BirdTrout
Flies-Only Water — Manistee River, Michigan
Also called Upper Manistee flies only, M-72 to CCC Bridge.
M-72 to CCC Bridge.33 NHD reaches, 21.3 miles of drawn channel — side channels and braids included, so more than the distance downriver. Nearest reporting gauge 3.9 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 upper Manistee between the M-72 crossing and CCC Bridge — cedar-lined, wadeable, and the part of the river the Grayling and Traverse City shops mean by "the upper".
Flies only. Two trout may be possessed from the last Saturday in April to September 30, browns at an 18-inch minimum and brook and rainbow at 10 inches, with no more than one fish over 18 inches.
Where it is
- From
- M-72 (44.6924, -84.8474)
- To
- CCC Bridge (44.6144, -84.9915)
| Access | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Farm | canoe launch | 1.0 mi |
| Hole in the Fence | canoe launch | 1.5 mi |
| Yellow Trees Landing | canoe launch | 1.8 mi |
| Hole in the Wall | canoe launch | 1.8 mi |
Distance from the centre of the mapped reach, not along the road.
Regulations on this stretch
Flies only. Two trout may be possessed from the last Saturday in April to September 30, browns at an 18-inch minimum and brook and rainbow at 10 inches, with no more than one fish over 18 inches.
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
Hendricksons and sulphurs from late April; Hex at dusk in late June and early July; terrestrials through August.
Live water temperature
| Gauge | Distance | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Manistee River Near Grayling, Mi | 3.9 mi | 51.8 °F |
| South Branch Au Sable River Near Luzerne, Mi | 22.6 mi | 52.7 °F |
| Nb Au Sable River At Kelloggs Br Near Lovells, Mi | 24.5 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
- The Fly Factory — 9.6 mi
- Old AuSable Fly Shop — 9.7 mi
- Gates Au Sable Lodge — 17.4 mi
- Village Outfitters — 19.3 mi
- Fuller's North Branch Outing Club — 23.3 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.
- guide Current Works Guide Service
- flyshop The Northern Angler
- guide DIY Fly Fishing