Rivers / Upper Peninsula

Anna River

The Munising Bay tributary that MDNR calls the best coho fishing in the U.P., with the run in September-October. A DNR diet study here found brown trout under 11.8 inches fed primarily on caddis (Trichoptera) while larger fish ate mostly fish, selecting stocked coho smolts in May and slimy sculpins June-October. No hatch chart was located.

Munising, Alger Countymixedlake superiorhatch offset +21 d

Find flies for March Full-year calendar

Fish by month

Coho salmon
MDNR: the best U.P. coho fishing is in the Anna River watershed; coho smolts are stocked here.
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Origin
stocked
Confidence
A
Brown trout
DNR RR1759 diet study: small browns caddis-dominant, large browns piscivorous on coho smolts and sculpins.
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Origin
unknown
Confidence
A
Steelhead
Inferred from Lake Superior basin timing.
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Origin
unknown
Confidence
C

Species	Months	Origin	Confidence
Coho salmon MDNR: the best U.P. coho fishing is in the Anna River watershed; coho smolts are stocked here.	J F M A M J J A S O N D	stocked	A
Brown trout DNR RR1759 diet study: small browns caddis-dominant, large browns piscivorous on coho smolts and sculpins.	J F M A M J J A S O N D	unknown	A
Steelhead Inferred from Lake Superior basin timing.	J F M A M J J A S O N D	unknown	C

The DNR also plants fish here that this site does not model yet: splake (1988), lake trout (1982–1983). See the stocking record below.

Hatching in March

Eggs in the drift

In March the drift carries steelhead, walleye and white and longnose sucker eggs. Spawning follows water temperature rather than the hatch offset, so these months do not shift. The spawners have left, but eggs are still washing out of the redds. They go pale as they age, so rows marked Washing out list the pale colors.

Steelhead eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
March
Washing out
Colors to fish
Cream/Dead Egg, Light Pink
Hooks
#10–14
Walleye eggsTie on Sucker Spawn, Y2K Egg, Micro Spawn (6 to 8 mm yarn egg)
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
March
Drifting
Colors to fish
Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold
Hooks
#12–16
White and longnose sucker eggsTie on Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn, Scrambled Eggs
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
March
Drifting
Colors to fish
Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold, Peach
Hooks
#12–16
Redhorse sucker eggsTie on Sucker Spawn, Scrambled Eggs
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
March
Not drifting
Colors to fish
Pale Yellow, Light Gold, Cream
Hooks
#12–14
Coho salmon eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Scrambled Eggs
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
March
Not drifting
Colors to fish
Steelhead Orange, Sockeye, Salmon Egg, Egg
Hooks
#6–12
Brown trout eggs (resident and lake-run)Tie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Blood Dot Egg
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
March
Not drifting
Colors to fish
Steelhead Orange, Egg, Oregon Cheese
Hooks
#10–14
Lake trout eggs
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
March
Not drifting
Colors to fish
Oregon Cheese, Pale Yellow, Apricot
Hooks
#10–12

Egg source	Months	March	Colors to fish	Hooks
Steelhead eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Washing out	Cream/Dead Egg, Light Pink	#10–14
Walleye eggsTie on Sucker Spawn, Y2K Egg, Micro Spawn (6 to 8 mm yarn egg)	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Drifting	Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold	#12–16
White and longnose sucker eggsTie on Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn, Scrambled Eggs	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Drifting	Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold, Peach	#12–16
Redhorse sucker eggsTie on Sucker Spawn, Scrambled Eggs	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Not drifting	Pale Yellow, Light Gold, Cream	#12–14
Coho salmon eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Scrambled Eggs	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Not drifting	Steelhead Orange, Sockeye, Salmon Egg, Egg	#6–12
Brown trout eggs (resident and lake-run)Tie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Blood Dot Egg	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Not drifting	Steelhead Orange, Egg, Oregon Cheese	#10–14
Lake trout eggs	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Not drifting	Oregon Cheese, Pale Yellow, Apricot	#10–12

Signature hatches

Tan Caddis

May 22 – Oct 21

The all-summer caddis of Michigan rivers, from May through September and heaviest in early-to-mid July, when the Manistee system's caddis abundance peaks an hour or two after sunset. The Trails to Trout chart splits it into Spotted Sedge (#12-16, from May 1) and Cinnamon Caddis (#14-18, from May 20); both are net-spinners that emerge slowly through the film, so a sparkle pupa or soft-hackle swung at dusk is often the best fly. Larvae are available year-round in the riffles and are a steelhead and trout staple. For the egg-laying flights at dark fish a #14-16 tan elk-hair caddis; on the Muskegon the cinnamon caddis (#16) starts mid-May and the tan/olive caddis fishes into August on the Upper Manistee.

Little Sister Sedge

May 22 – Aug 21

The smaller, lighter-winged sibling of the Hydropsyche tan caddis, sitting lower in the watershed and running from May into midsummer on the northern rivers and, in its tiny #18-20 form, from mid-July through October on the Muskegon. Adults emerge and lay eggs in the afternoon and at dusk; trout feed heavily on the spent egg-layers at dark, so a green-bodied X-caddis or a spent partridge caddis fished in the film is the evening fly. The bright green larva is available all year and is a Michigan steelhead staple. Fish a #16-18 green caddis larva or a soft-hackle in the riffles by day.

DNR stocking

Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database records since 1979 for Anna River. 48 plants on record. Snapshot 2026-09-28. DNR “rainbow trout” of Michigan or Skamania strain are steelhead smolts. Open the DNR database.

Rainbow troutsteelhead and resident strains
Harrietta, Wytheville +1 · since 1983
2018
54,953
2019
49,996
2021
49,321
2022
52,007
2023
55,000
2025
54,264
Latest plant
Oct 21, 2025Anna River 2 · 2.6 in

Species	2018	2019	2021	2022	2023	2025	Latest plant
Rainbow troutsteelhead and resident strains Harrietta, Wytheville +1 · since 1983	54,953	49,996	49,321	52,007	55,000	54,264	Oct 21, 2025Anna River 2 · 2.6 in

Earlier plants, not stocked in the last five years

Brown trout
Years
1983
Fish planted
30,000
Last plant
Sep 22, 1983 · Munising
Brook trout
Years
1984–2001
Fish planted
70,446
Last plant
May 23, 2001 · Munising
Coho salmon
Years
1984–2007
Fish planted
150,079
Last plant
Apr 2, 2007 · Anna River 3
Lake trout
Years
1982–1983
Fish planted
50,000
Last plant
May 3, 1983 · Munising
Splake
Years
1988
Fish planted
30,000
Last plant
Mar 23, 1988 · Munising

Species	Years	Fish planted	Last plant
Brown trout	1983	30,000	Sep 22, 1983 · Munising
Brook trout	1984–2001	70,446	May 23, 2001 · Munising
Coho salmon	1984–2007	150,079	Apr 2, 2007 · Anna River 3
Lake trout	1982–1983	50,000	May 3, 1983 · Munising
Splake	1988	30,000	Mar 23, 1988 · Munising

Recent plants, by date

Oct 21, 2025 54,264 rainbow trout (Michigan) at Anna River 22.6 in
Oct 5, 2023 55,000 rainbow trout (Michigan) at Anna River 23 in
Oct 20, 2022 25,828 rainbow trout (Michigan) at Anna River 23 in
Oct 20, 2022 26,179 rainbow trout (Michigan) at Anna River 23.1 in

Gear rules

Transcribed from the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations digest. Confirm with the DNR before fishing.

Anna River (Alger County)
Tackle
general
Season
Trout season
Notes
Trout stream Type not captured from the 2026 digest.verify

Reach	Tackle	Season	Notes
Anna River (Alger County)	general	Trout season	Trout stream Type not captured from the 2026 digest.verify