Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan on the current state of the Presque Isle River this Saturday morning in mid-June. Gauge data from the USGS station is unavailable today, which is not uncommon for smaller systems in the western Upper Peninsula, but visual inspection along the corridor through Porcupine Mountains State Park shows the river running clear and seasonably low after a dry stretch. The water is cold, the color is good, and the pools along the main stem are holding fish that have settled into summer routines. The forecast gives partly sunny skies today with highs near 66°F and wind at fifteen miles per hour, dropping to mostly cloudy tonight and cooling to 46°F. Sunday looks mostly sunny and stable.
The Window This Week
Mid-June on the Presque Isle is quiet water and long evening light. This is not a river where anglers line the banks; access through the park requires a walk, and most who come here are willing to trade convenience for solitude. The upper sections above the falls hold brook trout in pocket water and short runs, while the lower stretches downstream from Manabezho Falls to Manido Falls hold both brookies and the occasional brown in deeper, slower pools. The hatches have been modest but consistent: sporadic sulphurs in the #16 to #18 range tapering off as we move deeper into the month, and isolated Isonychia beginning to show in the faster currents during late afternoon. Brown drakes have not yet arrived in numbers, but that window is opening. Evenings have been the most productive period, from roughly 7:00 p.m. until dusk, when the wind drops and fish begin to rise along the seams and tailouts.
What Is Emerging Now
The dominant activity remains subsurface. Small caddis in tan and olive, sizes 16 and 18, have been scattered throughout the day, and a Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail or Partridge and Yellow fished on the swing through pocket water has been effective. Terrestrials are beginning to matter: ants, beetles, small hoppers along the banks where the forest meets the water. A size 14 or 16 Foam Beetle or Parachute Ant dropped tight to structure has taken fish between hatches. The sulphurs are finishing, but you may still encounter a brief flurry in slower water during the hour before sunset. Match them with a Sulphur Comparadun or Sparkle Dun in size 16. Isonychia nymphs in the #10 to #12 range, weighted and dead-drifted deep, have been productive in the faster runs. As we approach the third week of June, watch for brown drakes after dark. This is not a heavy hatch on the Presque Isle, but it happens, and when it does the larger fish move.
Where to Go
The South Boundary Road provides access to the lower river near the park boundary, and from there you can walk upstream along established trails. The stretch between Manabezho Falls and Manido Falls is the most accessible and holds the best variety of water: pocket runs, short pools, and deeper glides where fish hold along the current edges. Wading is manageable at current flows, though the cobble is slick and felt or studs are recommended. For solitude and native brook trout, hike upstream into the headwaters above the main falls. The water is smaller, the fish are willing, and the forest is unbroken. Standard brook trout patterns work: Royal Wulff, Adams, Elk Hair Caddis in sizes 12 to 16. This is not technical fishing; it is careful presentation in tight water and an appreciation for places that feel unchanged.
The Practical Read
The Presque Isle through the Porcupine Mountains is not a destination for numbers or size. It is a river for those who value remoteness and the particular beauty of moving water through old forest. The trout are small, largely wild, and selective only in the sense that they live in difficult water and spook easily. Approach quietly, keep a low profile, and fish the edges. Leaders should be long: nine feet minimum, tapered to 5X or 6X. The wind today will make delicate presentations harder, but in the evening when it settles, the river will give you what it has. If you are here for browns, fish late and fish large: Muddler Minnows, Woolly Buggers in black or olive, size 6 or 8, swung through the deep pools after the light is gone. This is old, patient fishing.
For live gauge readings across Michigan and reports from other watersheds in the network, visit michigantroutreport.com.