Chris Izworski reporting from Michigan on the current state of the Pine River. It’s late July in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, and the Pine is running near normal for the season at 85 cubic feet per second. That’s 113 percent of the historical median for this date, which means the river has a bit more water than typical for late summer. The gauge height sits at 1.19 feet. Before you pack the truck, though, there’s weather to contend with.
Today’s Call: Weather Overshoot the River
Rain is in the forecast for most of today and tonight. The National Weather Service is calling for showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon with a 62 percent chance of precipitation, and that pattern continues tonight. The high will reach 79 degrees, which is warm enough that any rain that falls will run off quickly into the stream. Flow is already in the upper third of normal, and additional runoff will push the Pine higher still. By tomorrow morning, this freestone stream will almost certainly be off color and running higher than it is now.
Today is not the day to drive to Rudyard and expect clear water or predictable conditions. The showers will muddy the stream and raise it above the fishing sweet spot for a freestone of this size.
Your Real Window: Tuesday Through Wednesday
The pattern changes tomorrow. Tuesday’s forecast shows no rain, a high of 76 degrees, and a low of 53. Wednesday is similar: 78 degrees, clear skies, low of 55. By Wednesday the Pine will have settled from any runoff. Flow will have dropped back into the low-to-normal range, and the water will clear. Wednesday or Thursday morning, when cooler night temperatures combine with clear skies and stable flow, is when this river deserves your attention.
What You’ll Find When Conditions Align
The Pine is a classic Chippewa County freestone. Brook trout hold in the cold upper sections, and browns are distributed throughout. This time of year, the river fishes best early and late. Midday heat sends fish deep into pocket water and under the bank.
Late July means terrestrial season. Beetles, ants, hoppers, and crickets are on the menu. Work the grassy banks and any undercut banks with your grasshopper imitations, foam beetles, or ants. A Chernobyl Ant in size 10 or a Dave’s Hopper in size 8 will draw strikes when you drop them close to the bank and give them a subtle twitch or let them sit.
More importantly for an evening outing on Wednesday or Thursday, the sulphur hatch is running. Ephemerella dorothea and invaria species will be active in the evening from roughly 7 to 9 p.m. Fish the flat runs and rise lanes with a Sulphur Comparadun or Parachute in size 14. As the hatch tapers and spinners begin to fall after dark, switch to a Rusty Spinner in size 16 or 18 on 5X or 6X tippet. Light presentation is everything on this stage of the river.
If you want to stay into the night, the Hexagenia limbata (Hex) dun hatch runs from about 10 p.m. through 2 a.m. Listen for the heavy slurp of feeding fish in the dark. Wade slowly and bring a headlamp but use it sparingly. The big fish are often right at your feet. Fish an Extended Body Hex Dun or Para-Hex in size 4 on 3X or 4X tippet. Expect to connect with substantial browns.
Access the Pine from county road crossings in the Rudyard area. Bring a small notebook and sketch the water layout during daylight so you have a map for the evening hatch window and any night fishing you attempt.
Wait for Wednesday or Thursday. The river will be worth it. Track live gauge data at https://michigantroutreport.com