Jordon River Michigan Fly Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout (Wild and Stocked with
holdover)
Brook Trout (Wild)
Rainbow (Stocked)
Salmon
Steelhead
Size
Small to Medium
Location
Northern Peninsula Michigan
Nearest Town
Chestonia
Season
First Saturday of April through
February all except:
Special Regulation Area:
Year-round
Access:
Good in some areas but lots of
private property in some areas
Non-Resident License
State of Michigan
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Real-Time USGS Stream Flow:
Seasons:
The season follows the standard Michigan trout season in all areas except the Special Regulations Area open to fishing year-round.
Spring:
Springtime is a good time for fly fishing the Jordon River for trout due to the plentiful aquatic insect hatches. It’s also the best time for steelhead.
Summer:
The action usually slows down some during the Summer but the water stays fairly cool in the headwater sections of the North and South branches as well as below the dam above Lake Charlevoix.
Fall:
Fall is a good time to catch a large brown trout and a trophy steelhead.
Winter:
Winter can be good during decent weather. The steelhead and trout can be sluggish when the water temperature is very low.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
For Steelhead and Salmon
Fly Line:
7, 8 , 9 or 10 weight for appropriate typerod, sinking, sinking tip and floating
Leaders:
10#, 12# in 9 to 15 feet lengths
Tippets:
10# and 12#
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly 7, 8, 9 and 10 ft. single hand rods
Fly Reels:
For 7 to 10 weight lines
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
KISS Strike Indicators, Lanyards, etc.
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Jordon River Michigan
The Jordan River flows into the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix in the Northern Peninsula of Michigan. It’s approximately twenty-five miles long and varies from about twenty feet in width to over fifty feet. The upper section is know for its appeal to canoe enthusast and for its brook trout fishing. Annual runs of salmon and steelhead enter the river through Lake Charlevloix. The river also has some good brown trout fishing. Due to its variety of species of fish, fly fishing the Jordon River can be good anytime of the year. In addition to it, the Boyne River is located in the same general area and also flows into Lake Charlevloix providing even more fly fishing opportunities.
The Jordon River’s headwaters begin from springs located in the Jordon Valley. This provides a very good pH level and plenty of food for the trout. Much of the river flows through forest. It was Michigan’s first river to be included in the state’s Natural Rivers Program. It stays clear and flows over a mixture of sand, cobble and rocks. There is plenty of cover for the brook and the brown trout in the form of some undercut banks, logs, and larger rocks in the headwaters and middle and lower sections of the river.
The upper headwater section of the Jordon River has some excellent brook trout fishing. It’s best from near intersection of U. S. Highway#131and state route #32, downstream to Chestonia. It’s a beautiful area to fish and the brook trout are large and plentiful.
Brown trout fishing is generally better in the middle and lower sections of the Jordon River. There the river takes on a more classic trout stream configuration with large, deeper pools connected by runs and riffles. The river can be accessed from many roads running off and in some cases crossing the river from the main roads consisting of U. S. Highway #131, State Route #32 and State Route #66.
The wild brown trout can become very selective and are not pushovers. Matching the hatch and the most available food is often necessary. Most are caught using streamers and nymphs but some larger ones are occasionally taken on the dry fly. Hatches in the Jordon river are plentiful and substantial at times. There’s plenty of mayflies, caddisflies and some stoneflies.
Steelhead fishing is usually best on the Jordon River during the Spring from the middle of March through the first of May. They can also be caught during the Fall and Winter. The lower section of the river is where most all the steelhead fishing is done. Some of the pools in the lower river are deep. Wading can be tricky in places at times. The majority are probably taken on nymphs and egg flies but swinging a wet fly can also be productive at times. Make sure you check the current Special Regulations before fishing.