Michigan Flies

Rivers / Upper Peninsula

Blind Sucker River

A small Lake Superior tributary just west of the Two Hearted, 15 to 40 feet wide, flowing from the Blind Sucker Wildlife Flooding to the lake. The DNR classifies the reach below the dam as warmwater, but spring and fall temperatures suit anadromous fish: steelhead, suckers and smelt in spring, and steelhead, Chinook, coho and some brook trout in fall, with gravel runs that provide spawning habitat. Steelhead fishing is rated good in May and steelhead and salmon good in October and November. Access at the mouth is rough; the rest of the stream is easy to reach and fish.

Between Grand Marais and Deer Park, Luce Countyrunofflake superiorhatch offset +18 d
Find flies for FebruaryFull-year calendar

Fish by month

  1. Steelhead

    DNR 1976: good in May and again in October and November.

    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
    B
  2. Chinook salmon

    DNR 1976 lists Chinook among the fall anadromous species; salmon fishing rated good October and November.

    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
    B
  3. Coho salmon

    DNR 1976 lists coho among the fall anadromous species.

    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
    B
  4. Pink salmon

    The river sustained a fall pink salmon run in 1975 per the DNR survey; odd years strongest.

    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
    wild
    Confidence
    B
  5. Brook trout

    Some brook trout hold near spring-fed inlets; summer temperatures in the lower river run warm.

    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
    wild
    Confidence
    B

The DNR also plants fish here that this site does not model yet: yellow perch (1990–1993). See the stocking record below.

Hatching in February

Eggs in the drift

In February the drift carries Chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead 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.

  1. Chinook 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
    February
    Washing out
    Colors to fish
    Oregon Cheese, Apricot Supreme, Pink Lady, Cream/Dead Egg
    Hooks
    #6–10
  2. 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
    February
    Washing out
    Colors to fish
    Oregon Cheese, Apricot Supreme, Pink Lady, Cream/Dead Egg
    Hooks
    #6–12
  3. 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
    February
    Washing out
    Colors to fish
    Cream/Dead Egg, Light Pink
    Hooks
    #10–14
  4. 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
    February
    Not drifting
    Colors to fish
    Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold
    Hooks
    #12–16
  5. 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
    February
    Not drifting
    Colors to fish
    Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold, Peach
    Hooks
    #12–16
  6. 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
    February
    Not drifting
    Colors to fish
    Pale Yellow, Light Gold, Cream
    Hooks
    #12–14
  7. Pink salmon eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug
    1. J
    2. F
    3. M
    4. A
    5. M
    6. J
    7. J
    8. A
    9. S
    10. O
    11. N
    12. D
    February
    Not drifting
    Colors to fish
    Pink Lady, Shrimp Pink, Salmon Egg, Steelhead Orange
    Hooks
    #10–14
  8. Brook trout eggsTie on 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
    February
    Not drifting
    Colors to fish
    Oregon Cheese, Apricot, Peach
    Hooks
    #12–16
  9. 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
    February
    Not drifting
    Colors to fish
    Oregon Cheese, Pale Yellow, Apricot
    Hooks
    #10–12

DNR stocking

Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database records since 1979 for Blind Sucker Flooding. 3 plants on record. Snapshot 2026-09-28. DNR “rainbow trout” of Michigan or Skamania strain are steelhead smolts. Open the DNR database.

Nothing stocked in the last five years. The fish in this water are wild or drop down from stocked reaches upstream.

Earlier plants, not stocked in the last five years

  1. Rainbow trout
    Years
    2001
    Fish planted
    28,889
    Last plant
    Oct 18, 2001 · Blind Sucker Flooding
  2. Yellow Perch
    Years
    1990–1993
    Fish planted
    13,019
    Last plant
    May 6, 1993 · Blind Sucker Flooding

Gear rules

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

  1. Blind Sucker River (Luce County)
    Tackle
    general
    Season
    Trout season
    Notes
    Trout stream Type not captured from the 2026 digest; fill from the DNR ArcGIS regulation-type layer.verify