really feel like late November today on the river.  Last year at this time all was starting to freeze up, this year river temps are still in the mid 40's!  At these temps steelhead are very active and look for more to keep pushing in from Lake Huron with each batch of new water.  The water is very clear right now and the of late key has been very small egg patterns or good size leech/sculpin patterns. 
 
 
 
November 19th - A good looking Rifle River steelhead!  The lower sections of this river have been fishing pretty good of late.  This is a very cool smaller river that gets very little fishing pressure this time of year and produces some very nice steelhead, resident brown trout, and the occasional lake run brown.  The key on this river is to fish lots of water.  This is a relatively shallow river and best fished with a floating line setup when fishing nymphs and egg patterns.  Right now egg patterns will always be good producers but some of the larger patterns will also produce.  Leeches, sculpins, buggers, and baitfish patterns can be very effective on steelhead and browns.
 
 
 
Nov 15th - Eric Porath with a couple of beautiful steelhead on the lower Au Sable River.  With deer hunting season starting today we had the river to ourselves and did not see another angler!
 
 
 
 
Nov 6th -  Fishing new water with some old friends was a very good time!  We hit some small creeks in PA and caught a bunch of Lake Erie steelhead.  Much different water than the Au Sable!
 
 
 
 
Nov 5th - A cool looking steelhead caught with the new Sage 99 series rod and matching fly line.  The 99 series was just released by Sage this fall and it is a 9' 9" rod in weights 4 thru 8.  Today I was using the 7wt and it makes just the perfect steelhead rod.  The matching Sage nymph fly line is ideal when using a floating line and strike indictor setup.  The 99 series is designed to cast split shot, indictor, and nymphs/eggs.  Rod has more flex and a slightly slower action which is ideal for roll casting and landing big steelhead with light line & small flies.  There is only one way to test new gear and that is to fish it.  After hooking and landing a number of steelhead today with this rod it will be added as one of our guide rods.  We do have the entire 99 series of factory Sage rods and matching fly lines in stock now (shipping is free at Streamside).  Also we do have blanks in stock for those looking for a custom rod.  The 99 series will be added into our online series very soon but for now if interested in a purchase or any questions just email at kelly@michiganstreamside.com
 
 
 
 
Nov 3rd - Joe Swantek with a beautiful Au Sable River steelhead.  High water has been bringing some new fish into the river of late and fishing should just keep getting better. 
 
 
 
October 16th - Lots of great places to steelhead on the lower Au Sable River right now.  The river is in great shape with the cool October we have been having.  Water temps are in the lower 50's and river is running a very normal level.  There are a few steelhead in the river right now and fall run is just getting going.  Look for fish in the deep gravel runs and in behind old spawning salmon (there are a couple around but not many).  Top flies right now are lots of different egg flies - nuke eggs, glo eggs and small cluster patterns. The water is running very clear right now and light colored egg patterns have been best - salmon, cheese, light orange, and egg.   This is also an excellent time to start swinging streamers for steelhead.  With the clear water of the lower river, steelhead will come a long distance to smash the right big fly.  Big sculpin and goby patterns (tan, olive, black) are always good fall producers - Conrad Sculpin, Streamside Sculpin, large buggers & leeches, and our goby patterns.
 
 
 
October 14th - A great place to look for some very aggressive trout this time of the year is right at the mouth of the Au Sable River in Lake Huron.  Streamer fishing bait fish patterns can be very productive for Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead and once in a while a big Brown Trout.  Today action was a bit slow on the trout but did find some very nice Lake Huron Smallmouth Bass.  Lake Trout have been doing well this past summer in Lake Huron and mouth of Au Sable can be such a good late fall hang out for them.  Top patterns are our Great Lakes Alewive, Great Lakes Deceivers, Conrad Sculpin and Murdich Minnows.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Photos below from Spring 2009, Fall 2008 and the past Winter
 

 

 
May 7th - Joe Swantek with nice Au Sable River steelhead.  Had a excellent morning today and found some fish with a bunch of hook ups.  The afternoon was just opposite and bit a slow.  Below Joe and John Sabina are fishing a nice run and you can see the lower river is getting clear. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
May 1st -  Good steelhead fishing today on the lower Au Sable River.  Marc Hoyt and Wayne Swart hooked and landed a bunch of nice fish today.  After yesterday's rain good numbers of steelhead were on the move up the river.  Conditions are excellent right now with water levels being up and water temp around 50.
 
 
 
 
April 22nd - Excellent steelhead fishing today on the Au Sable!  Tom Olenczuk and Mike Sargent landed 10 and lost some others.  Of late cloudy weather and rain seem to be the key to good fishing.  On the bright sun days it has been slow.  Should have good steelhead well in the middle of May!
 
 
 
April 20th - A mint silver steelhead that was caught and released on the Au Sable River.  Good rains today has new fish on the move up the Au Sable!
 
 
 
 
April 18th - I got to fish for a hour before our steelhead fundraiser in Oscoda Saturday morning.  Fished some large rainbow streamer along the dark river water as it went out into Lake Huron and found some nice Lake Trout.  The young steelhead that were stocked are heading toward Lake Huron right now and this does attract some big huge trout!
 
 
 
April 18th - Au Sable steelhead fundraiser was a huge success!  Had a great turn out, lots of great food and good time was had by all.  This was the first year and the plan is this will be an annual event.  Here is list of all who donated to this cause: Fundraiser Thank You.
 
 
 
April 18th - Joe Pilara from the Flint River Valley Chapter of Michigan Steelheaders made a huge donation of $750. We sure thank you Joe, the Flint River Valley Steelheads and all of the Michigan Steelheaders for such a nice donation.  This event could would not have been so successful without all the work done by Lynn Davis (owner of the Au Sable River Store) and Shawn Tidball.  Both are pictured above with Joe receiving donation.
 
 
 
April 14th - Bob Williams with a bright silver Au Sable River steelhead.  Numbers are still low in the river but there are some very nice quality fish around.
 
 
 
April 13th - Bruce Mansfield with a very nice Au Sable River steelhead!
 
 
 
April 12th - A beautiful fresh run steelhead on the Au Sable River.   Water temps are increasing to the low 40's and look for steelhead in the deep runs and pools.  I still have not seen any spawning activity with makes for some good biting fish.  Look for numbers to increase in river with the next rain.
 
 
 
April 12th - Matt Dixon with a very cool looking Au Sable River steelhead.  We had great day spending Easter Sunday on the river with an old friend.
 
 
 
April 10th - Ron Matthews with a bright silver steelhead that has just come in from Lake Huron.   I would really like to thank Ron for all the work he has done of the current issues on the lower Au Sable!  I think all are looking forward to the get together on April 18th at the Au Sable River Store.
 
 
 
April 8th - Shawn Tidball helping with the stocking of steelhead at the Au Sable River store.  This past week 125,000 steelhead were stock in the lower Au  Sable.   The stocking process seemed to go very smooth and cormorants numbers have been very low.  It is so nice to see what has happened in Oscoda - so many people taking an interest in the current issues and helping with the protection of our future steelhead.  Shawn has put so much time and effort in these projects and all should give him a huge thank you!
 
 
 
April 8th - Jim with a nice fresh run steelhead on the Au Sable!
 
 
 
April 4th - High water on the lower Au Sable and river is still rising!  This should really bring the steelhead into the river and look for excellent fishing this coming week.
 
 
 
April 3rd - The flood was starting today on the lower Au Sable!  Poor conditions today but river should improve in a couple of days.  This big blast of high water should kick steelhead run into high gear!  As you can see Foote Pond is still just about completely covered with ice.  Ice is finally getting dark and starting to do away.  When this ice is gone look for river temps to shoot up and excellent steelhead fishing!
 
 
 
 
March 30th - Our young steelhead are coming soon to Oscoda to be stocked in the Au Sable River - right near the middle of April.   The last two years concerned anglers have been there to protect these future steelhead from the nasty Cormorants.  This year's harassment program will be going on again.  To raise funds for this program a nice family style get together has been planned for April 18th (Click on above photo for full flier).  This is a for a great cause and should be a very good time!  If any questions, you would like to help with cormorant harassment, or your willing to make a donation just drop me an email at kelly@michiganstreamside.com
 
 
The Michigan DNR will begin stocking steelhead on the Au Sable the week of April 6th and the plan is to put 125,000 fish into that week.  The first week of May there will be an additional 30,000 more stocked.  There is a meeting April 7th at 7pm in Oscoda at the Au Sable-Huron Condominium Campground (on US-23 right across street from Wellmans) to discuss the Cormorant Harassment project. This will be run by USDA Wildlife Services and the Michigan DNR. More people are needed for this project and those that would like to help or have questions should come to meeting.
 
 
 
 
March 27th - A very nice 12lb Au Sable Steelhead that is getting ready to be released.  Lake Huron steelhead have grown a bit of late and are running larger this spring.  This is a sign of good things happening in Lake Huron and there food base is increasing.  Of late numbers are still low in the river but April is coming and that is our peak month for steelhead fishing.  With the long winter this year should have good steelhead runs into the middle of May or even late May.  Right now the key for success is covering lots of water and to stay out of the gravel runs.  Steelhead are still in the winter mode and the slow deep holes are producing the best.
 
 
 
 
March 27th - Fly fishing the mouth of the Au Sable River right near Lake Huron.  Steelhead numbers have been low up in the river and of late the very lower sections have been holding some nice fresh run fish.  Down near the mouth the standard flies (eggs and nymphs) will work well at times but also some larger streamers (sculpins and baitfish patterns) will produce some nice fish.
 
 
 
March 2nd - A good looking steelhead being released on the lower Au Sable River!  Bitter cold mornings of late but there are some good steelhead around.  Even with the cold temps had pretty good fishing today.  Warm weather is forecasted for the weekend and look for more bright silver fish to move into the river from Lake Huron.  Nymphs have been the top producers of late.
 
 
 

Feb 27th - A nice winter steelhead from the Au Sable River.  Had good fishing today and landed 4 steelhead.  All were about the size of the one pictured above.  Of late there has been good numbers of younger steelhead in the river and a few good size adult fish.   Water was on the rise today after a night of snow, ice, and heavy rains.  With spring just around the corner and a good push of water look for more fresh run steelhead to move into the river.   Right now water temps are very cold (33 to 35) in lower river and look for steelhead in the slow deep runs.  Top flies of late have been small nymphs - Little Black Stones #10, Great Lakes Shrimp #10, Green and Cream Caddis #10, hares ear #10.  Also this time of year egg patterns will produce a lot of fish with top colors being cheese, salmon and clown. 

 

Mid April every year Cormorants are a huge problem in the lower Au Sable!  Young steelhead are stocked in the lower river at this time and these nasty birds come in by the hundreds to feed on them.  The last two Springs USDA Wildlife Services and the Michigan DNR have setup a cormorant harassment project to protect these young steelhead.  This project will be going again this coming April and volunteers are needed.  To protect the steelhead volunteers are stationed throughout the lower river where the birds really group up.  Flare-type guns are used to shoot pyrotechnics to keep birds on the move.  When birds do get very heavy USDA personal do come in and remove some birds with shotguns.  The time frame volunteers are needed is the last two weeks of April and the first week of May.  Those that would like to help or want more info just email me at kelly@michiganstreamside.com

 

 
 
Feb 10th - Meeting with Consumers Energy on the operations of the Au Sable River dams went very well today.  It was very nice to see such a large turn out for the meeting and the tour of Foote Dam.  Security at Foote Dam was a little creepy but all went very well.  I would really like to thank all those that came and for all the organizations that showed they do really care about the lower Au Sable River - Anglers of the Au Sable, Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited, Huron Pines, Au Sable Big Waters Preservation Association, Au Sable Watershed Council and I'm sure there are some I forgot.  At the meeting there was discussion on solutions for better flow manage at Foote Dam.  Michigan DNR senior fisheries biologist Steve Sendek and Kyle Kruger both present some excellent input on methods for future improvements of the current operations.  Consumers Energy also discussed ways to communicate to the public what is being done with this issue.  As I get more info on this issue I will post it here.
 
 
 
 
Feb 1st - Excellent fishing this afternoon on the lower Au Sable River!  Landed 4 steelhead and all were bright silver fish.   I floated the top 4 mile of the steelhead water and river was in pretty good shape.   There is a fair amount of shelf ice in the river but it was not in the way too much.  Ice does increase as you head down stream and some of lower water might still be frozen over.  Today was such a nice day, compared to weather of late, and temps were pushing 40!  Nymphs fished down deep under indictors was the top producing method today.  Hares ear and hex nymphs were the top flies.
 
 
 
 
Jan 28th - Here is picture from the Whirlpool boat landing.  As you can see river is getting pretty narrow!  Lots of shelf ice in the river right now and some sections are frozen over.  The top few miles of river below Foote Dam are still very fishable.  As for boat ramps you are on your own - they are not good.  Whirlpool has been used but you do need to pull boat over ice a ways.  Rea Rd landing I have used of late but it is unplowed and backing down to water is not recommended (I tried it and it did not work out so well).  Having tow strap and shovel is highly recommend if your going to use these ramps.   Hopefully warmer weekend pushes some of this ice out!
 
 
 
Jan 21st - The top portion of the steelhead water, below Foote Dam, is back to being in pretty good shape!  There is shelf ice is some areas but very fishable and there are some nice steelhead around. 
 
 
 
Jan 21st - Water temps are extremely cold right now with all of the ice in the river.  I did fish this afternoon in the top portion of the steelhead water and had a little action - hooked two and land one.  Small nuke egg patterns and small natural nymphs fished down very deep are top producers right now.
 
 
 
Jan 21st - I gave the lower end just up from Oscoda a shot and it did not work out some well!  Most of the river was full of ice and river was completely frozen over above the Narrows.  Some warmer weather is forecasted for late this week and these conditions can change very quickly.
 
 
 
Jan 4th - The steelhead bite has been a little off the last two days on the Au Sable.  I fished the upper half of the steelhead section on the 2nd and lower end all the way to the pier heads on the 3rd.   Hooked and landed one fish each day so at least a little action.  Yesterday lots of shelf ice was coming loose and really got in the way.   Hopefully water levels stabilize soon and that should really help the fishing.  Since melt down after Christmas water levels have been up & down but running at a good level right now.  Both hookups came on a rabbit strip leech pattern in black.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dec 28th - The winter months can be an excellent time to fly fish for steelhead in the lower Au Sable.  With the right equipment winter fishing can be done on a good number of days and typically some good steelhead or trout can be caught.  When very cold temps come stopping rod guides & fly lines from freezing up can be a huge plus.  On all of my winter fly rods I use Recoil snake guides and stripper guides from REC Components.  These guides flex and do not hold ice nearly as bad as standard fly guides.  When it comes to winter fly lines Rio makes some excellent cold water lines that  do handle very well in extreme cold temps. 
An excellent method for fishing small nymphs/eggs (pictured above) for cold water steelhead is using a floating line and a strike indictor or float (pictured above).  Long rods are a huge advantage for this method and my favorites are a custom Sage 11' 7wt or 13' 4" 8wt  Z-Axis.  When it comes to lines for these rods the Rio WindCutter II VersiTip is ideal for float fly fishing and will cast very nice on the Sage spey rods.   With the use of a long fly rod and this line, long controlled drifts are very easy to make.
Another method that can be productive in the Winter is swinging streamers.  Again the long rods are a huge advantage and same rods will work just perfect.  The lines I use for this method are the Rio Skagit Spey lines.  The Skagit lines were designed which a very short heavy head to cast large streamers easily.  Line comes with a built in loop and attaching different sink tips for different conditions or runs is very easy.  Rio has a T-17 sink line that sinks like a rock and sections of this line make great sink tips (typically 10' to 15' of T-17 works perfect on Au Sable).  The combination of the heavy floating head and the short heavy sink tip works just perfect in the lower Au Sable and there is nothing better than the heavy hit of steelhead on a streamer swinging across the current.
One of the most productive methods for winter steelhead fly fishing is deep water nymph/egg fishing with the use of a floating running line and slip weights.   My favorite rod for this, on the Au Sable, is a Sage 10' 7wt  Z-Axis.  Rio makes the best cold water running line (.030 diameter and floating) that I have found.  With the use a long leader and some slip weights, nymphs and egg patterns can be drifted right along the bottom thru the deep winter holding water.
 
These are setups I use for my fishing and on our guided float trips this time of year.  Also will have these with me at the winter fly fishing shows that we will be at.  Right now the two shows I will be at for sure are Jan 10th Indiana On The Fly and March 7th and 8th Midwest Fly Show in Warren Michigan.
 
 
 
Dec. 21st - Lots of snow & windy today on the river!  I fished the very lower section of the steelhead water on the Au Sable River and did have a little action and landed two steelhead.  Best boat ramp I found was at the Au Sable River Store and Lynn had ramp plowed and in excellent condition.  All hook ups came on hex nymphs fished down deep under floats.  The Sage switch rods are ideal for this type of fishing and it is very hard to beat the 11' 7wt this time of year.
 
 
 
 
Dec. 11th - Winter came a bit early this year on the Au Sable River with over a foot of new snow this week!  Good steelhead fishing this afternoon landing three nice silver fish.  Steelhead are in the winter mode now and look for them in the slow deep holes.  This time of year it is hard to beat a hex nymph (size #8) or hares ear (size #8 to #12) on the Au Sable River.  Egg patterns are also a good choice in the winter months with salmon & cheese being top colors on most days.  Neither Rea Rd or Whirlpool boat lands have been plowed as of today and are a bit of mess.  The ramp at the Au Sable River Store on River Rd is in great shape!
 
 
 
Nov. 25th - Mario with a beautiful Au Sable River steelhead.  Lots of snow throughout north east Michigan today but it did miss the Oscoda area.   This storm should put some more water in the river which is a good thing for the steelhead fishing.
 
 
Nov. 24th - Brandon with a big Au Sable River steelhead.  Good action today swinging streamers on a sink tip - landing two and another good hook up.  Big steelhead took a Conrad Sculpin and also had action on a black leech pattern.
 
 
 
 
Nov. 22nd - Ryan Fruchey with a really nice Au Sable River steelhead.  Very cold weather today did slow down steelhead fishing but still some good action.  Ryan landed three and lost another.  Today's top flies were small egg patterns and they produced all hook ups. 
 
 
 
Nov. 20th - A little cold and windy today but good steelhead fishing!  Landed three bright silver steelhead this morning.  Water temps are dropping fast but still in the low 40's and fish are very aggressive.  Top fly today was a Conrad Sculpin in olive/tan.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nov 15th - Here are some of the flies that have been working on the Au Sable.  Of late it has been egg patterns (cheese, salmon, egg) fished down deep or swinging streamers (goby patterns or big & black sculpins/leeches) on a sink tips.  Today I fished the upper 3-4 miles of the steelhead sections and landed four nice steelhead.   It was a great way to spend the opening day of deer and had the river to myself.  Three came on egg patterns and one was on a Conrad Sculpin which is a perfect imitation for a goby.  Sage has a new Spey rod out this fall and it works just perfect for swinging streamers - 13' 4" 8wt Z-Axis.  The line that I line best for the lower Au Sable is the Rio Skagit line with sink tips ranging from 150gr to 250gr.   The last week there have been some nice steelhead caught throughout the steelhead water on the Au Sable.  Look for fishing to keep getting better with more cool weather and hopefully some more rain.  I will be on the lower Rifle in the upcoming week (late November is typically start for steelhead and lake run browns) and will have some up to date reports.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spring Steelhead photos from 2008
 
 
 

March 1st - March is what I consider the beginning of Spring and one of my favorite times to steelhead fish!  After being very sick the last week it was very nice to fish the lower Au Sable this afternoon.  The river has been fishing pretty good of late - landed four nice steelhead and very much enjoy my afternoon on the Au Sable.  The water is very clear and cold right now.  Today the key was fluorocarbon leaders and very small natural nymphs with a #12 green caddis being the top fly today.

 

March 27th - Jon Wilcox with a real nice Au Sable River steelhead.  New fish are moving into the river everyday now.  Next batch of some new water should really get this fishery going!  Right now with the cold conditions small natural nymphs have been working best with Hex Nymphs being the top producers of late.
 
 
 
April 1st -  A beautiful Au Sable River steelhead!  Lots of new water in the river today.  Heavy rains last night with warm temps made for lots of run off.  Fishing was a bit slow today but that should change very soon.  We did manage a couple of steelhead and one big walleye.  In the higher water today top fly was clown color egg pattern.
 
 
 
 
April 17th - Mike Sargent with some great steelhead on the lower Au Sable River.  Rising water temps have got good numbers of steelhead moving into the Au Sable.  Just a few fish are starting to spawn and good numbers are in the fast deep runs right now.  Should have peak steelhead fishing the next few weeks
 
 
 
April 18th - Tom Olenczuk with beautiful bright silver Au Sable River steelhead.   There are some nice fish around right now and such a great time to steelhead fish.  Look for these pre spawning fish in the deep fast gravel runs.
 
 
 
April 19th - Charles Jergler with a couple of beautiful Au Sable River steelhead.  Hex nymphs and orange egg patterns have been working best of late.  Today fishing was a bit slower on the river but also with being the weekend there were a few more anglers around.  Water levels have been dropping the last few days and we need a good spring rain.
 
  
 
April 22nd - John O'Neil with a Au Sable River steelhead.  Bright and sunny with extremely warm weather for this time of year.  Fishing was a bit slow today but we did get a few good hookups and landed this very nice steelhead.  Yesterday's problems at Foote Dam might have had some negative effect on today's fishing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Steelhead photos from the 2005 season  (click here)

Trout photos from the 2005 & 2006 season  (click here)

 Trout photos from the 2004 season  (click here)

 

       Current water levels at Parmallee Bridge - Trout waters

Current water levels at Mio Dam on the AuSable River - Trout waters

Current water levels at Alcona Dam on the AuSable River - Smallmouth Bass & Trout waters

Current water levels at Foote Dam on the AuSable River - Steelhead waters

 

Michigan flyfishing opportunities this season include:

  • Streamer fishing - always good, especially Spring and Fall
  • Hendrickson (late-April/early-May)
  • Brown Drake (late-May/mid-June)
  • Isonychia (mid-June)
  • Hexagenia Limbata (mid-June/early-July)
  • White Fly/Ephron (late-August)
  • Terrestrials - hoppers and ants (mid-July thru mid-September)
  • Salmon (late-August thru mid-Oct)
  • Steelhead (Oct thru mid-May)

ichigan Flyfishing Guide / Fishing Trip Pricing / Custom Fly Rods / Michigan Fly Fishing Report / Photo Gallery
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Betsie River / Rifle River
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