# Fishing the Ottawa National Forest



## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

So, during the begging of August I will be visiting the Ottawa National Forest for vacation. Does anyone here have any recommendations for streams and rivers to hit while I'm there? I'm hoping to get into some decent trout, especially a nice brook trout. Though, I'm more than happy to catch just about anything. Any help is appreciated!


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

The east side of it has Trout water galore.

The west side has beautiful water, but largely sourced from lakes = too warm, and full of Piranhas. Scary ones that look like big logs under the water. They destroy Ultra Light gear


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Please keep your river recommendations to PMs. if they're unmentionable streams.


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

PunyTrout said:


> Please keep your river recommendations to PMs. if they're unmentionable streams.


Okay, I'll be sure that that happens. What exactly is an "unmentionable" stream though if I my ask? I have an idea of what it might be but I'm unsure


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Seleucus said:


> Okay, I'll be sure that that happens. What exactly is an "unmentionable" stream though if I my ask? I have an idea of what it might be but I'm unsure



Read the sticky at the top of the page regarding naming streams in the UP. The Ontonagon is mentionable for example.

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


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

PunyTrout said:


> Read the sticky at the top of the page regarding naming streams in the UP. The Ontonagon is mentionable for example.
> 
> https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/...adventures-in-any-of-the-river-forums.168597/


Okay that makes sense. Thank you for the clarification


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Seleucus said:


> Okay that makes sense. Thank you for the clarification


I'll send you a PM with some ideas for you when I have some time.

In the meantime, grab a copy of the 2019 DNR Fishing Guide and look up the trout stream listings by County to get a better idea of the designated trout streams in the area you want to fish.


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

PunyTrout said:


> I'll send you a PM with some ideas for you when I have some time.
> 
> In the meantime, grab a copy of the 2019 DNR Fishing Guide and look up the trout stream listings by County to get a better idea of the designated trout streams in the area you want to fish.


That would be awesome, thank you!

And I've already got one thankfully. I always make sure I have one, especially for trout fishing since there can be a lot of weird restrictions that are important to keep track of


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## Null Response (Jul 27, 2018)

I would definitely spend some time exploring the East and Middle branches of the Ontonagon River and the smaller creeks and tributaries that feed into them.


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

Null Response said:


> I would definitely spend some time exploring the East and Middle branches of the Ontonagon River and the smaller creeks and tributaries that feed into them.


I definitely plan on doing that. The place I'm staying at is fairly close to the Ontonogan. I've heard there are some huge brook trout in there


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## Null Response (Jul 27, 2018)

Seleucus said:


> I definitely plan on doing that. The place I'm staying at is fairly close to the Ontonogan. I've heard there are some huge brook trout in there


Don't be afraid to try some of the designated trout lakes as well. Using a canoe or float tube can pay dividends in finding bigger Brookies in the lakes that are stocked with trout.


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

Null Response said:


> Don't be afraid to try some of the designated trout lakes as well. Using a canoe or float tube can pay dividends in finding bigger Brookies in the lakes that are stocked with trout.


Are there any guides that work on those lakes?


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## Null Response (Jul 27, 2018)

Seleucus said:


> Are there any guides that work on those lakes?


None to my knowledge. They're more DIY - PITA to get to type places. Bring plenty of bug dope with you and a good head net.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Null Response said:


> Don't be afraid to try some of the designated trout lakes as well.


Please do not name any designated trout lakes here. Keep it to PMs only please.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

I don't get over to the Western UP as often as I would like, so I can only offer limited advice to the OP via PM. I encourage anyone who is familiar with fishing the Ottawa national forest area streams and lakes to send him a PM and give him some options to consider in his quest for trout.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Most any stream that has flowing water in the summer will have trout somewhere in the system.


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## Teggs (Mar 20, 2013)

I have fished the river mouths for kings and coho. I have never hiked looking for trout streams though. Generally if i dont know an area I will look for waterfalls as thats a solid sign of highly oxygenated water. I would scope out the waterfalls in the area and fish down below them for a few miles. Usually you will find some trout. Some of those rivers in that forest are “clay” colored or highly stained water yet flow really good. Try and find the small crystal clear streams that feed into the bigger rivers. They will usually be much colder and harder to navigate but most of the time have the best trout fishing.


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

Teggs said:


> I have fished the river mouths for kings and coho. I have never hiked looking for trout streams though. Generally if i dont know an area I will look for waterfalls as thats a solid sign of highly oxygenated water. I would scope out the waterfalls in the area and fish down below them for a few miles. Usually you will find some trout. Some of those rivers in that forest are “clay” colored or highly stained water yet flow really good. Try and find the small crystal clear streams that feed into the bigger rivers. They will usually be much colder and harder to navigate but most of the time have the best trout fishing.


That's all very good advice! Thank you!


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

To make things easier pick up the book called Michigan Waterfalls. It will take you to most of the falls in the state.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Seleucus said:


> I definitely plan on doing that. The place I'm staying at is fairly close to the Ontonogan. I've heard there are some huge brook trout in there


How far from Ontonagon are you willing to travel and what type of gear do you prefer to use? FM


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

Forest Meister said:


> How far from Ontonagon are you willing to travel and what type of gear do you prefer to use? FM


So I will be about 20 minutes from Agate falls. I'm willing to travel almost anywhere to get into good fishing. I prefer to use either spinning, fly or tenkara gear.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

Seleucus said:


> So I will be about 20 minutes from Agate falls. I'm willing to travel almost anywhere to get into good fishing. I prefer to use either spinning, fly or tenkara gear.


I'll drop you a PM as soon as I can dig up some of my old maps. FM


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

Forest Meister said:


> I'll drop you a PM as soon as I can dig up some of my old maps. FM


That would be awesome. Thank you!


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## B.Jarvinen (Jul 12, 2014)

Just trace out where a stream comes from. Lake Source = far less likely to hold Trout. A solid majority of the Presque Isle system is not good for Trout. Half of the Ontonagon system is the same. Some of the west end areas are very “flashy” - with bedrock close to the surface and thin soil, there is less cold ground water charging than in other parts of the state. NE Lower Peninsula has some similar areas with good looking Trout water, but no Trout. Also many segments have never recovered from logging 100 years ago = they don’t have tree cover = they don’t cool down sufficiently. 

The truly handy accessory for Trout fishing is a thermometer. Summer temps in the upper 60s or low 70s are not great (Trout #s will be lower, and growth is slower), and in some of those areas you might find even higher temps and zero Trout. The Presque Isle system has Pike and Musky instead. 

I believe the Nat Res Committee member from the west end has been pushing the DNR to raise the Brookie limit on some inappropriate waters out there - they may have been great decades ago, but they are not now. A few of those segments are truly like false advertising in that regard. One new to the ten-fish-limit list runs 72 degrees all summer long. Brookies are rare, and small. Has Walleyes though. 

There are some gems on the west side of the Ottawa, but not many, and they take a little more legwork and homework. 

Then there are a few areas the DNR stock. These would be excellent to introduce kids to Brook Trout fishing - there are lots of them, and easy to catch, but it is hard to find a legal 10” one in the easy access parts of the Type 2 segments. Ditto for the 15” Type 3 segment. The Middle Branch below the 2 Falls are examples of that. Beautiful places to fish though. 

All that said, on the east side of the Ottawa you can hardly go wrong.


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## Seleucus (Aug 20, 2018)

B.Jarvinen said:


> Just trace out where a stream comes from. Lake Source = far less likely to hold Trout. A solid majority of the Presque Isle system is not good for Trout. Half of the Ontonagon system is the same. Some of the west end areas are very “flashy” - with bedrock close to the surface and thin soil, there is less cold ground water charging than in other parts of the state. NE Lower Peninsula has some similar areas with good looking Trout water, but no Trout. Also many segments have never recovered from logging 100 years ago = they don’t have tree cover = they don’t cool down sufficiently.
> 
> The truly handy accessory for Trout fishing is a thermometer. Summer temps in the upper 60s or low 70s are not great (Trout #s will be lower, and growth is slower), and in some of those areas you might find even higher temps and zero Trout. The Presque Isle system has Pike and Musky instead.
> 
> ...


That's all very good advice. Thankfully, I'm pretty happy catching any fish, so I don't mind getting some pike and musky while I'm there. I'll definitely have to get a thermometer though. It sounds like that will help a lot.


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