Hey guys!! Been a little while again for me, but I’m going to “try” and make this short and sweet. Fact is, even though this trout season has been pretty fantastic so far this year, it’s changed a bit and I’d rather you do not come up just to trout fish right at this moment due to the water temperatures and the stress on our fish…
That being said, you should also keep mind that Lake County Michigan is home to 156 lakes that are still fine to fish in (Besides our 47 trout streams and rivers.) and the river is fun and fantastic to just float and swim in when it’s too warm to fish! (I want to seriously thank Troy and his crew at Baldwin Canoe Rental for being on board with me on this and discouraging their clients from fishing right now also. 👊😎👍)
Once again, we are in the middle of a heat wave that makes trout fishing unadvisable even during those brief periods of time when the water temperatures actually “allow” for it as these fish really need a good break after suffering near death temps the rest of that day…
We have been cancelling and turning away trips for a few days now and it really, really hurts! (Think of it like a car or mortgage payment you just tossed in the trash.) But the future of our fishery and the health of our fish is way more important than some good money and a good time right now. 🤷♂️
(It seriously saddens me when I find that people that I know know better are still doing it because they can’t not fish during the “big hatch” or the “big show”! I actually drive to the landings some nights to see who’s out there during the nights that we’ve cancelled and see that many are the very same people that preach the same. Some I don’t know and I’m hoping that they just don’t know any better, but I guess those that do just want to stress & kill fish without more company… I’ve lost some respect for them, but I’m not perfect in many ways either…)
Some people will also justify fishing in these water temps because they plan to keep them for the dinner table anyway, but the fact is that you’ll probably catch a few that still have to be release by law and even though those fish “swam away just fine”, that doesn’t mean that a crayfish or the like won’t be feasting on them by morning… Enough about that for now I guess but PLEASE be mindful and try to be cool…
(It “looks like” we’re going to get some rain and “a bit” of a break in the temps coming up! You can check on those water temps right here on our website courtesy of PMTU to see where we’re at, but again, just because it falls below 68 degrees for a little while doesn’t mean it’s “cool”. Give ’em more of a break… M-37 gauge here, Bowman’s here and Mapleleaf here! (Add a few degrees if you’re going to “the swamp” or “the spreads” below Walhalla…)
I’m not going to bore you now with a lot of details since I last posted (Hopefully a few of you are up to date on my socials Instagram here & Facebook here.) but it’s been a pretty good season until this hot spell. I’m still not booked the way I used to be before I gave away a bunch of regular clients and spent 14 of my 33 summers guiding in Alaska, but I am slowly building that clientele back up and I’d be happy to have you be a part of that! In the meantime, I’ve just been fishing on my own when I’m not booked or just being a husband and doggy dad! 😏🐶
Up on top we’ve gone thru most of the gauntlet of the major hatches already, but the grey drakes and hexes that I’m encouraging you not to fish right this moment are still going among a few others, terrestrials and various rubber legged or foam attractors are doing quite well. White(er) flies will pick up speed very soon also…
On the subsurface level nymphing is always a great bet, but you shouldn’t overlook a small minnow patter either! (Or a small “twitch bug”) Our naturally reproduced Brown trout, direct decedents of the very first planted in the US, are out in force in the shallows right now looking like schools of minnows and this spring’s naturally reproduced kings are getting bigger fast as they head on out. (I’ve seen them anywhere from 2-3″ to almost 6″ now)
Bait is always a safe choice if you’re just looking to catch, but please be quick on the hookset and have a good removal tool if you plan to release… Jerk baits like Rapalas (or the like) and spinners will do some damage as well! Dennis and I had a couple of great stick bait days even when the water was super low and clear before switching to flies and doing good in the evening also!
When and if you do make it up, I hope that you’ll at least consider stopping in to support our well stocked shop with a great staff, booking a room in our clean and comfortable motel or taking a day or two with one of our enthusiastic, experienced and knowledgeable guides! We would love to have you and would truly appreciate your business… 👊😎
That’s all I’ve got for now. Have fun, be safe, be well and stay cool! -Steve-
