BirdTrout
Holy Water — Au Sable River, Michigan
Also called The Holy Water, Holy Waters, Au Sable Holy Water.
Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge.5 NHD reaches, 13.4 miles of drawn channel — side channels and braids included, so more than the distance downriver. Nearest reporting gauge 22.0 miles away.
Open in BirdTroutThe line is the water this name refers to, drawn from the NHD reaches it resolves to; the dots are the nearest gauges reporting water temperature, coloured by what they read now.
What it is
The nine miles of Au Sable mainstem between Burton's Landing and Wakeley Bridge, east of Grayling. Flies-only and no-kill since long before either rule was common, and the stretch most often meant when somebody says they are fishing the Au Sable.
Artificial flies only, catch-and-release for trout, open all year.
Where it is
- From
- Burton's Landing (44.6630, -84.6468)
- To
- Wakeley Bridge (44.6590, -84.5053)
| Access | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Au Sable River At Guide's Rest | walk in | 0.8 mi |
| Stephans Bridge | canoe launch | 0.9 mi |
| Au Sable River At Spite Avenue | walk in | 1.1 mi |
| Au Sable River At Thendara Road | walk in | 1.4 mi |
| Au Sable River At Whirlpool | walk in | 1.9 mi |
| Keystone Landing State Forest Campground | canoe launch | 2.1 mi |
| Au Sable River At Keystone Landing | walk in | 2.4 mi |
| Au Sable River At Louie's Landing | walk in | 2.9 mi |
Distance from the centre of the mapped reach, not along the road.
Regulations on this stretch
Artificial flies only, catch-and-release for trout, open all year.
Rules change every year and the posted signs are the authority, not this page. Check the current Michigan regulations before you fish. Where this stretch sits inside a larger river, that river's general regulations apply everywhere this stretch's do not.
Best times
Dry-fly water first and last: Hendricksons from late April, then sulphurs and Isonychia, and the Hexagenia limbata hatch at dusk in late June and early July.
Live water temperature
| Gauge | Distance | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Au Sable River At Mio, Mi | 22.0 mi | 56.8 °F |
| South Branch Au Sable River Near Luzerne, Mi | 7.1 mi | 52.7 °F |
| Nb Au Sable River At Kelloggs Br Near Lovells, Mi | 8.5 mi | 52.7 °F |
Live from USGS — the number above is current rather than whenever the page was written. A gauge miles away is a gauge miles away: the distance column is there so you can discount it.
Fly shops nearby
- Gates Au Sable Lodge — 1.3 mi
- Old AuSable Fly Shop — 6.7 mi
- The Fly Factory — 6.8 mi
- Fuller's North Branch Outing Club — 10.5 mi
- Village Outfitters — 11.6 mi
- Ausable River Outfitters — 22.0 mi
Straight-line distance from the centre of the mapped reach.
Sources for the name
BirdTrout did not name this water. 3 independent sources below use the name, and it ships only because more than one of them does.
- flyshop Old AuSable Fly Shop
- encyclopedia Wikipedia
- guide DIY Fly Fishing