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Au Sable River is a public river in Iosco County, Oscoda County, Crawford County and Alcona County, Michigan, managed by State of Michigan (public / navigable water). You can fish it on a Michigan all-species licence, trout and salmon included. Bank access is at MI DNR boating access sites, state parks, the national and state forests, and road crossings; wading a navigable stream is generally allowed but the bank is usually private. Designated trout streams carry their own seasons. Public access confirmed via marquee water.
The Au Sable River — the most storied trout river in the Midwest and the cradle of American river conservation (Trout Unlimited was founded on its banks in 1959). Wild brown and brook trout, stocked rainbows, and legendary Hendrickson, drake and Hex hatches on the 'Holy Water' flies-only no-kill section from Burton's Landing to Wakeley Bridge. The lower river below Mio and Foote dams runs Chinook, coho and steelhead.
It runs roughly 142 miles through the Northern Lower Peninsula region. Anglers here mostly fish for brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, chinook salmon; steelhead, smallmouth bass, northern pike are also on record. Live flow and gauge height come from the Au Sable River Near Mc Kinley, Mi USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Comins Creek and Perry Creek.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, MI DNR trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Michigan. Some designated trout streams are closed outside the regular trout season, and a number of rivers close to fishing seasonally in spawning reaches (marked). Ice-fishing shanties must be removed by set dates that vary by zone. Spearing, dip-netting for smelt and suckers, and bowfishing for carp and gar have their own seasons and waters.
Boats: The Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, Saginaw Bay and the big inland lakes have no horsepower limit; the smaller inland lakes often have DNR-posted no-wake or hours-of-operation rules, and a meaningful number of trout and quiet lakes are electric-motor-only. Michigan requires a boater-safety certificate for operators born after 30 June 1996. Great Lakes and connecting-water fishing is heavily charter- and pier-based.
Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at Michigan state parks and recreation areas (many on the best lakes and rivers — Higgins Lake, Burt Lake, Wilderness, Tahquamenon Falls, Ludington, the Au Sable and Pere Marquette state forest campgrounds), the Huron-Manistee, Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests (dispersed camping widely allowed), and state forest campgrounds and dispersed sites on the millions of acres of state land. Michigan also allows dispersed 'camp registration' camping on much of the state forest.
Boat ramps: 20 mapped — Wakeley Bridge Landing, Boat ramp, Whirlpool River Access, Put-in, Boat ramp, Whirlpool River Access and others nearby.
Camping: 20 sites mapped nearby — White Pine Canoe Campground, Cathedral Pines Campground, River Dune Campground, Lower Rainbow Bend Campground, 085w, 089d and others.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 04136900 — Au Sable River Near Mc Kinley, Mi. Full gauge data →
Anyone 17+ needs a Michigan DNR fishing licence — the resident annual all-species licence is about $26, the non-resident annual about $76, and 1-day and 3-day all-species licences are sold. Michigan folded the old separate trout/salmon stamp into the base all-species licence in 2014, so one licence covers everything including trout, salmon and the Great Lakes; there is no separate stamp. Michigan residents 65 and older buy a reduced-price senior licence, and anglers under 17 fish free. Buy from the DNR at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses. A Michigan all-species fishing licence covers navigable rivers and the Great Lakes. Lake Erie's western basin is fished on a Michigan or Ohio licence in the reciprocal zone; the Menominee and other border waters on a Michigan or Wisconsin licence. Designated trout streams carry their own seasons.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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