Boardman River

The Boardman River holds a special place in Michigan fly fishing lore — it is the stream that flows directly through the heart of Traverse City, making it one of the most accessible urban trout rivers in the Midwest. Originating near Kalkaska in the rolling hills of northwestern Lower Michigan, the Boardman's North and South Branches converge before winding westward through forested corridors and resort towns until they reach Grand Traverse Bay. That proximity to civilization belies the quality of the fishery within.

Dam removal has been the defining story of the Boardman in recent years. The removal of four dams — Brown Bridge, Boardman, Sabin, and Union — between 2012 and 2022 has transformed the river dramatically. Miles of previously blocked habitat are now accessible to wild trout, steelhead, and salmon for the first time in over a century. The recovery has been remarkable: naturally reproducing brown trout have colonized stretches where they were absent for generations, and the river's wild brook trout population in the upper reaches continues to thrive.

Below the former Brown Bridge Dam location, the river quickens into swift, riffle-heavy water with a gravelly bottom and numerous deeper pools that shelter larger brown trout year-round. This section offers classic nymphing and streamer opportunities, and the perpetually cold spring-fed water keeps fish active even in summer. Fly hatches here are legendary by Michigan standards: Hendricksons and black caddis in May, sulphurs and brown drakes in June, the iconic Hexagenia limbata hatch in late June and July, and a late-season Trico spinner fall in August that tests the fine tippet skills of even accomplished anglers.

Wading the Boardman can be challenging. The river runs fast and deep in many sections, with slippery algae-covered rocks demanding felt-soled wading boots and a staff. Access through much of the mid-river corridor is limited by private property, so anglers who scout DNR access points before the trip will be well rewarded. The Northern Angler fly shop in Traverse City is the essential local resource, offering guided trips, real-time hatch information, and insider knowledge on which sections are fishing well.

Fall brings a bonus fishery as Chinook and Coho salmon stage in the lower river and steelhead push in from Grand Traverse Bay from October through April. The combination of urban convenience, recovering wild trout populations, extraordinary hatches, and migratory fish makes the Boardman a river worth multiple visits across the season.