Benzie County, MI • Steelhead • Brown Trout • Coho Salmon

Betsie River

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Current Conditions

Flows are around 159 cfs and rising, above normal for mid October — though that is the Platte River at Honor gauge, not Betsie. The Northern Angler reported eggs on Oct 9. Swinging and streamers for steelhead and chinook in recent reports.

Conditions as of Oct 16, 2026 Reported by The Northern Angler

Been out on the Betsie?

Betsie River Fishing Report

Late Steelhead: GoodBrowns: GoodSolitude: High

Steelhead are still trickling in on the Betsie — smaller river means tighter quarters but significantly less competition. Resident browns are feeding actively on caddis hatches in the evenings. Best wade access near Thompsonville and below Green Lake Road. A great choice if you value solitude over numbers.

Live Flow Conditions

Borrowed gauge

There is no working gauge on the Betsie — 04126600 at Benzonia has no real-time feed at all. These figures come from the Platte at Honor, about 15 miles north: the nearest Benzie County gauge, but not the Betsie’s flow.

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USGS Site: 04126740 • Platte River at Honor • View full data ↗

Hatch Calendar

SpeciesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

BWOBaetis spp.

HendricksonEphemerella subvaria

CaddisHydropsychidae spp.

SulphurEphemerella dorothea

TricoTricorythodes spp.

Gear Recommendations

The Betsie is a classic northern Michigan river with excellent dry fly hatches and a strong steelhead run. Moderate gradient, wading-accessible, and scenic.

Gear	Dry FlyRecommended	Nymphing	Euro Nymph	Streamer
Rod	9ft 4-weight or 5-weight	9ft 5-weight	10.5ft 3-weight	9ft 6-weight or 7-weight
Line	WF5F floating	WF floating	Euro mono rig	WF floating or intermediate sink tip
Leader	10–12ft to 4X	9ft to 4X	Long mono rig	6–9ft to 1X
Tippet	4X–5X	4X–5X fluorocarbon	5X–6X	1X–2X
Waders	Chest waders	Chest waders	Chest waders	Chest waders
Boots	Felt-soled wading boots	Felt-soled boots	Felt-soled boots	Felt-soled boots

Dry Fly Tips

The Betsie has excellent evening hatches from May through July. Caddis are particularly heavy — an Elk Hair Caddis in size 14–16 is a go-to pattern all summer.

Hendrickson, Sulphur, Caddis, Hex patternsFloatantPolarized glasses

Nymphing Tips

Caddis larvae nymphs are the Betsie's staple subsurface pattern. Fish the riffles with a tight line or indicator rig. Steelhead nymphing in spring with egg patterns is excellent.

IndicatorsSplit shotBead-head nymphs, Caddis larvae size 12–16

Euro Nymph Tips

Euro nymphing the Betsie's riffle-pool sequences is highly effective. The river's moderate gradient and clear water make reading the bottom easy.

Bead-head Caddis larvae, small Jig nymphs size 14–18

Streamer Tips

Steelhead and large brown trout respond to swung streamers on the Betsie, particularly in spring and fall. The river's moderate size makes single-hand casting a pleasure.

Articulated streamers size 4–6Wooly Buggers in olive and black

Find Your Guide

Hawkins Outfitters

Orvis Endorsed

📍 Cedar, MI (near Traverse City)Wade and float

Past Orvis-Endorsed Guide Service of the Year. 30+ years of experience fishing the rivers around Traverse City including the Betsie.

Specialties

Brown troutSteelheadBetsie wade tripsDry fly

Streamside Guide Service

Independent

📍 Grayling / Northern MichiganWade

Experienced guide covering the Betsie River for both steelhead and resident brown trout.

Specialties

Betsie steelheadBrown troutWade fishing

Grateful Guide Service

Independent

📍 South Boardman, MIWade and float

Based in South Boardman, within an hour of most major northern Michigan rivers. Signature night mousing trips are a must-do experience.

Specialties

Night mousingStreamer fishingSteelhead

Guide listings are researched and updated periodically. Contact guides directly to verify current availability and pricing.

Local Fly Shops

Backcast Fly Shop

Benzie County's go-to fly shop for over 40 years — custom rods, fly tying, steelhead tackle, and expert Betsie River knowledge.

Visit website ↗

Hawkins Fly Fishing

Northern Michigan outfitter based in Lake Ann — guided trips on the Betsie, Boardman, and surrounding rivers.

Visit website ↗

Public Access Points

True-traced river course ·accessdam / bridge

1Thompsonvillemi 0.02Homestead Dammi 25.7

🎣 MDNR Regulations 💧 USGS Gauge 📋 Fishing License

Salmon & Steelhead on the Betsie

Run status is rebuilt twice a day from the live gauge and the DNR's own run windows. The windows are typical timing, not a forecast — what actually moves fish is water temperature and a rise, and the run tracker carries both for every river at once.

Kings Chinook Salmon

Tailing off

Typical: Aug 19 – Oct 19, peak Sep 9 – Sep 29

One of the earliest king runs in the state. Frankfort harbour fish are in the river while the southern rivers are still waiting.

Coho Coho Salmon

Building

Typical: Sep 6 – Nov 8, peak Sep 24 – Oct 21

Steelhead Steelhead

Building

Typical: Sep 23 – Apr 13, peak Oct 23 – Dec 18

Upstream limit

Homestead Dam Homestead is the stop, and it concentrates fish the way Tippy does on a smaller scale.

Access

Homestead Dam, River Road, Grace Road, Psutka Road, Kurick Road. Wade above; float the lower river.

Crowding

Homestead Dam in late September is one of the more chaotic scenes in Michigan. The lower river is calmer.

Regulations

Section-specific gear restrictions. Check the current guide.

What to throw

Small-river tactics. Eggs, nymphs, sparse streamers.

DNR The state's weekly fishing report of Oct 14 named Chinook salmon on this water. Read the report.

More: the salmon run tracker for where every river stands today, and steelhead rivers for whose fish these are and what you may keep.

River History & Character

The Betsie River flows 44 miles from its headwaters near Thompsonville to Betsie Lake and Lake Michigan near Frankfort. Though smaller and more intimate than rivers like the Pere Marquette, it punches well above its weight class with impressive steelhead runs and excellent brown trout habitat. The river valley was heavily logged in the late 1800s, but restoration efforts throughout the 20th century significantly revived its wild fishery. The surrounding Betsie River State Game Area protects much of the corridor.

Did you know

The Betsie hosts a disproportionately large steelhead run relative to its size — a well-kept secret that rewards anglers willing to work smaller water.

Did you know

Nearby Crystal Mountain Resort makes the Betsie area a genuine four-season destination: ski Nordic and downhill trails in winter, then wade for steelhead in spring and browns in fall.