Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Boardman River
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Boardman River: what the data says
Brown-trout water winding from Brown Bridge down into Traverse City. The river tops out around 6 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Brown Trout fishing at Boardman River
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 6 ft. Current seam (mile 2.1) is the standout, a current seam at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 6 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 6 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Brook Trout fishing at Boardman River
Spring brook trout on Boardman River hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 2.1): a current seam around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 6 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Notable structure
- Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 5 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 5 ft
- Boardman Weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 3.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 8.4): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 14.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Channel swing (mile 10.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Current seam (mile 2.1): current seam, around 5 ft
- Eddy pocket (mile 4.9): eddy pocket, around 5 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 13.1): eddy pocket, around 3 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 18.7): eddy pocket, around 3 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 18.7): eddy pocket, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Boardman River?
Boardman River is about 6 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Boardman River?
Anglers target brown trout, brook trout on Boardman River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Boardman River?
Current seam (mile 2.1) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Boardman River?
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Arbutus Lake · Boardman Lake · Rennie Lake · Silver Lake · Cedar Lake · Bass Lake
See how Boardman River stacks up: best brown trout lakes in Michigan · best brook trout lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.