Michigan · freestone
31 miles
October on the hatch chart — names and sizes, not a catch report.
Filled months are when that insect is on the chart. Best months for this river are lit.
Swipe months to stay on the year
| Insect | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midge (Chironomidae) | ||||||||||||
| Blue-winged Olive (Baetis) | ||||||||||||
| Hendrickson (Ephemerella subvaria) | ||||||||||||
| Caddis (Trichoptera) | ||||||||||||
| Hex (Hexagenia limbata) | ||||||||||||
| Terrestrials |
Hatch-chart nymphs, dries, and streamers for this river. Not a crowdsourced catch report.
Open the Pigeon River fly list →4 listed points. Map is Vellum land and Teal water — a desk chart, not a satellite.
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MDNR rustic campground on the Pigeon, 10.5 miles east of Vanderbilt via Sturgeon Valley Road. Ten sites. Recreation Passport required.
MDNR headquarters on Twin Lakes Road. Official GPS: 45.169742, -84.439495. Maps and forest information. Nearby river access on state forest land.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations landmark: Gear Restricted start. T32N, R1W, S10. Artificial lures only downstream to Pine Grove stairs.
2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations landmark: Gear Restricted end. T33N, R1W, S17. Type 4 begins downstream toward East Mullett Road.
Michigan DNR no longer maintains an active Blue Ribbon list; current rules are stream Types 1-4 plus Gear Restricted listings. Pigeon River (Cheboygan and Otsego Cos.): Type 2 from Old Vanderbilt Road downstream to Elk Hill Campground Horse Trail (T32N, R1W, S10; 45.1808, -84.4244). Gear Restricted from Elk Hill Horse Trail to Pine Grove Campground stairs (T33N, R1W, S17; 45.2440, -84.4467): fishing open all year; brook and brown possession last Saturday in April through September 30; rainbow open all year; artificial lures only; daily possession 2 trout, no more than 1 brown trout. Type 4 from Pine Grove stairs to East Mullett Road. Michigan fishing license required. Verify the 2026 digest and Inland Trout and Salmon map for the exact reach.
Verify with Verify with the local fish and wildlife agency. Retrieved 2026-08-31. Seasons and gear rules change.
The Pigeon River holds a 31-mile historic Blue Ribbon trout reach in Cheboygan and Otsego counties, from T32N R2W Sec. 25-26 to M-68, inside Pigeon River Country State Forest. Michigan DNR no longer keeps an active Blue Ribbon list. Inland trout water is typed 1 through 4 now, with a Gear Restricted overlay on a named middle reach.
From Old Vanderbilt Road to Elk Hill Campground Horse Trail the river is Type 2. From Elk Hill Horse Trail (45.1808, -84.4244) to Pine Grove Campground stairs (45.2440, -84.4467) it is Gear Restricted: artificial lures only, two-trout daily limit, no more than one brown, brook and brown possession last Saturday in April through September 30. Below Pine Grove stairs to East Mullett Road it is Type 4.
Native brook trout and brown trout use this water. Elk country surrounds the forest. Live USGS gauge 04128990 reports discharge near Vanderbilt.
Pigeon Bridge State Forest Campground sits on Sturgeon Valley Road. Headquarters is at 45.1697, -84.4395. Confirm the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations and the Inland Trout and Salmon map before you fish.
No photograph
Freestone
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Steelhead
Freestone
Brown Trout · Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout
No photograph
Freestone
Brown Trout · Brook Trout
Freestone
Brown Trout · Brook Trout · Steelhead
Freestone
Brown Trout · Brook Trout · Rainbow Trout
Freestone
Brook Trout · Brown Trout
If something here is thin or wrong, add what you know. It goes to review before it publishes.
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