# Huron River report - June 24, 2001



## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Had a great day on the river. Bluebird weather, temps in the upper 70s, clear sky and slight breezes. Water was a tad high and moderately murky-visibilty about 1-2 feet. 

Aluminum hatch was prolific. Mostly courteous, reasonably skilled at operating a canoe. 

Started fishing with a shad floating #5 Rapala, didn't get anything in a logjam, and also tried a backwater, both places always have fish but didn't get any. I think due to the cloudy water. Switched to an 1/8 oz. jig with a neon orange curly tail grub and got two feisty rock bass, in the same logjam, immediately. 

Waded downstream and tried the "wet fly swing" thing. I'm trying to do better at fishing mid-stream and riffles, rather than the usual holes and structure. I got a little smallie in the middle of the river on the orange grub. 

Got to my favorite riffle and worked it with the jig. Then put the Rapala back on and got bit by something big. It tugged and pulled and as it got closer I could see it was a big walleye! Got it to the net and it measured out at 20"! Even charter captains on Lake Erie would keep that one! 

I really like catching walleye on this stretch because they are few and far between. I hear that some guy privately (illegally) dumped a bunch of 'eyes in the river below Portage Lake dam, but that's just tackle shop talk. I also think the DNR stocked walleyes in an impoundment attached to the stretch I was fishing, I'll check the DNR website. It sure would be great to have a developing walleye fishery in my home waters.

Finished the day with a chartreuse Rooster Tail spinner with black hackle tail, and picked up two mid-stream smallies. I had an audience of canoers so I played the last fish to the enjoyment of the onlookers. I was laughing to myself because it was sort of a small fish, but my rod was bent real good and I kept switching the rod from my left hand to my right hand. A bit of showmanship never hurt anyone! I never do that so it was kind of a chuckle. ;-)


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## JWF (Jun 25, 2001)

I am a new poster to the site but have viewed it for awhile. I used to go to U-M and fished the Huron while I was in school. I currently work in Ann Arbor but haven't fished the Huron for sometime. However, I've caught some large walleyes near Barton Dam in the past. The largest I caught was around 25 inches. So, the system has the potential for producing some nice fish. Good luck!


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

JWF,

Were the walleyes you caught above or below the dam? The water is very different - above is a pond (impoundment) with 30' deep water near the dam. Below is fast tailwater, which I have tried to fish before with no success. I talked to an old timer at the AA Public Library and he fishes the tailwater for catfish and eyes. I'm not very good at fishingi tailwater. 

Any tips much appreciated.

p.s. The flood this past February was an overpowering sight to see at Barton Dam. All floodgates were wide open and the water was an absolute torrent blasting over the top of the dam. A little scary, really.


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## JWF (Jun 25, 2001)

kroppe,

The walleyes I caught were above the dam. I used to fish off of the back of the dam (along the wall) from shore using jigs. As I remeber, the fish were caught just off of the bottom. We used to catch some decent pike back there too. Since I have not been there in a while, I do not know if it is still possible to fish there. 
It might be worth a try. 

JWF


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

JWF, 

Thanks. As of a few weeks ago, it was still possible to fish at the top of the dam. There is sort of a nature trail that winds along the south shore of Barton Pond, then goes next to the dam and finishes in the park/parking area on Huron River Drive.

I checked the DNR fish stocking reports and it looks like walleyes have never been stocked in this reach, only in Big Portage Lake (upstream of Portage Lake (Flook) Dam) in Pinckney/Dexter. 

Plus there were some downstream stocking in Belleville and I think Ford Lakes, but there is no possible way to get above the Geddes, Argo or Barton dams due to their height and lack of fish ladders. The fish must have slipped over/through the lake level structure at Portage.


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