Traverse Bay Fishing Report: April 2016

A s we roll into April, we are well on our way to a great and early start to trout season. With very little snow left to melt and most of the lakes and swamps ice-free the river temperatures should be prime for an early dry fly year. Hendricksons and black stones will be popping more than likely buy the end of the month. These early hatches can bring up some really great fish. Streamer fishing and nymph fishing while outside of the hatch time will also yield fish. Steelhead should be around through the end of the month, but the vast majority would have spawned under the cover of the dirty water in March. Streamer fishing for the drop-back fish should be very good this month. This style of fishing is exciting there is nothing like the “Crimson Collision” plus opportunities at trophy trout and smallmouth. The salmon smolt should be hatching early this year as well which can turn a variety of river species into real carnivores and provide some of the most exciting streamer action of the year.

The smolt event can really produce amixed bag of fish. It’s not uncommon to run a 100-yard stretch of certain rivers and take bass, steelhead, and brown trout. This year it’s shaping up to be early for sure, try flies like flash monkeys, double deceivers, mini ds, and swinging ds, and brace for impact! Basic 8 weight flyrod and a scientific angler sonar cold 25 in a 250 or 300 is all you need. I typically run 12-20 SA fluorocarbon to the fly and keep it under 7’ in length. Have fun on the river and a safe opener!