# Ypsilanti Huron River Access



## NEO (Nov 8, 2000)

Can anyone give advice for fishing the Huron River in Ypsilanti? Specifically the section down stream from Leforge Road all the way to Spring Street. I've only fished up stream from Superior Road to the dam when I had a boat. I am looking to start wading sections of the Huron through Ypsilanti in search of smallmouth bass. After I learn this stretch of river I plan to head up stream towards Dexter. Thanks all.


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## JungleGeorge (Apr 18, 2013)

Riverside park and water works park. Both have some wadable wate both with smallmouth Just a little bit on the smaller side


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## AntiHuntersLoveMe (Apr 18, 2012)

Make sure you're packin the heater when you go lol

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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

Pennisular paper site


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

Heater....or heat??? Lol


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## AntiHuntersLoveMe (Apr 18, 2012)

Swampbuckster said:


> Heater....or heat??? Lol


Heater.... The hood term for gun lol

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## murdermittenkid (Dec 27, 2009)

need a gun to fish in ypsi???? that's pretty good.


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## micooner (Dec 20, 2003)

murdermittenkid said:


> need a gun to fish in ypsi???? that's pretty good.


Thats why the fishing is so good. They're all afraid. Lol. All kidding aside just be careful and aware of your surroundings.


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## NEO (Nov 8, 2000)

Thanks for the info. I work in the Ypsi area so I will be sure to keep my head on a swivel while out wading. I never worried about it while on a boat but that was up stream from those parks.


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## AntiHuntersLoveMe (Apr 18, 2012)

NEO said:


> Thanks for the info. I work in the Ypsi area so I will be sure to keep my head on a swivel while out wading. I never worried about it while on a boat but that was up stream from those parks.


This time of yr you'll probably be ok. The cold weather seems to keep the riff raff inside. The summer months and after dark are the times you really gotta keep your guard up.

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## jd4223 (Feb 12, 2012)

I made the mistake of trying to fish that area during the heat of the summer. My truck alarm was going off every time I got out of sight from it. I was wading the river which was all of 1 foot deep. Anything of value had to be carried with me(including my spare tire)which they were trying to steal from underneath my truck causing my alarm to go off. Finally quit after 20 minutes and looked for a new place to try.


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## NEO (Nov 8, 2000)

jd4223 said:


> I made the mistake of trying to fish that area during the heat of the summer. My truck alarm was going off every time I got out of sight from it. I was wading the river which was all of 1 foot deep. Anything of value had to be carried with me(including my spare tire)which they were trying to steal from underneath my truck causing my alarm to go off. Finally quit after 20 minutes and looked for a new place to try.


Christ! That's not very heart-warming news. Here I have a beautiful river system right in my backyard but I have to pack heat and make sure my vehicle is not broken into or stolen whenever I go fishing.


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## AntiHuntersLoveMe (Apr 18, 2012)

NEO said:


> Christ! That's not very heart-warming news. Here I have a beautiful river system right in my backyard but I have to pack heat and make sure my vehicle is not broken into or stolen whenever I go fishing.


Welcome to Ypsi!

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## murdermittenkid (Dec 27, 2009)

ita really dangerous!!! stay away!!!! especially during the spring


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## NEO (Nov 8, 2000)

murdermittenkid said:


> ita really dangerous!!! stay away!!!! especially during the spring


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## jd4223 (Feb 12, 2012)

Stop in at Schultz Fly Shop at 4 E.Cross street in Ypsi right beside the river and park area. They can give you all the info in regards to the best/safest places to fish the river. Good people and very friendly above and beyond personal service.


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## NEO (Nov 8, 2000)

jd4223 said:


> Stop in at Schultz Fly Shop at 4 E.Cross street in Ypsi right beside the river and park area. They can give you all the info in regards to the best/safest places to fish the river. Good people and very friendly above and beyond personal service.


Depot Town is my stomping ground and I know right where Schultz's shop is. I plan to stop in there to stock up on some supplies.


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

NEO said:


> Depot Town is my stomping ground and I know right where Schultz's shop is. I plan to stop in there to stock up on some supplies.


I was just in there last night. 3 day sale going on right now.


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

Yep stop in and talk to the guys at Schultz's. Corey (big bushy beard) will help you out.

This stretch is where I learned how to fly fish about 20 years ago. 

From the Dam on down you will have access issues, private property from the Leforge bridge to the railroad bridge at Forrest ave. Plus some deep holes if you don't know where they are can cause issues (under the Forrest bridge is pretty deep and unwadeble). 

If you park at the dam LOCK YOUR STUFF UP and be prepared to deal with the guys fishing from the walk way below the dam (ie: if its hooked it goes in the bucket). River right near the small island can be decent. Obviously give the dam and the old power house a wide berth as hydrolic currents can be real dangerous with weird deep holes etc. 

Forrest ave to Cross st (along frog island) is decent if the flows are right, the first 100 yards heading downstream has some larger rocks and can be hard to wade if the water is up and you don't know what is what. River right will usually bring more fish. It gets deep just up from the Cross bridge on river right so wade accordingly.

Cross st down (Riverside park) hit river left as there is usually heavier pressure on the right from the worm dunkers etc and there is much less cover on the right. Careful of a couple deep holes under the Cross st bridge and some weird wading as there is rip rap from an old dam there. 

About 200 yards upstream of the Michigan ave bridge is the lower limit to riverside park to safely wade. You will see where the gradient pick up, its very obvious. STAY AWAY from the Michigan ave bridge, there is a deep hole under there that kills someone every couple of years.

Once across Michigan ave, you need to get about 100yards downstream where it gets wadeable again. Just up stream of the bend there is a bunch of rip rap on river left that holds some smallies usually. Across from there under the over hanging trees can be decent too if you can cast to it (mid channel is kinda deep). The outside of the sweeping bend can be ok too for streamers. 

Once you get around the bend (about 300 yards down stream) you need to hoop out as there is an old sewer line that runs across the river under the water that can be realllll dangerous depending on the levels. 

From the foot bridge downstream is hit or miss. Occasionally a walleye or a smallie in there. 

Once you get to the next bend it starts to get too deep to wade and that's about the lower limit in that stretch that you can wade. 

Out of these four sections the one I usually don't fish much is Michigan ave down. It has to be the right conditions for me to fish it as its either a zero fish stretch or just a few fish stretch. 

Hope this helps, please wade carefully and try to only fish it when its 400cfs or under the first several times to figure out the dicey spots.

As for the locals messing with you, other than car break in's (has never happened to me but have heard of a few guys loosing stuff) I have never had an issue in probably 600 times fishing this area over the decades, but just be smart.

Hope this helps
J-


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## JungleGeorge (Apr 18, 2013)

Jeeesh you should bait his rod hook his Fish then let him reel it in


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

JungleGeorge said:


> Jeeesh you should bait his rod hook his Fish then let him reel it in


Thanks for your contribution. 

J-


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## NEO (Nov 8, 2000)

jjc155 said:


> Yep stop in and talk to the guys at Schultz's. Corey (big bushy beard) will help you out.
> 
> This stretch is where I learned how to fly fish about 20 years ago.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the detailed reply. I may concentrate my fishing more upstream towards Dexter. I am in Ypsilanti often and rarely see someone fly fishing the river which makes me think it isn't very good or there just aren't many fly fishers targeting smallmouth in the stretch from Leforge to Spring. I'll still give it a try then decide if it's worth my time to come back. I stopped into Shchultz's a few weeks ago but didn't have time to get into a detailed conversation about the river. I told Schultzy I would be back to talk with him in more detail when I had time. Thanks again.


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## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

NEO said:


> Can anyone give advice for fishing the Huron River in Ypsilanti? Specifically the section down stream from Leforge Road all the way to Spring Street. I've only fished up stream from Superior Road to the dam when I had a boat. I am looking to start wading sections of the Huron through Ypsilanti in search of smallmouth bass. After I learn this stretch of river I plan to head up stream towards Dexter. Thanks all.


You're an IT guy. Hit that little search Gizmo and look around. This site has been around many years and people were more likely to give information a dozen or so years ago than today. Seems like the more people post the more fishing pressure happens.... I'm sure the question you're asking will have been answered then and probably hasn't changed..


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## happydj (Jun 20, 2012)

Check with Schultz outfitters in Depot town. They are right next to the river and can give you good advice. There is a park right next to them that the river runs through, I believe it is called Frog Island Park. I have fished there with some success.


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