Fishing Season: Boardman River is now fully open.

Boardman River - MI

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

56

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. FOR SPECIFIC SEASON RESTRICTIONS, KILL AND SIZE LIMITS, GO TO: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/laws/regulations 2025 All species fishing license is now required. https://www.mdnr-elicense.com A warming trend will improve fishing and a return to terrestrial fishing. To start the week, terrestrial fishing middays. Some tricos mornings, 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. Tricos are in the air mornings on river sections before sun hits the water. Brown Bridge Quiet Area sections are best. Tips of the week: 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 reappear. Salmon are stacking up on the lower river below the weir in downtown Traverse City

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 9/15/25

Warm summer weather to return this week with some rain predicted for the weekend. Streamer fishing should be good with higher levels from weekend rain. Terrestrial/attractor fishing will continue this week with warm sunny weather. Tricos in the morning in shaded areas of the river. 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 9/15/25

Water temps cooling in the 50's with overnight temps in the low 50's. Dry fly fishing is the preferred method with sunny, warm temps. Midday temps are higher and terrestrials are moving to the river banks to drink and mate. Mornings, try a hopper or attractor with a trico dropper. 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
Indicator Parachute - Trico N/A #20-22
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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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 Tricorythodes (trico #22). 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