# Not sure if I can ask this... but..



## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

My buddies grandparents have a place on the Au Sable between Wakely and Parmalee ( not going to be more specific, sorry) that they have offered me to buy in a low pressure private deal.. 

I am not a great fisherman and do not have AuSable specific knowledge... I can fish a little and have fished many other rivers, both here and in the West...

I am interested but wondering about whether I can float some of that stretch, canoe traffic, and just wonder if there are fish in numbers I might entice... Don’t keep ‘em, just would like a nudge every now and then...

Mostly just like the quiet... 

Thanks...


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Quite a bit of river you're talking about, 12 or 13 miles by road, lots more by river. Very good fishing all through there for trout with some walleye mixed in especially on the lower end. Fishing wise it probably gets the most traffic during Hex but it's also popular with hardware guys, gets all the hatches and is good streamer water. I've got a few go to spots that will always be good for a few 10"-15" if I'm not head hunting. The whole stretch is easily floated and floating might be a better way to fish a lot of it than wading, though it's nice to stop and wade spots. There is canoe traffic and campgrounds* that people stay at, not as heavy imo as the popular western streams like the PM, Pine and Mo. Are there any good size streams that don't have canoe traffic? If I had to rate canoe/kayak/tube traffic on that river I'd say the Mio to McKinley stretch is the drunkest, Grayling to Wakeley busiest and Wakeley to Whirlpool (below Parmalee) a less intense mix of those two. Holidays and the canoe race are always a zoo on the whole river. Overall a really nice area and some nice lakes nearby too when you want to get your warm water on. If you want some more details and PM me I'll see what I can provide.

*When I was looking for a place up there I checked out a vacant parcel upstream from McMasters Bridge. There was a campground just downstream and we could hear people whooping it up at 4:00. That and the 20' steep drop to the river made me pass on it. Ended up getting a place a few miles upstream and back off the water, but with access, and I'm much happier with the quiet.


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## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

Thank you for the very informative response... 

I am a little worried about the campground issue.. It can be pretty quiet in the woods in my experience and sound carries a long ways. 

I will have to spend a little time driving around...


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Campgrounds are at McMasters and Parmalee if that makes a difference.


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

PFAS could weigh in on your decision. Coming out of Grayling.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

JBooth said:


> PFAS could weigh in on your decision. Coming out of Grayling.


Anglers of the Au Sable had a note on that in recently. Hard to say what the longterm holds for the river, best case is it doesn't make much difference, worst case is no contact with the water. I've already given up eating fish out of Margrethe until they figure out what's going on. I never played with the foam on the lake or in the river so that part doesn't worry me.

_ We are worried, quite frankly. The discovery of some forms of this large family of chemicals (PFAS), originally used in fire suppressants and waterproofing products, in water wells, then municipal water systems, and now lakes and rivers around the state is a serious issue and one that will not go away for a very long time.

Some studies, according to information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, have suggested that certain PFAS may affect growth, learning and behavior of infants and older children; may decrease a woman's chances of getting pregnant,may affect the immune system; and may increase the risk of cancer.

At a recent Anglers board meeting we heard from Anthony Spaniola, who has become a reluctant expert after finding out that the lake his family has property on adjacent the now closed Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda has been contaminated with PFAS. That’s Van Etten lake, and it has an outlet into the Au Sable.

The DEQ is warning people to stay away from foam floating in the lake – and in foam in Lake Margaethe near Grayling. This foam contains PFAS.

A MLive article on the Van Etten lake situation said “a July 2017 test showed perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, or PFOS (note-PFOS is a compound of PFAS), in the foam at concentrations up to 165,000 parts per trillion (ppt), which is roughly 13,000 times Michigan's limit of 12-ppt for PFOS in surface waters like lakes, rivers or streams.”

We are asking the DNR and DEQ to take a look at whether Camp Grayling, believed to be the source of PFAS at Lake Margrethe, may have also contaminated the Au Sable. We have received reports of foam piling up in unusual areas on the Au Sable. We have had representatives at several meetings on the matter, and we are monitoring closely.

We will keep you apprised as we learn more. Meanwhile, if you see unusually persistent foam on the river, please send us a photo at [email protected], along with your name and the time, date and location of the photo. In addition, get involved and get educated on this issue. This is a problem that affects every one of us._


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

It's going to show up everywhere. there's no getting away from it at this point. Don't eat the fish. It has to be ingested to be harmful. Continue fishing and enjoying the scenery.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

JBooth said:


> It's going to show up everywhere. there's no getting away from it at this point. Don't eat the fish. It has to be ingested to be harmful. Continue fishing and enjoying the scenery.


I wish I could share your optimism. The way the State and the Feds have dragged their feet on this doesn't give me a good feeling about Gov. Snyder's new found concern. All of a sudden we can trust the same DEQ that hid or downplayed the results in Flint and Plainfield? "Don't worry, we're the government and we're here to help you".

https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/page/michigans_water_crisis_pfas.html


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

DEQ employee here. I work for the guy heading up the effort. He's ex military and is legitimately helping to solve and get in front of the problem. The biggest issue is that this stuff is everywhere and it doesn't degrade which allows it to travel. As high up as i know of people are actively working on this and doing what they can. But everytime the science changes or something new is discovered it takes a while to filter into action because its a govt operation. I don't know who is responsible for Flint as that was before i got going here but plainfield is a great example of the exact situation we are dealing with. A hidden dump (every town has at least one) that was being used by wolverine to dump tannery waste. It's in grayling, alpena, oscoda, etcetcetc. It will be found many more places. I'm not an expert but I came across what I'm pretty sure was PFAS foam on Otsego lake in gaylord a couple weeks ago. It's distinct looking. Believe what you want but there are good people, who care about the problems, working hard to solve them. Snyder and the FEDS concern should make you happy as this is a very real problem.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

What about the former air base at Kinross and the surrounding waters? Is it showing up there?


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## MIfishslayer91 (Dec 24, 2013)

Robert Holmes said:


> What about the former air base at Kinross and the surrounding waters? Is it showing up there?


It wouldn't surprise me if you see it showing up in the very near future, since these bases and polluted water systems seem to go hand in hand.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

The feds have tight lips and they can erase anyone that talks.


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## strmanglr (Sep 23, 2015)

JBooth said:


> It's going to show up everywhere. there's no getting away from it at this point. Don't eat the fish. It has to be ingested to be harmful. Continue fishing and enjoying the scenery.


Is there a list where these contaminates are and where fish should not be eaten for the state?


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

general info page is here. Click on the map for locations. 

https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse/


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