The Jordan River is running 23 percent above its April 28th median this morning, with flows at 243 cubic feet per second against a 30-year normal of 197. That puts you in that familiar late-April squeeze: the water is cold and slightly off-color from recent snowmelt, but the hatches are beginning in earnest, and the fish know it. The Michigan Trout Report rates conditions as Fair, which means what it says. The river is fishable if you pick your water carefully, but this is not a day to chase every riffle.
Water temperature data from the USGS gauge is not available this morning, but you can assume the Jordan is still running in the upper 40s. That cold water will keep the midges and little black stoneflies coming throughout the morning, and the Hendricksons, which are the main event right now, won’t start their afternoon emergence until things warm a touch. If you’re going to fish today, the window is the afternoon into early evening, when the air temperature climbs toward 56 degrees and the light flattens across the water.
The forecast supports this plan. A 28 percent chance of rain showers today with 15-mph wind won’t blow through until later. Tonight clears partly cloudy, and the next three days trend drier and colder. Wednesday looks like your best upcoming window: 49 degrees for a high, just 4 percent rain chance, and those colder nights (the low drops to 31) typically trigger better Hendrickson emergence in the afternoon. If you’re deciding whether to make the drive today or wait 24 hours, Wednesday is the smarter play.
What to Fish Today if You Go
If you decide to fish this morning, start in the slower water. The midges are active right now, and they’ll carry you through until the first Baetis come off in the late morning. Fish a Mercury Midge or Zebra Midge in size 20 under a small indicator in the eddies and slower pools, working the nymph near bottom. A long fluorocarbon tippet, 5X or 6X, helps when the light is bright and the water is clear. The little black stoneflies are also around, particularly near the banks where they crawl out to hatch. A dead drift along the banks with a Little Black Stonefly dry in size 14 will take fish if you stay low and patient.
By midday, if the air has warmed enough, look for Blue-Winged Olives on the water during any overcast moments. These are small flies, size 16, and the fish will be selective. Have a Parachute BWO and an RS2 emerger in your box. Fish subsurface just as the hatch breaks if you see rises.
The real fishing today comes between 2 and 4 in the afternoon, when the Hendricksons should begin their emergence. This is what you’ve been waiting for since last fall. Before the bugs come off, nymph the riffles with a Hendrickson Nymph in size 12, working them along the bottom where the duns are crawling toward the surface. When you see the first dun, switch to the dry. A Hendrickson Dry or Red Quill in size 12 fished in the rise lanes of flat water is as good as trout fishing gets. The fish will be focused, feeding hard, and your casting matters more than your luck.
You have until 8:41 PM before full dark, and the golden hour from 7:11 PM onward is prime. Even if the afternoon hatch slowed, a spinner fall could begin as light fades. Have a Red Quill in size 12 ready, tied on a long tippet.
About the Jordan Itself
If you’re new to this water, the Jordan is one of Michigan’s most exceptional wild brook trout streams. It was designated the state’s first Natural River, and that status reflects the reality of the water: it is cold, clear, and minimally developed. Public access is good at Graves Crossing, Webster Bridge, and Rogers Road. Before you fish, check the current DNR regulations. Special brook trout rules are in effect during the season, and artificial-fly-only sections are designated. Respect these boundaries.
The Jordan is a spring creek in character, which means it holds both brook and brown trout in water that stays cold year-round. The hex hatch in early summer is the stuff of legend here, but April and May are when you learn the river. The Hendrickson hatch will tell you where the trout are holding and how they feed. Pay attention.
Wait for Wednesday if you can. The conditions will be better, the forecast clearer, and the fishing more reliable. But if you decide to go today, get to the afternoon water and stay until the light is gone.
For live gauge data, visit michigantroutreport.com.