Rivers / Upper Peninsula
Presque Isle River
A western U.P. Lake Superior river holding brown, rainbow and lake trout with coho, pink and king salmon running after mid-August, and wild spring steelhead peaking April to early May with November fall fish. The USGS gauge near Connorville reports water temperature. No hatch chart was located.
Fish by month
- Brown trout
Per Bluffs Inn fishing page.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Origin
- unknown
- Confidence
- C
- Rainbow trout (resident)
Per Bluffs Inn fishing page.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Origin
- unknown
- Confidence
- C
- Brook trout
Inferred from the western U.P. brook/brown pattern.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Origin
- wild
- Confidence
- C
- Steelhead
April to early May and November.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Origin
- wild
- Confidence
- B
- Coho salmon
Lake-run fish after mid-August.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Origin
- unknown
- Confidence
- C
- Chinook salmon
Lake-run fish after mid-August.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Origin
- unknown
- Confidence
- C
- Pink salmon
Lake-run fish after mid-August; odd years strongest.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Origin
- wild
- Confidence
- C
| Species | Months | Origin | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown trout Per Bluffs Inn fishing page. |
| unknown | C |
| Rainbow trout (resident) Per Bluffs Inn fishing page. |
| unknown | C |
| Brook trout Inferred from the western U.P. brook/brown pattern. |
| wild | C |
| Steelhead April to early May and November. |
| wild | B |
| Coho salmon Lake-run fish after mid-August. |
| unknown | C |
| Chinook salmon Lake-run fish after mid-August. |
| unknown | C |
| Pink salmon Lake-run fish after mid-August; odd years strongest. |
| wild | C |
Hatching in November
Eggs in the drift
In November the drift carries coho salmon, brown trout, brook trout, lake trout and Chinook salmon eggs, with brown trout and lake trout at peak. 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.
- Coho salmon eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Scrambled Eggs
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- November
- Washing out
- Colors to fish
- Oregon Cheese, Apricot Supreme, Pink Lady, Cream/Dead Egg
- Hooks
- #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
- November
- Peak
- Colors to fish
- Steelhead Orange, Egg, Oregon Cheese
- Hooks
- #10–14
- Brook trout eggsTie on Micro Spawn (6 to 8 mm yarn egg)
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- November
- Washing out
- Colors to fish
- Cream/Dead Egg
- Hooks
- #12–16
- Lake trout eggs
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- November
- Peak
- Colors to fish
- Oregon Cheese, Pale Yellow, Apricot
- Hooks
- #10–12
- Chinook salmon eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Scrambled Eggs
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- November
- Washing out
- Colors to fish
- Oregon Cheese, Apricot Supreme, Pink Lady, Cream/Dead Egg
- Hooks
- #6–10
- Steelhead eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- November
- Not drifting
- Colors to fish
- Apricot, Peach, Pale Yellow, Oregon Cheese, Light Pink
- Hooks
- #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
- November
- Not drifting
- Colors to fish
- Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold
- Hooks
- #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
- November
- Not drifting
- Colors to fish
- Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold, Peach
- Hooks
- #12–16
- Redhorse sucker eggsTie on Sucker Spawn, Scrambled Eggs
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- November
- Not drifting
- Colors to fish
- Pale Yellow, Light Gold, Cream
- Hooks
- #12–14
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- November
- Not drifting
- Colors to fish
- Pink Lady, Shrimp Pink, Salmon Egg, Steelhead Orange
- Hooks
- #10–14
| Egg source | Months | November | Colors to fish | Hooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Coho salmon eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Scrambled Eggs |
| Washing out | Oregon Cheese, Apricot Supreme, Pink Lady, Cream/Dead Egg | #6–12 |
Brown trout eggs (resident and lake-run)Tie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Blood Dot Egg |
| Peak | Steelhead Orange, Egg, Oregon Cheese | #10–14 |
Brook trout eggsTie on Micro Spawn (6 to 8 mm yarn egg) |
| Washing out | Cream/Dead Egg | #12–16 |
Lake trout eggs |
| Peak | Oregon Cheese, Pale Yellow, Apricot | #10–12 |
Chinook salmon eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Scrambled Eggs |
| Washing out | Oregon Cheese, Apricot Supreme, Pink Lady, Cream/Dead Egg | #6–10 |
Steelhead eggsTie on Nuke Egg, Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn |
| Not drifting | Apricot, Peach, Pale Yellow, Oregon Cheese, Light Pink | #10–14 |
Walleye eggsTie on Sucker Spawn, Y2K Egg, Micro Spawn (6 to 8 mm yarn egg) |
| Not drifting | Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold | #12–16 |
White and longnose sucker eggsTie on Glo Bug, Sucker Spawn, Scrambled Eggs |
| Not drifting | Pale Yellow, Cream, Light Gold, Peach | #12–16 |
Redhorse sucker eggsTie on Sucker Spawn, Scrambled Eggs |
| Not drifting | Pale Yellow, Light Gold, Cream | #12–14 |
| Not drifting | Pink Lady, Shrimp Pink, Salmon Egg, Steelhead Orange | #10–14 |
DNR stocking
Michigan DNR Fish Stocking Database records since 1979 for Presque Isle River. 30 plants on record. Snapshot 2026-09-28. DNR “rainbow trout” of Michigan or Skamania strain are steelhead smolts. Open the DNR database.
Earlier plants, not stocked in the last five years
- Rainbow trout
- Years
- 1984–2009
- Fish planted
- 130,383
- Last plant
- May 5, 2009 · Presque Isle River
- Brook trout
- Years
- 1993
- Fish planted
- 15,035
- Last plant
- May 17, 1993 · Presque Isle River
| Species | Years | Fish planted | Last plant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow trout | 1984–2009 | 130,383 | May 5, 2009 · Presque Isle River |
| Brook trout | 1993 | 15,035 | May 17, 1993 · Presque Isle River |
Gear rules
Transcribed from the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations digest. Confirm with the DNR before fishing.
- Manabezho Falls to Lake Superior
- Tackle
- general
- Season
- All year
- Notes
- Type 3 (open all year; brook/brown 15 in, others 10 in).
| Reach | Tackle | Season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manabezho Falls to Lake Superior | general | All year | Type 3 (open all year; brook/brown 15 in, others 10 in). |