Fly Fishing in Michigan

A regional note specific to this state: the trout fishery here is a small but well-managed tailwater fishery, and the state agency stocks heavily in the spring and fall, and the most productive water is the tailwater below the state's largest reservoir, which produces trophy fish every year. Michigan trout fishing is the most diverse in the Midwest, ranging from the Hexagenia limbata hatches of the Au Sable to the trophy steelhead fisheries of the Manistee. The state has more than 20,000 miles of fishable trout water, including the legendary Au Sable, the Pere Marquette, the Manistee, the Boardman, the Betsie, and dozens more. The most famous trout river is the Au Sable, a freestone that runs through the northern Lower Peninsula and produces wild browns averaging 16 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the agency stocks the put-and-take lakes and rivers while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and special regulations. A regular Michigan fishing license is required, and the cost is $26 for residents and $76 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 5 trout combined in most waters with special regulations on the wild trout water. The unique regional quirk is that Michigan requires a special trout stamp for trout fishing, and the daily limit is 3 trout in the inland trout-stocked waters.