Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan on the Augusta Creek this morning, finds a spring creek doing what it does best in early August: running low and clear, and fishing well despite conditions that would shut down bigger rivers.
The gauge is holding at 0.92 feet with a flow of 24 cubic feet per second. That’s about 17 percent below the historical median for this date in early August, which puts the creek in the lower range of its normal summer variation. The 30-year data shows you can expect anywhere from 25 to 36 cfs on an August 3rd, so 24 is lean but not anomalous. This is the time of year when spring creeks thrive on meager flows. The cold groundwater that feeds these systems keeps the temperature stable and the water productive even when the gauge reads low. This is not a drought condition. This is August on a spring creek.
The forecast supports getting on the water today. High of 82 degrees, sunny, virtually no wind, and rain chance sitting at zero percent through the next 48 hours. The flow trend should remain stable. Thursday brings a 63 percent rain chance, so the window is closing toward the end of the week, but today and tomorrow are solid. If you have been looking for an excuse to visit the Augusta area, Monday or Tuesday will serve you better than waiting.
What to Fish and When
The Trico spinner fall owns the early morning window. You want to be on the water at first light, which comes at 6:36 this morning, and fish through about 9 a.m. Bring 6X tippet at minimum, 7X if your eyes and hands are up to the task. The flies are tiny: CDC Trico Spinners, Trico Duns, or Poly Wing patterns in size 20. Long leaders help you land soft presentations. Tricos demand patience. Choose a single rising fish and wait. Commit to that one brown until it either takes or stops feeding. Moving around chasing rises is a waste of morning light.
Once the sun gets high and the water warms into the low 70s, which it will by midday given today’s clear skies and 82-degree air temperature, shift to terrestrials. Beetles and ants fished tight to the bank, especially along grassy margins and undercut banks, will draw strikes from fish that have stopped feeding on small mayflies. A Foam Beetle in size 12 or a Chernobyl Ant in size 10 cast close and allowed to sit, then given a subtle twitch, is the template. Hoppers in size 8 work during the warm afternoon hours if you want to cover more water and fish a bigger fly.
The evening dry-fly window opens around 7:30 p.m. and holds through sunset at 9 p.m. The White Fly hatch is building through August, and by late month it becomes prolific. We are in the early stages now, but you may see some swarms and aggressive surface activity as the light fades. A White Wulff in size 12 or a White Comparadun in size 14 will match what is happening. This hatch is one of the highlights of late summer on Michigan spring creeks because the fish eat with abandon instead of the careful, suspicious sipping that defines the middle of the day.
Access and the Drive
County road crossings near Augusta provide the access points. This is not a large river and it is not a secret. The wild brown trout population is modest but real, and the fish are selective. You will not fill a box, but you will have chances at honest trout if you present well and stay focused.
The current conditions merit the drive if you can make it. The creek is fishing well. Water clarity is excellent for small dry flies and terrestrials. Temperatures should remain reasonable through the evening. Rain is not in the forecast until late week. If you have a Monday or Tuesday free, this is better than checking email.
For live gauge data and real-time updates on Michigan trout streams, visit https://michigantroutreport.com.