# Good stream/river to try?



## jgiles (Aug 23, 2006)

I'm going to be in the UP the week of Aug 13 and will be traveling between Munising and Mackinaw. Can anyone point me in a good direction on where to wet a line for a few hours? Hoping to catch some rainbows or brookies. I'm not to familiar with the area so location and lures would be helpful. 

Thanks in advance,


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

jgiles: Please read this link as it explains the site policy regarding mentionable rivers.

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/...adventures-in-any-of-the-river-forums.168597/

*Upper Peninsula Michigan Streams and Rivers*
The Two-Hearted, Fox, Chocolay, Escanaba, Ontonagon, Menominee, and St. Mary's Rivers. Please do not reveal specific holes runs or access points.

Members are encouraged to offer their advice for streams not on the list privately via PM.

My advice would be the Two Hearted and Fox River would both offer great opportunities for Brook trout with the Two Hearted having juvenile Steelhead (Rainbows) as well.

My other advice would be to get a copy of the 2018 Michigan Fishing Guide from the DNR where you buy your fishing license. Start on page 44 and look at the County Listing of Lakes and Streams. This will give you a direction to start with in finding trout streams.


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## Curt (Jan 5, 2011)

Good response PunyTrout!


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Get a book of county maps and start looking for streams. That is how I still find new places to fish.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

County maps, gazetteer atlas, plat maps the dnr list of trout streams and a pencil. Cross reference and mark up as indicated


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## jgiles (Aug 23, 2006)

Thanks guys, I will post a report.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

jgiles said:


> Thanks guys, I will post a report.


So, how was that fishing trip?


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## slowpaya (Oct 23, 2011)

…..:gaga:


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## jgiles (Aug 23, 2006)

I had a sick kid so I didn't get a chance to break free and fish. Hoping to go again next year.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

How about this idea for these frustrating legalistic rules about fellow Sportsman helping each other out!

You see a guy post asking advice about a particular area they've never fished & are going to be in that area, that you know about, and like me do not have a clue where to start!

Send him or her a private message telling them some areas that might be worth a start or have easy access!

These rules drive me crazy stupid!

You can tell by the lack activity here these threads are a dud, due to the legalism!

As soon as these rules are changed I would bet you would see a huge uptake in participation on these threads!


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Being new to this state and a certified flyfishing bum from California, I fully and without prejudice, willingly accept all private messages on where I might look for some chrome this winter in the U.P.


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

mattawanhunter said:


> How about this idea for these frustrating legalistic rules about fellow Sportsman helping each other out!
> 
> You see a guy post asking advice about a particular area they've never fished & are going to be in that area, that you know about, and like me do not have a clue where to start!
> 
> ...


The reason I believe for lack of posts on this site, mainly when it comes to these river threads, is no one wants to hand out information anymore. Pictures are rarely posted. Locations are almost never given up. This is all for good reason. I think people understand what social media sites like this can and have done to fisheries. Not to mention other sites like Youtube. There are direct correlations between "look at me" posts with limit catches and the following pressure that fishery receives. There are people that really won't bother to fish an area until they have a report about it first. Someone had to do the legwork and put the time in to create that successful report and those people just don't want to give handouts to the hard work and persistence they've put in to be successful.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Grab a map book and take a drive. That is how some of us find fishing holes.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Swampbuckster said:


> The reason I believe for lack of posts on this site, mainly when it comes to these river threads, is no one wants to hand out information anymore. Pictures are rarely posted. Locations are almost never given up. This is all for good reason. I think people understand what social media sites like this can and have done to fisheries. Not to mention other sites like Youtube. There are direct correlations between "look at me" posts with limit catches and the following pressure that fishery receives. There are people that really won't bother to fish an area until they have a report about it first. Someone had to do the legwork and put the time in to create that successful report and those people just don't want to give handouts to the hard work and persistence they've put in to be successful.


100% spot on. Guides run a slippery slope when they take a client fishing. Many fly shop fishing reports tend to be vague and though they list stream reports and fly suggestions, details are often missing.

I used to fish a steelhead river that seldom had more than an angler or two. By pure luck my buddy and I found a method that consistently brought many 50+ fish days. Prior to that, this river was well known for 1-3 fish on a good day and received "some" pressure but not much. Without thought we caught multiple fish around the few people we ran into. Over the course of 3-4 years the numbers of people grew to the point that we could no longer use that method and ended up abandoning the river with the best steelhead experience of my life. Word got out.

I really wish we had been a little wiser, some were. We started asking around and talking to people at fly shops about floating a raft down a particular section of that river. Everybody we talked to had the same story of had tried it but never had any luck, or the fish were not able to get above "the narrows" in the canyon. It finally dawned on us that they didn't want us to fish there. Our maiden voyage was in a $40 rubber raft and we almost drowned. We landed around 120 fish and made a pact to never tell anybody what/where we did. We floated that half a dozen times with similar results, including the drowning and being shot at by pot farmers. That section was like Deliverance. 

The internet was the demise of rivers, streams and lakes throughout the country.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Nope I'm sorry I respectfully disagree!You don't have to name exact locations and your picturesif they're off the beaten path nobody's going to have a clue unless you drop a pin on a map I'll stand by my statement!



Swampbuckster said:


> The reason I believe for lack of posts on this site, mainly when it comes to these river threads, is no one wants to hand out information anymore. Pictures are rarely posted. Locations are almost never given up. This is all for good reason. I think people understand what social media sites like this can and have done to fisheries. Not to mention other sites like Youtube. There are direct correlations between "look at me" posts with limit catches and the following pressure that fishery receives. There are people that really won't bother to fish an area until they have a report about it first. Someone had to do the legwork and put the time in to create that successful report and those people just don't want to give handouts to the hard work and persistence they've put in to be successful.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

I don't think that you boys fish the same streams and rivers I do in the upper peninsula!
There's more trout deer/ flies coyotes & wolves than there is fisherman!

I don't like stream fishing all that much anyway there's way too many rules, one of the biggest convoluted screwed up things the DNR has ever done!
and way too many uppity fisherman that think that they're you know what doesn't stink,the ones I've met in the U P of been generally friendly, other fisherman that is!
Downstate, I've ran into some real arrogant a holes!



Lightfoot said:


> 100% spot on. Guides run a slippery slope when they take a client fishing. Many fly shop fishing reports tend to be vague and though they list stream reports and fly suggestions, details are often missing.
> 
> I used to fish a steelhead river that seldom had more than an angler or two. By pure luck my buddy and I found a method that consistently brought many 50+ fish days. Prior to that, this river was well known for 1-3 fish on a good day and received "some" pressure but not much. Without thought we caught multiple fish around the few people we ran into. Over the course of 3-4 years the numbers of people grew to the point that we could no longer use that method and ended up abandoning the river with the best steelhead experience of my life. Word got out.
> 
> ...


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

LMAO I know I don't. I have yet to wet a line in any streams or rivers here in the U.P. I do have a few oddball spots I've mapped out that will see me in due time. Solitude is nice, company is fine, crowds I can do without.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Point well-taken you stream fisherman are a different breed!

I appreciate all the private messages about honey holes in California LOL!

Sounds like my grumpy ass old father in law!

I remember being young and dumb (now I'm old and dumb) and asking him for tips say like for ice fishing (which I haven't done much of)or stream fishing, or just about anything and he'd say "Hell, just go out and find a spot and experiment for yourselve till you find something that works!

So hail to all you boys and the site admins, just go ahead and keep all your spots and any advice hidden don't give any thing up, just let a amateur Nimrod find his own way! And you'll continue to have one dud of a thread!

Hell yeah!

I'll wave at you along the road when you've got a flat tire and no spare and just smile!



Martin Looker said:


> Grab a map book and take a drive. That is how some of us find fishing holes.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

wow


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

wow


Lightfoot said:


> wow


W


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

I'd blame Al Gore he invented the internet!
This is a mighty powerful statement, certainly the demise of all fishing!

"The internet was the demise of rivers, streams and lakes throughout the country"


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Serious question Matt. Somebody posts up that they are not having any luck deer hunting on public land. You have been hunting a particular area for a few years and have some decent intel. Do you send them a message or heaven forbid post in an open forum that info to help them out?

Why would that be any different than a particular trout stream?

To think that the internet played no role in ruining a particular fishery is naive. "ALL" is your words, not mine.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

I guess I will have to keep this dud of a group because we don't share with people who think they should be handed information we have spent years gathering.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

MAYBE JUST A BIT EXTREME?
"The internet was the demise of rivers, streams and lakes throughout the country"


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Nope, not at all. I'm willing to bet most people know of a spot they used to fish that due to pressure is no longer like it was.

How about answering the question asked?


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Absolutely I have Shared tips on where to hunt and sign we have seen,deer harvested in Iron, Dickinson and Menominee and gogebic counties with many here, many 1st time
or going back to the UP hunters!

I have had several guys on here send me PM's where to try deer hunting on public ground in the northern lower and have had several generous offers to hunt peoples land for NC or come to their camp, true sportsman not selfish, in the upper and lower,you would recognize each one as current posters on MS here in the last 2 years!

You guys win, Ill stay out of your holy grail trout stream thread that says NOTHING, so nothing gets "ruined for you"

Also, Ive had others agree the rules are way to stringent here so its not just me!


Fish On Boys!




Lightfoot said:


> Serious question Matt. Somebody posts up that they are not having any luck deer hunting on public land. You have been hunting a particular area for a few years and have some decent intel. Do you send them a message or heaven forbid post in an open forum that info to help them out?
> 
> Why would that be any different than a particular trout stream?
> 
> To think that the internet played no role in ruining a particular fishery is naive. "ALL" is your words, not mine.


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## Lightfoot (Feb 18, 2018)

Awesome, I'm skunked so far this year. You have a road cross section, distance and direction with a few bucks on it in Cheboygan or Emmit county?

For the record, I do find lack of info in here frustrating at times but understand the reasoning behind it. It has nothing to do with selfishness.

Best wishes to you Matt. I'm out.


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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

Lightfoot said:


> Awesome, I'm skunked so far this year. You have a road cross section, distance and direction with a few bucks on it in Cheboygan or Emmit county?
> 
> For the record, I do find lack of info in here frustrating at times but understand the reasoning behind it. It has nothing to do with selfishness.
> 
> Best wishes to you Matt. I'm out.


There is something unique about the UP site. They just say nothing!!!! People in the UP and Canada just don't share or they will give bogus info. It's sad!!! I have found that you need to find a decent poster and talk via PM. Over the years I have developed good relationships With Canadian friends, I call if I need specifics. I try to communicate on this thread about St.Marys fishing but get little takers. A different breed of fishers follow this site unlike the sag. bay thread that hes lots of information sharing.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Gordon Casey said:


> There is something unique about the UP site. They just say nothing!!!! People in the UP and Canada just don't share or they will give bogus info. It's sad!!! I have found that you need to find a decent poster and talk via PM. Over the years I have developed good relationships With Canadian friends, I call if I need specifics. I try to communicate on this thread about St.Marys fishing but get little takers. A different breed of fishers follow this site unlike the sag. bay thread that hes lots of information sharing.


Indeed you have posted about the St. Mary's and mentioned specific areas too which can arguably be interpreted as breaches of etiquette. The following is a quote from Steve's admonition about unmentionable areas: *"In addition specific holes, access points, runs, etc. must not be named even on the large rivers."* What irritates locals, the folks that consider the river their home waters, are the fishers who come to an area once, twice or whatever, blab it up, and go back home to very quietly fish their own home waters. Most of these folks would never, ever, mention an area on another river where they have good fishing if it was in their own back yard. As the old saying goes: "What's good for the Goose is good for the Gander." FM


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

Forest Meister said:


> Indeed you have posted about the St. Mary's and mentioned specific areas too which can arguably be interpreted as breaches of etiquette. The following is a quote from Steve's admonition about unmentionable areas: *"In addition specific holes, access points, runs, etc. must not be named even on the large rivers."* What irritates locals, the folks that consider the river their home waters, are the fishers who come to an area once, twice or whatever, blab it up, and go back home to very quietly fish their own home waters. Most of these folks would never, ever, mention an area on another river where they have good fishing if it was in their own back yard. As the old saying goes: "What's good for the Goose is good for the Gander." FM


You hit the nail on the head.


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## kracker (Jan 25, 2013)

Simply amazing that people were able to find fishing spots before the internet. We used to leave the house to find spots. Actually surprised that people even know how to bait their hook nowadays. Win some lose some. If people can't fish a few times without catching a fish while learning a new fishing hole, then maybe people should go golfing or something else. I think people are more interested in the internet chat than actually fishing.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Good answer Kracker, I think you hit the nail on the head.


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## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

Forest Meister said:


> Indeed you have posted about the St. Mary's and mentioned specific areas too which can arguably be interpreted as breaches of etiquette. The following is a quote from Steve's admonition about unmentionable areas: *"In addition specific holes, access points, runs, etc. must not be named even on the large rivers."* What irritates locals, the folks that consider the river their home waters, are the fishers who come to an area once, twice or whatever, blab it up, and go back home to very quietly fish their own home waters. Most of these folks would never, ever, mention an area on another river where they have good fishing if it was in their own back yard. As the old saying goes: "What's good for the Goose is good for the Gander." FM


Again, your portraying the UP, Canadian attitude !!!!! Your "breach of etiquette" statement is a joke. Re read my posts and if your familiar with the St. Marys area you will find that the "honey holes" you portray are about a 2 to 3 mile area. If you call that specific you are thinking beyond the galactic core. This UP site is dis functional!!! That why so few people report on here. You need to re read some posts by others on here. They talk about streams that are suppose to be un mentionable and give locations within yards. Just saying!


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## BMARKS (Nov 6, 2017)

ITS ALL MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! seriously tho, i don't think most people would be willing to make the trek up there for a week old report anyways. in the steelhead game tho naming your hole or even river can result in and onslaught of fisherman. i don't name my rivers for that reason.... i post pics and if you know the place from the pics, you didn't learn anything new from me then anyways.


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## michiganmaniac (Dec 9, 2008)

If anyone wants info on marquette county streams shoot me a PM I will do everything i can to help out. 
I dont feel bad posting about rivers like the PM or the Manistee because everybody know about them, and you can read all about them online. In contrast there are many UP streams that have great fishing and you would have no way of ever knowing unless you were told by a local or you went and found it yourself. It's a bit more unspoiled and I think that's why people can be tight lipped.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Lightfoot said:


> Being new to this state and a certified flyfishing bum from California, I fully and without prejudice, willingly accept all private messages on where I might look for some chrome this winter in the U.P.


Kind of difficult to fly fish in the winter in the UP but there are several good spots in the NLP that have running water and hold fish Cheboygan River and Sturgeon River are a couple.


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