Freestone · Mixed · Michigan/Indiana, US

St. Joseph River

St. Joseph River
Today · Slow going — pick your moments
Stonefly Nymph
Forecast · Today
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% projected
Today's fly
Stonefly Nymph
Stonefly Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
1.71 m
Lifting fast
Water temp14.9°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather8°C
WindN 6 km/h
Pressure1033 hPa
Rain · recent2.4 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
Warm — slow
15°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Skamania summer-run Jul–Aug; salmon Sep–Oct; steelhead Oct–Apr
Where
The St.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is working for you, but water temperature is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 21h

Peak activity at 21h — Brown Dun (Brown Dun, Weather boost)

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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Michigan AND Indiana licences by reach — confirm which state's water you're on
  • Verify summer-run regs
  • Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 1
Trail Creek
54 km
86
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. St. Joseph River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Impaired
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
  • Recreation: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs) — fish for sport, not the table.

Recreation: Bacteria/pathogen advisory — mind wading cuts and immersion.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'SAINT JOSEPH RIVER (SALMONID)' (INJ01M8_01), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Pathogens, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs, Cause Unknown Impaired Biota. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · INJ01M8_01

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature2828% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time8013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity4712% weight
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts