Freestone · Sand Gravel · Michigan, US

Rifle River

Rifle River (Michigan) August 2021
Today · About as good as it gets
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Today
About as good as it gets
On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.89 m
Water temp8.6°C
ClarityClear
Weather7°C
WindN 9 km/h
Pressure1031 hPa
Rain · recent4.9 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Ideal
9°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Salmon Sep–Oct; steelhead Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr
Where
A modest Lake Huron tributary with a loyal following for its fall salmon and spring steelhead — small, accessible water that fishes well for the angler who…
Why this works
Good — water temperature is working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 21h

12h(now) — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 51%
Also:Black Midge47%
Peak emergence window5 food groups active

Peak activity at 21h — Brown Dun (Brown Dun, 4 food groups active)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Steelhead
Local fly shops: Gates Au Sable Lodge
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Michigan licence; verify MI DNR reach rules
  • Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 1
Au Sable River
69 km
79
Steelhead · Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Rifle River (Michigan) August 2021
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity4018% weight
  • Feeding Time8013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity5012% weight
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts