Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan on the current state of the Thunder Bay River this Friday morning in the first week of high summer. The gauge at 04136000 reads 944 cubic feet per second at 3.3 feet, which is moderate and fishable for a river that tends to run lean by mid-June. The Thunder Bay through Alpena County does not receive the attention of the Au Sable system forty miles south, but it fishes well when approached with patience and a willingness to read broken water. The forecast calls for showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into tonight, with highs near eighty-three and overnight lows in the mid-fifties. Saturday will bring lingering chances of rain, though conditions should stabilize by late morning.
The Window This Week
The hatch calendar on the Thunder Bay in early June is compressed but productive. Sulphurs have tapered off in the last several days, though you may still find scattered spinners in the evening if the air stays calm. The brown drakes are beginning to emerge after dark, typically between ten and eleven-thirty, in the slower runs above and below the US-23 bridge and along the upper stretches near the Cathro Road access. These are size 10 patterns, tied extended body if you have them, and the fish that rise to drakes are often large and deliberate. Isonychia are present but sporadic, emerging sporadically in midafternoon, and they do not produce the reliable surface activity you might hope for. The Hex emergence is still ten days to two weeks out, but it is worth noting that the Thunder Bay has earned a reputation for strong Hex hatches in late June and early July, particularly in the slower pools downstream of Fletcher Street.
What Is Emerging Now
Midday fishing has been nymph-focused. The water is clear enough to spot individual trout holding in the tailouts and along current seams, and a tandem rig with a size 14 Pheasant Tail and a size 16 Zebra Midge will turn fish if you keep the drift tight to structure. Caddis are active in late afternoon, size 14 to 16, and an Elk Hair Caddis or Henryville Special fished through pocket water will draw strikes from fish that have otherwise ignored surface presentations earlier in the day. The brown drake spinner fall, when it happens cleanly, occurs around dusk or slightly after, and the trout rise with more confidence than they do during the dun emergence. Carry a size 10 Rusty Spinner or a simple dubbed-body pattern with white poly wings, and fish the slower runs where spinners collect in the film.
Where to Go
The most accessible water is along US-23 between Alpena and the village of Ossineke, though you will share that reach with casual anglers and curious onlookers. The stretch above Cathro Road offers more privacy and better holding water, with gravel runs, undercut banks, and deeper pools that shelter trout through the midday heat. Wading is straightforward, though algae on the rocks can be slick in the slower sections. The river below Fletcher Street is worth exploring if you are willing to walk, particularly in the evening when the hatches begin. Fish the broken runs with attractor dries or nymphs during the day, then return after dark if the drakes are moving. This is not technical water in the way the Holy Waters or the mainstream Au Sable can be, but it rewards careful observation and a willingness to adjust your approach as the light changes.
The Practical Read
Bring a headlamp if you plan to fish past sunset. The brown drakes and Hex both emerge after dark, and the river is not well-lit. The afternoon storms will raise the water slightly, but not enough to blow out the clarity or make the river unfishable. Fish will hold tighter to cover after the rain, so focus on banks, log jams, and the seams along drop-offs. A nine-foot rod for a five-weight line is sufficient, and a standard floating line will handle all the situations you are likely to encounter. The Thunder Bay is not a destination river in the way others are, but it is honest water, and it fishes well if you meet it on its own terms.
For live conditions, additional reports, and access to the full network of Michigan trout waters, visit michigantroutreport.com.