Fishing Season: Boardman River is now fully open.

Boardman River - MI

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

69

Streamside Michigan's Tip of the Week

THE BOARDMAN RIVER IS NOW FULLY OPEN. https://www.mdnr-elicense.com 2025 All Species fishing license is required now. Seasonably hot and dry this week. Levels have dropped to near normal levels and water is now clear. Water temps have also risen with sunshine and warm temps into the upper 60's. Care should be given to play fish quickly and release carefully after a chance to recover. Late night hatches are now largely replaced with terrestrial fishing middays. Some light cahills, (stenonema vicarium), but fishing streamers early mornings, mousing late night after dark, and mostly hoppers, beetles, ants, and rubber legged attractors control most of the daytime hours. Tips of the week: The hot water temps require that you play fish quickly, and release fish quickly after making sure they are recovered. Also, when hopper fishing and find yourself wading downstream through a cedar swamp, change to a beetle. Then change back to the hopper pattern once the grassy, sunny banks reappears.

Directions open in app

Map of Boardman River

Water Flow Data

Tidal Conditions

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Hawkins Outfitters,
Streamside Orvis

5-Day Outlook as of 7/28/25

Seasonally hot temps this week. Levels are down and water temps will push the upper limits early in the week. Streamer fishing will be good as the week progresses. Hatches are waning, but the warm weather is bringing terrestrials to the river banks. Fishing midddays is best. Mousing is taking off late nights as well. Go to zip code 49684 for latest weather at your favorite weather site.

Techniques & Tips as of 7/28/25

Water temps are rising into the upper 60's and fish are feeding. Dry fly fishing is still the preferred method, but is now best middays when temps are high and terrestrials are moving to the river banks to drink and mate. Late night mousing after dark is starting to show some good results.

Local Species Available Boardman River is now fully open.

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    Brook trout

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    brown trout

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    — brown & rainbow trout

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    king & coho salmon

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    smallmouth below Union St dam

Streamside Michigan's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Light Cahill N/A #12-14
Stimulator yellow #14-16
Schroeder's Parachute Hopper N/A #12
Dave's Oh-So-Iso N/A #12-14
Patriot N/A #12-14
Betsie Special N/A #10
Blue Wing Olive Parachute N/A #18
Quick-Sight™ Beetle N/A #14
Mouse N/A #4
Gartside Hopper gray #10

Light Cahill

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Item #0344

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Streamside Michigan's Recommended Gear

Description: About Boardman River

BOARDMAN RIVER FISHING IS NOW FULLY OPEN. 2025 All species fishing license is now required. https://www.mdnr-elicense.com The beautiful Boardman River, birthplace of the Adams fly, starts east and south of Traverse City and ends as it flows into the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay in Lake Michigan. Self-sustaining populations of rainbow, brown and brook trout inhabit all sections of the river, but have higher populations of brook trout in the uppermost sections. Favorite hatches include Hendricksons and black caddis in May, sulfurs, brown drakes and isonychia in June, with gray drakes and the famous hex hatch in late June and July. Late July and August terrestrial, trico, and baetis fishing rounds out the summer. Aggressive fall spawning browns chase large streamers and attracters in September as well. The upper Boardman River closes the end of September while the lower river below Sabin Dam remains open all year. In October, the lower river fills with Lake Michigan coho and Chinook salmon. The salmon run culminates in late October with a fall run of steelhead. Steelhead fishing continues all winter and peaks in March and April. These enormous 8 to 15 pound lake-run rainbow trout draw anglers from around the world. The easy gradient and sand and gravel bottom makes wading comfortable with numerous public access points. Both arms of Grand Traverse Bay have wadable flats that will host schools of spawning Great Lakes carp and smallmouth in months of May and June.

Nearest Airport:

Cherry Capital Traverse City (TVC)

Hatches:

Some light cahills, (stenonema vicarium), and yellow stoneflies continue. Baetis #18 if clouds and rain arrive. Visit the STREAMSIDEORVIS.COM website for blogs, tips, photos... and more! Like us on Facebook too.

Best Time to Fish:

noon to 5pm

Best Stretch:

Forks Campground to Sheck's Campground

Best Access:

Ranch Rudolf Brown Bridge Road