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South Branch Au Sable River Downeys Stairs, Michigan
Walk-in access on the South Branch Au Sable River — The south branch au sable river at downeys stairs is a designated gear restricted stream. Please refer to the inland trout and salmon stream regulations in the current michigan fishing guide.
Open in BirdTrout44.58469, -84.48252 · Crawford County. Directions → Tap the map to open this water in the live app.
What is here
- Type
- Walk-in access
- Facilities
- The south branch au sable river at downeys stairs is a designated gear restricted stream. Please refer to the inland trout and salmon stream regulations in the current michigan fishing guide.
- Fee
- No fee
- Listed for
- Brook Trout, Brown Trout
- Listed by
- Michigan DNR Trout Trail site
From M-72, turn south on South Branch Road. Drive south and southwest past Canoe Harbor Campground. Turn left after 2.9 miles onto the access road. Bear a left at the fork and continue on for a total of .3 miles. There will be a parking area for about ten vehicles and a 30 yard path that leads from the parking area to a set of stairs leading down to the water's edge.
Cobble, gravel and sand substrate are all present here. The Mason Tract Pathway parallels the river in this area and provides multiple access points. The parking lot offers room for multiple vehicles and the angler will have to walk a short distance to the river. This is a scenic area and is on the Mason Tract of State forest land.
On or beside Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The water you can reach
- South Branch Au Sable River 0.03 mi · Cold transitional large river (MDNR VSEC) · typed Cold-transitional
- Thayer Creek 0.6 mi · Cold transitional stream (MDNR VSEC) · typed Cold-transitional
Walk-in access. Small enough water to wade and cross in most conditions.
What the river reads now
| Gauge | Distance | Water temp |
|---|---|---|
| South Branch Au Sable River near Luzerne | 2.5 mi | 53.8 °F |
| Nb Au Sable River at Kelloggs Br near Lovells | 9.6 mi | 54.0 °F |
| Au Sable River at Mio | 18.0 mi | 56.8 °F |
Live from USGS. A gauge miles away is a gauge miles away — the distance column is there so you can discount it.
The river this is on
Other access nearby
- South Branch Au Sable River Downeys Stone Wall 0.2 mi · walk in
- South Branch Au Sable River Upper Baldwins 0.5 mi · walk in
- South Branch Au Sable River Downeys North and South 0.6 mi · walk in
- South Branch Au Sable River Lelands Lot 0.7 mi · walk in
- South Branch Au Sable River Lower High Banks 1.4 mi · walk in
Straight-line distance, not driving distance.
Fly shops nearby
- Gates Au Sable Lodge 7.5 mi · Grayling
- Village Outfitters 8.0 mi · Roscommon · +1-989-281-1005
- The Fly Factory 12.5 mi · Grayling
- Old AuSable Fly Shop 12.6 mi · Grayling