BirdTroutOpen the map Is the Rifle River good for rainbow trout?
Yes, with a caveat. Michigan stocks rainbow trout into the Rifle River, and the river's measured July mean of 71.7 °F runs above the 55–65 °F this fish prefers but below the 75 °F it stops feeding at — so the cold stretches carry it and the warm ones are marginal in high summer. Fish of 8–16 inches are what Michigan reports as typical. The river is designated Type 1, Type 2 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
- stocked — no survey record on this water
- 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
Measured, not modelled: 1 gauged stretch of this river average 71.7 °F in July , against the 55–65 °F this fish holds in and the 75 °F it stops feeding at.
| Gauge | Now | July mean |
|---|---|---|
| Au Sable River | 60.4 °F | 74.0 °F |
What you may keep
| Reach type | Miles | Minimum | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 Designated | 6.1 | 10″ | Last Saturday in April–September 30th |
| Type 3 Designated | 54.1 | 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 Rifle River
Rifle River — live water temperature, regulations and access
- Is the Rifle River good for brown trout?
- When to fish the Rifle River, Michigan
- How to get to the Rifle River, Michigan
- Rifle River fishing report
- Rifle River fishing regulations