Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan on the current state of the Pere Marquette River this Tuesday morning in late June. The gauge at 04122500 reads 667 cubic feet per second at 1.8 feet, which holds the flies-only water below M-37 in good shape for summer dry fly work. Water is clear, wading is manageable, and the thermal refuges along the forested corridor through the Manistee National Forest are functioning as designed. Afternoon heat will build to 93 degrees today with mostly sunny skies, and fish will compress their feeding to early morning and the last hour before dark. The window tonight will likely stretch a little longer if storms arrive as forecast, but plan around the edges of the day rather than the middle.
What Is Hatching
We are in the transitional week between brown drakes and Hexagenia limbata. Brown drakes are still present in modest numbers, though their peak passed ten days ago. You will see sporadic spinners from 9:15 to 10:00 p.m. if you are on the water late, but do not build an evening around them. Hexes are just beginning. The first duns appeared Sunday night near the Walhalla Road access, and reports from Rainbow Rapids Monday evening confirmed sparse emergence around 10:30 p.m. This is early in the hatch cycle, so numbers remain thin and timing is erratic. By this weekend the emergence should consolidate into a predictable window. Sulphurs are finished. Isonychia nymphs are active in faster water during midday lulls, and a dark size 12 Comparadun or Sparkle Dun will work through riffles above Indian Bridge if you are prospecting between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Small summer caddis, tan and olive, emerge sporadically all day. An Elk Hair Caddis in size 16 is worth carrying.
Where to Go
The flies-only stretch below M-37 is the logical choice this week. Access at Bowman Bridge or walk downstream from the M-37 bridge itself. The long flat below Bowman holds trout in soft seams along the far bank where tag alders shade the water through midday. Work upstream toward the bridge, covering structure methodically with a size 14 or 16 caddis pattern. If you are fishing evenings and want to intercept the early Hex activity, move to the slower water around Rainbow Rapids or the Walhalla access. The substrate there is right for Hexagenia nymphs, and you will see duns lifting off sand and silt flats once light begins to fade. Carry a size 6 or 8 Hex pattern in yellow or pale cream, and be prepared to fish after 10:00 p.m. The Upper PM above Sulak Landing is quieter and less trafficked, though access is more difficult. That water fishes well with attractor dries during midday if you can find shade.
The Practical Read
Heat governs everything this week. Fish early or fish late, and accept that the middle six hours of the day will be slow unless you are working nymphs through deep pockets under canopy. Terrestrial patterns become relevant now: a size 12 foam beetle or ant along grassy banks during late afternoon can pull fish when nothing is hatching. Tonight’s chance of showers and thunderstorms may cool things briefly and extend the evening window, but do not count on it. The Hex hatch is just starting, and this is the week to learn the water and locate holding trout before the emergence becomes consistent. If you are new to fishing Hexes, focus on slower runs and flats with sand or silt bottoms, and be patient. Duns emerge slowly, and trout move into position well before you see surface activity. A floating line, a 9-foot leader tapered to 3X, and a single large dry fly are sufficient. Strip off line, lay the fly along structure, and wait.
For current flow data, gauge readings, and live reports from the Pere Marquette and rivers across Michigan, visit michigantroutreport.com.