BirdTroutOpen the map Is Bear Creek good for rainbow trout?
Yes, on the classification rather than on a thermometer. Michigan's own survey records list rainbow trout in Bear Creek, and MDNR classes most of its typed water as cold-transitional — but no USGS gauge on this river reports water temperature, so this site has no measured July mean to hold against the 55–65 °F band this fish wants. Fish of 8–16 inches are what Michigan reports as typical. The river is designated Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4 trout water, which is what sets the size and creel limits.
What the state's records say
- Species
- Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- In Michigan
- introduced
- Record here
- surveyed present
- Holds in
- 55–65 °F, stops feeding above 75 °F
- Typical
- 8–16 inches
- Spawns
- Spring — March into May — on gravel, which is what separates it from the two autumn spawners above.
Introduced from Pacific-slope stock in the 1880s. The lake-run form — steelhead — is the same species, and the rivers that hold resident rainbows are largely the rivers steelhead run.
Is the water cold enough
No USGS gauge on this river reports water temperature, so there is no measured July mean to put beside the species' band. MDNR's classification of the typed reaches is Cold-transitional, and that is a classification rather than a thermometer.
| Gauge | Now | July mean |
|---|---|---|
| Manistee River | 61.3 °F | 70.3 °F |
What you may keep
| Reach type | Miles | Minimum | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 Designated | 8.9 | 10″ | Last Saturday in April–September 30th |
| Type 3 Designated | 25.5 | 10″ | January 1st–December 31st |
From Michigan's own regulation tables, per designated type, and the current digest is the authority rather than this page. Full regulations for this river →
What to fish for it
- Fish Eggs — October–January and April, #10–16
- Little Black Stonefly — January–April, #16–18
- Little Brown Stonefly — February–April, #12–16
- Blue-Winged Olive — March–May and September–November, #16–22
- Blackfly — April–June, #18–22
- Blue Quill — April–May, #16–18
- Cranefly — April–June and September–October, #6–10
- Grannom — April–May, #14–16
The insects recorded from this river's region, earliest first. The full calendar →
More about Bear Creek
Bear Creek — live water temperature, regulations and access
- Is Bear Creek good for brook trout?
- Is Bear Creek good for brown trout?
- When to fish Bear Creek, Michigan
- How to get to Bear Creek, Michigan
- Bear Creek fishing report
- Bear Creek fishing regulations