<p style="font-size:0.85em;color:#666;margin-bottom:1.5em">By <a href="https://chrisizworski.com">Chris Izworski</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; Michigan Trout Daily &nbsp;|&nbsp; April 20, 2026</p>
<p>Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan on the current state of the Black River, has a straightforward assessment this Monday in late April: the river is fishable today, but barely. And that&#8217;s not a complaint. It&#8217;s the reality of early spring on a Western UP freestone stream in snowmelt season.</p>
<p>The Black River near Bessemer is running at 1120 cubic feet per second this morning. That&#8217;s 111 percent of the median flow for April 20th, which means it&#8217;s running a touch above normal for the date. Not blown out. Not unwadable. But definitely carrying snowmelt from the Porcupine Mountains, and the water temperature data isn&#8217;t available from the gauge today, which usually means the DNR hasn&#8217;t updated yet or conditions are still fluctuating with the daily warming cycle.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s what matters: the flow is manageable. The systematic conditions rating this morning is &#8220;Fishing Well,&#8221; which on a river like this means the water is high enough to push fish off the bottom and into feeding lanes, but not so violent that you&#8217;re wading blind or losing flies every third cast to hidden rocks. The gauge height of 4.91 feet is in the zone where patient work in the slower water pays dividends.</p>
<h2>What&#8217;s Actually Hatching Right Now</h2>
<p>This is the week the Hendricksons start to show in Michigan, and the Black River will get its share. But don&#8217;t expect a blanket emergence just yet. The Hendrickson hatch, classic dry-fly fishing that it is, needs stable water temperature and overcast afternoons to really trigger. Right now you&#8217;re in the window where midges and little black stoneflies are your bread and butter, supplemented by Blue-Winged Olives on overcast periods and the occasional rise to caddis.</p>
<p>The midge fishing is steady. Fish them dead drift under an indicator in the slower pools and eddies, tight to the bottom. Mercury Midges or Zebra Midges in size 20 will work. Little black stoneflies are crawling out along the banks to hatch, so a dead drift of a Little Black Stonefly dry in size 14 along undercut banks in the morning will produce takes. In the riffles, nymph it with a Black Stonefly Nymph size 14.</p>
<p>The early brown stoneflies and grannom caddis are present now too. Swing a wet fly or nymph through the riffles on the rise. An Elk Hair Caddis in brown, size 14, can be skittered across the surface once the water settles enough to see a clear rise form. The X-Caddis in size 14 will work in the film if the fish are selective.</p>
<h2>The Real Question: Should You Drive North Today</h2>
<p>Yes, if you&#8217;re within striking distance and the drive doesn&#8217;t wreck your week. The river is fishable and holding fish. Access is available through the Black River Harbor Recreation Area and multiple county road access points, so you won&#8217;t struggle to find water to wet a line.</p>
<p>But here&#8217;s the honest angle: you have a long evening window ahead. Sunset is at 8:54 PM, which means golden hour dry-fly fishing runs from 7:24 PM through dark. That&#8217;s your best shot at dry-fly work if the Hendricksons start to pop or if the caddis activity intensifies in the last two hours of daylight. Plan for that window.</p>
<p>The water is still cold. The snowpack in the Porcupine Mountains is still releasing. Watch the forecast for the next three to five days. If a warm front moves through without heavy rain, the river will clear and warm slightly, and the hatch timing will accelerate. Right now, the conditions are near normal but worth respecting as high-water spring fishing, not as the stable hatch window you&#8217;ll see by late May.</p>
<p>Bring small flies. Use long tippet on the dries, especially the midges and BWOs. Fish the nymphs where you can see the bottom, and don&#8217;t be afraid to work the slower water where bigger brookies hold tight during runoff.</p>
<p>Check live gauge data and conditions at <a href="https://trout.chrisizworski.com" rel="nofollow">https://trout.chrisizworski.com</a>.</p>


Black River, April 20: Spring Runoff Holding, But Worth Your Planning

<p style="font-size:0.85em;color:#666;margin-bottom:1.5em">By <a href="https://chrisizworski.com">Chris Izworski</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; Michigan Trout Daily &nbsp;|&nbsp; April 19, 2026</p>
<p>Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan on the current state of the Black River near Bessemer, finds a river running elevated but within the normal April envelope. The Black is pushing 1520 cubic feet per second this morning, which sits at 133 percent of the historical median for this date. That&#8217;s high enough to demand respect and careful wading, but not so high that the river has crossed into truly unfishable territory. Not yet.</p>
<p>This is what April in the western UP actually looks like. The snowpack is still melting out of the Porcupine Mountains. Water that fell as snow three weeks ago is funneling into the main stem. The gauge height of 5.62 feet tells you the river is substantially fuller than summer conditions, and the water is cold, probably in the low 40s if the weather pattern holds. That matters more than the flow number itself.</p>
<h2>What the Flow Means Right Now</h2>
<p>At 1520 cfs, the Black is fishable but not generous. The current is aggressive in the main channels. Wading becomes a two-handed affair with a good stick. The riffles that would normally hold you comfortably are pushing hard. But there are lies here, and they are where they always are: in the slack water behind rocks, in the deeper pools where the current slows, along the banks where structure breaks the flow. You won&#8217;t cover water the way you would in June. You&#8217;ll be precise instead.</p>
<p>The current state of the river earns a Fair rating. Fishable. Pick your spots. That&#8217;s honest work for an April morning, especially this close to the tail end of the snowmelt window. The Porcupine Mountains drain slowly, and the Black responds to every degree of warming. If we get a warm, sunny stretch midweek, the flow will climb. If we get cold nights and no additional precipitation, it will moderate. Right now, it&#8217;s doing what it should.</p>
<h2>The Hatch Window and What&#8217;s Actually Emerging</h2>
<p>Hendricksons are moving into the Black River system, and they are the reason half the serious anglers in the state are thinking about this water right now. The classic afternoon emergence, 2 to 4 PM, feeds the dry-fly fishing that makes April on a freestone stream feel like something is being restored. But Hendrickson dries won&#8217;t work if the water stays this color and this quick. The fish are down, in the film, sipping emergers.</p>
<p>Midge larvae and pupae are the staple right now. Dead drift a Mercury Midge or Zebra Midge, size 20, under an indicator in the slow pools and eddies. Fish near the bottom where the current is minimal. The Black&#8217;s character, wild and remote and cold-running, favors the small stuff in spring. Little Black Stoneflies are also active, crawling out along the banks where you can dead drift a dry or nymph the riffles with a Black Stonefly Nymph in size 14. This isn&#8217;t showy fishing, but it produces.</p>
<p>Blue-Winged Olives will come off on overcast afternoons, and the forecast shows that possibility for midweek. Long fluorocarbon tippet, 5X or 6X, Parachute BWOs in size 16, fished just subsurface during a rise. This is where the Black shows its better self: flat water, modest hatches, selective fish. The Hendrickson dry, size 12, will have its moment, probably by midweek if the water temperature creeps up another two or three degrees.</p>
<h2>Timing and Access</h2>
<p>The Black River Harbor Recreation Area provides the primary public access, and county roads serve additional entry points throughout the drainage. The scenic water near Bessemer draws anglers for good reason, but April is not the aesthetic pilgrimage. It&#8217;s the work trip. You&#8217;re here for the fishing, not the falls.</p>
<p>Sunrise is 7:07 AM, sunset 8:52 PM. The best dry-fly window comes late in the day, golden hour from 7:22 PM to sunset. If you&#8217;re chasing the Hendrickson, afternoon is your play. The hatch itself happens 2 to 4 PM most days, and those hours should be your focus. Fish dries before the hatch with a Hendrickson Nymph in size 12 through the riffles. When the duns come, switch to a size 12 Hendrickson Dry or Red Quill. Rise lanes in flat water are where the takes happen.</p>
<p>Check the current DNR regulations for any UP-specific water rules before you drive. The Black is general trout regulation water, but rules change and a five-minute look at the DNR website prevents headaches at the water.</p>
<h2>Watch the Forecast</h2>
<p>The river is fishable today, but marginal. By Tuesday or Wednesday, if the forecast holds with cool nights and no significant precipitation, the Black should settle into better shape. The water temperature will climb incrementally, and the Hendrickson emergence will sharpen. That&#8217;s the day worth the drive if you have the flexibility. Today is for locals or for anglers already committed to the trip. Conditions are fair. By midweek, they should trend toward good.</p>
<p>For live gauge data and detailed flow updates, visit <a href="https://trout.chrisizworski.com" rel="nofollow">https://trout.chrisizworski.com</a>.</p>


Black River, April 19: High Water, Selective Fishing

<p style="font-size:0.85em;color:#666;margin-bottom:1.5em">By <a href="https://chrisizworski.com">Chris Izworski</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; Michigan Trout Daily &nbsp;|&nbsp; April 19, 2026</p>
<p>Chris Izworski, reporting from Michigan on the current state of the Tahquamenon, must begin with a straightforward observation: the river is running high today, and if you are thinking about making the drive north to the Paradise area, you should know what that means before you leave.</p>
<p>The USGS gauge is reporting 6080 cubic feet per second. The historical median for this date is 3180 cfs. That puts today at 191 percent of normal, well into the 75th percentile range for April. The gauge height stands at 9.92 feet. This is not a river you want to wade today.</p>
<h2>The Spring Runoff Reality</h2>
<p>The Tahquamenon, like all the great rivers of the Eastern Upper Peninsula, lives within the rhythm of the snowpack. April is the worst month for predictability. The deep snow that sits in the UP watershed all winter begins to release now, and it releases with volume. Yesterday&#8217;s rain did not help. The water is high, the current is fast, and in the riffles and runs where you would normally fish, the force of the flow will make safe wading nearly impossible for most anglers.</p>
<p>This is not a judgment. It is simply what the numbers tell us. The Tahquamenon is famous for many things, not least the tannin-stained falls that draw visitors by the thousands, but in mid-April, it is also famous for being temporarily unfishable, regardless of the hatch calendar.</p>
<h2>What Is Hatching Right Now</h2>
<p>The Hendrickson is coming. It always comes in mid-to-late April, and yes, the Tahquamenon has them, typically emerging in the afternoon window between 2 and 4 p.m. under good conditions. You can fish Hendrickson nymphs in the riffles beforehand, using a #12 pattern, dead drifted along the bottom. The dry fly fishing, when conditions allow, is the kind of classic early spring stuff that reminds you why you fish at all.</p>
<p>Before that major hatch arrives in full force, the smaller insects are already on the water. Midges are present in the slower pools and eddies, and you can take fish on a Mercury Midge or Zebra Midge in #20, dead drifted under an indicator near the bottom. Little Black Stoneflies are crawling out along the banks, and nymphs in #14 will work the riffles. The Baetis are emerging too, small and delicate, best approached with 5X or 6X fluorocarbon and emerger patterns like the RS2 in #18.</p>
<p>Caddis are also starting to show. Early Brown Stoneflies will skitter on the surface, and you can swing a Hare&#8217;s Ear Nymph in #12 through the riffles or try skating a brown Elk Hair Caddis. Grannom Caddis should be active soon as well, and the skitter technique on an Elk Hair Caddis #14 or X-Caddis #14 can be effective when the water allows you to fish it.</p>
<h2>When to Make the Drive</h2>
<p>Watch the gauge at USGS before you commit to the drive. The Tahquamenon will drop as the runoff cycle continues through late April and into May, but right now it needs time. Target a flow closer to 4000 cfs or lower if you want to wade safely and fish the water properly. The state park access around Paradise will still be there when conditions improve, and the fish will not go anywhere.</p>
<p>If you do make the trip in the next few days despite current conditions, focus on the slower water. Eddies behind boulders, the slack water along the banks, and the deeper pools will hold fish that have moved out of the main current to rest. Fish small nymphs and midges in these zones. A good indicator rig will let you work the deeper pools without the constant battle against the force of the runoff.</p>
<p>The Tahquamenon is one of the UP&#8217;s great rivers, and it holds brook trout in the upper watershed and steelhead in the lower reaches. It is worth the wait for better conditions. Check the gauge, trust what it tells you, and plan accordingly.</p>
<p>For live gauge data and updates, visit <a href="https://trout.chrisizworski.com" rel="nofollow">https://trout.chrisizworski.com</a></p>


Tahquamenon River, April 19, 2026

<p style="font-size:0.85em;color:#666;margin-bottom:1.5em">By <a href="https://chrisizworski.com">Chris Izworski</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; Michigan Trout Daily &nbsp;|&nbsp; April 19, 2026</p>
<p>The Sturgeon River in the western UP is running cold and clear this third week of April, which is exactly what you want it to be. The USGS gauge data is unavailable today, so you will have to trust your eyes and your instincts when you get there. What matters right now is that the water is still carrying snowmelt and holding the kind of temperature that makes brook trout aggressive without making them careless. The season is turning. The first real hatch fishing of the year is starting, and if you are planning a drive north, the decision is straightforward: the Sturgeon is worth it.</p>
<h2>What to expect on the water right now</h2>
<p>April on a coldwater UP stream means you are fishing the threshold between early season subsurface work and the emergence windows that will dominate May and June. The water temperature data from the gauge is not available today, but you can assume it is still in the 40s. That matters. It means the fish are feeding, but they are not yet in the kind of feeding frenzy that comes later. You will need to be precise with your fly choice and your drift.</p>
<p>Midges are the base layer right now. Mercury Midge and Zebra Midge in size 20 dead drifted under an indicator in the slow pools and eddies will produce fish on any day. Fish tight to the bottom. The Sturgeon has plenty of water that looks too slow to hold trout, and it does not. These pools are where your brook trout are spending energy inefficiently right now, and a dead midge presentation will find them.</p>
<p>Little Black Stoneflies are emerging along the banks, particularly where the current eases near the shore. A size 14 Little Black Stonefly dry will draw rises from fish that are watching the banks. If that does not work, drop to the nymph, size 14, and work it deep through the riffles where the insects are starting to crawl out. The Sturgeon has miles of riffle water, and the nymph game is productive and meditative.</p>
<p>Blue-Winged Olives are coming. Fish overcast days especially. The hatch is not consistent yet, but when conditions tighten and the light drops, tie on a Parachute BWO or Sparkle Dun in size 16, or go subsurface with an RS2 in size 18. Use 5X or 6X fluorocarbon tippet. These are small flies, and they demand precision.</p>
<h2>The Hendrickson watch begins</h2>
<p>The Hendrickson hatch is the reason many of us keep a calendar in April. The emergence here on the Sturgeon typically peaks in the afternoon, 2 to 4 PM, on days when the sun breaks through overcast skies and the water temperature edges into the low to mid 50s. You are not quite there yet, but you are close. If you make the drive this week, plan your day around the afternoon window. Fish the nymph, size 12 Hendrickson Nymph, through the riffles in the morning. Then move to the flats and the slower water where the duns will appear and where the fish will begin to rise. A size 12 Hendrickson Dry or Red Quill will be your answer.</p>
<h2>Other insects worth noting</h2>
<p>Early Brown Stoneflies are active. These are not yet the heavy spring creek stone hatches you might encounter downstream in the Lower Peninsula, but they are real, and they respond to wet fly work. Swing a Hare&#8217;s Ear Nymph size 12 through the riffles, or try skating a dry brown Elk Hair Caddis size 14 across the surface when you see the adults moving.</p>
<p>Grannom Caddis are starting. The Elk Hair Caddis size 14 skittered across the water will draw strikes from fish that have learned to look up. The X-Caddis size 14 fished in the film is a good alternative when the fish are being selective. If you want to work subsurface, the LaFontaine Sparkle Pupa size 14 swung through the riffles on the rise will connect you to fish that are eating the emerging pupae before they reach the surface.</p>
<h2>Access and what to know</h2>
<p>The Sturgeon flows through the Ottawa National Forest in one of Michigan&#8217;s most remote brook trout strongholds. Access points are available via Ottawa National Forest roads and US-45 crossings. The fish here are wild and beautiful, and the regulations exist to protect them. Check the current DNR regulations before you go. Artificial lures only apply in certain sections, and the special brook trout regulations are worth reading carefully.</p>
<p>Plan for a full day. Bring layers. The weather in the UP in April is not reliable, and the water is cold enough that a slip matters. The roads to the Sturgeon are reliable, and the river itself is worth the drive.</p>
<p>For live gauge data and current flow conditions, check <a href="https://trout.chrisizworski.com">https://trout.chrisizworski.com</a>.</p>


The Sturgeon River in April: Cold Water, First Hatches, and Wild Brooks

<p style="font-size:0.85em;color:#666;margin-bottom:1.5em">By <a href="https://chrisizworski.com">Chris Izworski</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; Michigan Trout Daily &nbsp;|&nbsp; April 19, 2026</p>
<p>The Black River near Bessemer runs cold and dark this time of year, carrying snowmelt and the particular clarity that comes before the green-up. If you&#8217;re thinking about the drive into the western UP, you should know that USGS gauge data is unavailable today, which means you&#8217;ll have to read the river itself. That&#8217;s not a handicap. It&#8217;s the way rivers worked before we had numbers, and the Black, being remote and wild, still rewards the angler who pays attention to what the water is actually doing rather than what a screen says it should be doing.</p>
<p>The Porcupine Mountains rise around this fishery, and the river flows through country that is genuinely remote. The waterfalls and scenic character that draw tourists are real, not marketing, and they&#8217;re connected to the geology that makes the fishing worth your time. This is freestone water, which means stability during snowmelt and good oxygenation. It also means the hatches have started, and if you make the drive now, in the third week of April, you&#8217;re arriving at the threshold of something.</p>
<h2>What&#8217;s Happening Now</h2>
<p>The water is still cold. Without a gauge temperature reading, you&#8217;ll need to trust what your hand and eyes tell you. Expect something in the upper 40s, maybe low 50s on a warm afternoon. That temperature bracket is the sweet spot for the hatches that sustain April trout fishing across Michigan, and the Black is no exception.</p>
<p>Midges are active in the slow water. Not the dramatic hatch fishing that brings trout to the surface in waves, but the reliable, all-day kind of fishing that produces fish if you&#8217;re willing to work. Dead drift a Mercury Midge or Zebra Midge, size 20, under an indicator in the pools and eddies where the current loses its push. Fish near the bottom. Use long fluorocarbon tippet, 5X or 6X, because this is technical fishing and the trout are not feeding aggressively. This is the foundation of April trout fishing: small flies, slow presentations, patience.</p>
<p>The Little Black Stonefly is crawling out along the banks where the water meets the terrestrial world. You can dead drift the dry, a Little Black Stonefly in size 14, along the banks where the nymphs emerge, or you can work the nymphs tight to the bottom in the riffles. Both approaches work because the hatch is in transition. The nymphs are drifting, and the adults are struggling out of their skins. Fish see both.</p>
<p>Blue-Winged Olives are coming. On overcast days, especially toward afternoon, you may see them. They&#8217;re small, size 16 or 18, and the trout will be selective if the hatch is heavy. Fish a Parachute BWO or Sparkle Dun on the surface, but be ready with an RS2 fished just subsurface in the film. Long, fine tippet is essential. This is where 5X or 6X fluorocarbon proves its worth. The rises won&#8217;t be violent. The trout will sip, and you&#8217;ll miss half of them unless you&#8217;re precise.</p>
<h2>The Hendrickson Is Coming</h2>
<p>The real event for many Michigan trout anglers is still ahead, but it&#8217;s close. The Hendrickson, Ephemerella subvaria, is the hatch that feels like a reward for winter and early spring. Peak emergence is typically 2 to 4 p.m., and when it happens on the Black, the fishing can be very good. Fish the nymphs in the riffles before the hatch comes off, using a Hendrickson Nymph in size 12, dead drifted or swung slightly. Then, when the duns begin to float, switch to the dry. A Hendrickson Dry or Red Quill, size 12, will work if you&#8217;re accurate with your cast and you wait for the rise before setting. This is classic dry fly fishing: the rise lane, the flat water, the moment when a trout commits.</p>
<p>Early Brown Stonefly adults are skittering on the surface now and then. Try skating a dry, an Elk Hair Caddis in brown, size 14, across the faster water. It&#8217;s aggressive fishing, and it connects you to the river&#8217;s rhythms in a way that indicator nymphing sometimes doesn&#8217;t.</p>
<p>Grannom Caddis will be part of the mix too. The Elk Hair Caddis, size 14, skittered across the surface, or the X-Caddis fished in the film, will take fish. The LaFontaine Sparkle Pupa, size 14, swung through the riffles on the rise, is also worth trying if the trout are looking down.</p>
<h2>Getting There</h2>
<p>Access is available at Black River Harbor Recreation Area and at multiple county road access points. The river is wild and remote, and that remoteness is part of what makes it worth the drive. Bring your topo map. Bring water and food. Bring all your small fly boxes because at this time of year, small is not optional.</p>
<p>For current flow and water temperature data as conditions change, check <a href="https://trout.chrisizworski.com">https://trout.chrisizworski.com</a>.</p>


The Black River in April: Midges to Hendricksons in Michigan&#8217;s Wild Country

<p style="font-size:0.85em;color:#666;margin-bottom:1.5em">By <a href="https://chrisizworski.com">Chris Izworski</a> &nbsp;|&nbsp; Michigan Trout Daily &nbsp;|&nbsp; April 19, 2026</p>
<p>The Black River in the western UP is not a river you fish because it&#8217;s convenient. You fish it because the trout there have not forgotten what wild water feels like, and because in late April, when the season finally turns, the hatches come with the kind of certainty that makes you believe again in the old rhythms. Today the water is cold but moving toward something. The gauge data is unavailable, which means you&#8217;ll need to trust your eyes and the feel of the current against your legs, the way anglers used to do before we had numbers to hide behind.</p>
<h2>Water conditions and what to expect today</h2>
<p>We don&#8217;t have flow or temperature readings for the Black today, so here&#8217;s what matters: it&#8217;s mid-April, the water has been warming for three weeks, and the freestone character of this river means it responds quickly to air temperature and overnight cold. If it was below 40 degrees last night, expect slower rises and fish deeper. If the day is overcast and mild, expect midges and Blue-Winged Olives in the slower water. The Hendricksons are close now, probably another week or two out depending on sustained warmth, but you can start fishing the nymphs in the riffles today with confidence. This is the window.</p>
<p>The best move is to drive up, check the river in person, and fish accordingly. The Black near Bessemer rewards this kind of attention. It&#8217;s not a river that forgives remoteness with easy fishing.</p>
<h2>Hatches and patterns for right now</h2>
<p>Midges are constant in April, especially in the slower pools and eddies where the Black slows enough to hold them. Dead drift a Mercury Midge or Zebra Midge, size 20, under a small indicator tight to the bottom. Use 5X tippet and watch for the kind of subtle takes that define midge fishing. A Griffith&#8217;s Gnat in the same size works when you see actual surface activity, though in April that&#8217;s more hope than expectation.</p>
<p>The Little Black Stonefly is present and emerging now. Fish a size 14 nymph, either a Little Black or a general Black Stonefly Nymph, dead drifted tight to the bottom through the riffles. If you see adults, and you will, crawl them along the banks with a dry in the same size 14. These are not selective rises. Fish them.</p>
<p>Blue-Winged Olives will show on overcast afternoons. The Black&#8217;s rocky character and pocket water create good habitat for Baetis. Fish a Parachute BWO or Sparkle Dun in size 16, or if the hatch is heavy and fish are keyed on emergers, drop an RS2 in size 18 just subsurface. Use 5X or 6X fluorocarbon tippet. The light matters here. Wait for cloud cover or late afternoon.</p>
<p>The Early Brown Stonefly is emerging now as well. Swing a Hare&#8217;s Ear Nymph, size 12, through the riffles on a dead drift or slight swing. If you see adults skittering on the surface, try a brown Elk Hair Caddis in size 14, skated slightly. These fish will come to it.</p>
<p>Grannom Caddis hatches are building. Fish an Elk Hair Caddis, size 14, skittered across the surface in the morning if the hatch is on. If fish are keyed on pupae during the emergence, swing a LaFontaine Sparkle Pupa through the riffles. If nothing is working but you see risers, try an X-Caddis in size 14 fished in the film. Caddis fishing on the Black is often about matching the behavior more than matching the exact shade of brown.</p>
<h2>Access and what you need to know</h2>
<p>The Black River Harbor Recreation Area provides formal access. Beyond that, multiple county road access points exist throughout the system near Bessemer. The river flows through the Porcupine Mountains area and the scenery is genuine wild country, not postcard scenery. Waterfalls mark the river in places. This is remote water and the remoteness is part of what keeps it good. Plan accordingly. Tell someone where you&#8217;re going. Check current DNR regulations for any special UP designations before you go.</p>
<p>The Black holds both brook and brown trout. The brookies tend to be wild and small, the browns larger and more selective. April is too early in the season for these fish to be particularly large, but they&#8217;re honest trout in honest water.</p>
<p>For current flow and temperature data, check <a href="https://trout.chrisizworski.com">https://trout.chrisizworski.com</a>.</p>


Chris Izworski

Chris Izworski: Black River, April 20: Spring Runoff Holding, But Worth Your Planning

Chris Izworski: Black River, April 19: High Water, Selective Fishing

Chris Izworski: Tahquamenon River, April 19, 2026

Chris Izworski: The Sturgeon River in April: Cold Water, First Hatches, and Wild Brooks

Chris Izworski: The Black River in April: Midges to Hendricksons in Michigan’s Wild Country

Chris Izworski: The Black River in April: Remote Water, First Real Hatches