BirdTroutOpen the map Is the West Branch Pine River good for brook trout?
Yes, on the classification rather than on a thermometer. Michigan stocks brook trout into the West Branch Pine River, and MDNR classes most of its typed water as cold — but no USGS gauge on this river reports water temperature, so this site has no measured July mean to hold against the 53–61 °F band this fish wants. Fish of 6–11 inches are what Michigan reports as typical. The river is designated Type 2 trout water, which is what sets the size and creel limits.
What the state's records say
- Species
- Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
- In Michigan
- native
- Record here
- stocked — no survey record on this water
- Holds in
- 53–61 °F, stops feeding above 68 °F
- Typical
- 6–11 inches
- Spawns
- October and November, on gravel in groundwater-fed shallows, often at the mouths of seeps rather than in the main current.
Native throughout, and the fish of the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower's spring creeks. Lake Superior's coasters are the same species run to the lake.
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, and that is a classification rather than a thermometer.
| Gauge | Now | July mean |
|---|---|---|
| Au Sable River | 63.5 °F | 75.4 °F |
What you may keep
| Reach type | Miles | Minimum | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 Designated | 16.7 | 7″ | Last Saturday in April–September 30th |
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 West Branch Pine River
West Branch Pine River — live water temperature, regulations and access