# The Raisin?



## capper (Sep 3, 2015)

It's been 13 yrs since I've been in Monroe and just got in yesterday and have been looking over the raisin. Wow! What a change! It sure aint the river I grew up fishing. Now - it just looks like an irrigated weed bed. Not much more than a trickle. Not sure what I expected to see after what you folks told me about what they did to the dams etc. But I never expected to see it look like it does today! Yuck!


----------



## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

capper said:


> It's been 13 yrs since I've been in Monroe and just got in yesterday and have been looking over the raisin. Wow! What a change! It sure aint the river I grew up fishing. Now - it just looks like an irrigated weed bed. Not much more than a trickle. Not sure what I expected to see after what you folks told me about what they did to the dams etc. But I never expected to see it look like it does today! Yuck!


It has been an extremely dry summer


----------



## jd4223 (Feb 12, 2012)

Been down to Flatrock(Huron River) the past couple weeks and same thing,no water! Just wondering if they closed the dam off at Belleville? Sure hope things change for the fall other wise will have to find a place to fish farther down river closer to Monroe or Lake Erie. Don't really want to do that. Probably have to make a 3 hour drive to one of the main rivers for steelhead on the west side or east side of the state.


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

The Belleville dam has been virtually shut off a few times recently - the water was lower than I've ever seen it. The Raisin is a pretty flat (not much gradient) river anyway. Below the dam there probably isn't much flow, but decent water, with the lake levels being high. There aren't any fish in the Raisin that require fast clean water, anyway, so get your Fishing on!


----------



## jd4223 (Feb 12, 2012)

Thanks for the info on the Belleville Dam. As far as the Raisin goes,I only fish it from Manchester down to Clinton. I used to fish it up around Pinkney years ago but quit fishing it after my friend moved out of state. He used to have a cottage on Patterson Lake around Dexter area. Any idea why they closed Belleville Dam? I remember a couple years ago they did it to fix the dam. Are they hoping to raise the lake level? Hopefully we will get enough rain to bring the lake level up and the Huron River at Flatrock back up...


----------



## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

jd4223 said:


> Thanks for the info on the Belleville Dam. As far as the Raisin goes,I only fish it from Manchester down to Clinton. I used to fish it up around Pinkney years ago but quit fishing it after my friend moved out of state. He used to have a cottage on Patterson Lake around Dexter area. Any idea why they closed Belleville Dam? I remember a couple years ago they did it to fix the dam. Are they hoping to raise the lake level? Hopefully we will get enough rain to bring the lake level up and the Huron River at Flatrock back up...


The Raisin doesn't flow through Pinckney. Portage Creek however passes through Patterson lake from Woodburn lake and sending it's flow through Round, Island, Watson, Halfmoon, Highland and then onto Little Portage.


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

No idea why the dam in Belleville (French Landing dam) has been shut down quite a bit lately. It is running good today. A few weeks ago I saw a guy walking across in the middle of the river, right under the train bridge, just below the dam. Not sure he even had boots on. Crazy low. 

Earlier this year I saw an Eagle swoop down, and grab a fish between Huron River Dr, and the dam. I just glanced at the river as I was driving over (subconscious thing I can't stop doing). It was really cool to see in person.


----------



## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

Was down there a few year ago when the dam demolition began. Thought the project was supposed to improve conditions, but apparently the fishing was not fully considered.


----------



## the rapids (Nov 17, 2005)

that river typically flows low this time of year has nothing to do with dam removal (check pre dam river flow historical records on usgs site for comparison), major problem is water withdraws from agriculture upstream of dundee to adrian area. also its becoming choked with invasive flowering rush which doesnt help the appearance


----------



## the rapids (Nov 17, 2005)

also if you float the river below grape dam amd raisinville road in the spring and early summer check out all the worked gravel from spawning migrations now that fish ca access that from lake erie pretty cool


----------



## capper (Sep 3, 2015)

Thanks for all the replies folks. That flowering rush doesn't help the looks at all!


----------

