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A cold, spring-fed trout stream in the Jordan Valley and Michigan's first designated Natural River (1972), flowing ~17 miles northwest to the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix at East Jordan. Famous for wild brook trout, with brown trout, stocked steelhead and fall chinook and coho runs. The river tops out around 8 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 273 acres wrapped in 32.3 miles of bank. A development index of 14 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 11.8 mi long by 4 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Antrim County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mud Lake, is 5 mi to the west.
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 1 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 1 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 9.9): a current seam around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 1 to 8 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Current seam (mile 9.9), a current seam in the 4 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: steelhead in 1 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is Current seam (mile 9.9), a current seam in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Spring chinook salmon on Jordan River hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 9.9) — current seam, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Early season coho salmon use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 9.9) — current seam, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 9.9) (4 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Jordan River carries 9 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), about 6 ft down.
Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22 | Rainbow trout | 8,200 | ~19.6" |
| Feb 11 | Lake whitefish | 21,488 | ~1.2" |
Source: Michigan DNR fish-stocking database, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Jordan River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →
Jordan River is about 8 ft (2 m) deep 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.
Anglers target brook trout, brown trout, steelhead, chinook salmon, coho salmon on Jordan River.
Current seam (mile 9.9) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Michigan DNR fish-stocking database records, Jordan River was most recently stocked Apr 22 with 8,200 rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Jordan River is regulated by the Michigan DNR. Check the official Michigan regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mud Lake 5 mi · Mud Lake 6 mi · Scotts Lake 6 mi · Deer Lake 7 mi · Sixmile Lake 8 mi · Intermediate Lake 9 mi · Steele Lake 10 mi · Ben-way Lake 10 mi · Wilson Lake 10 mi · Saint Clair Lake 11 mi · Ellsworth Lake 11 mi · Lake Charlevoix 11 mi
See how Jordan River stacks up: best chinook salmon lakes in Michigan · best coho salmon lakes in Michigan · best steelhead lakes in Michigan · best brown trout lakes in Michigan
More water nearby: Antrim County fishing maps (21 charts). Browse all Michigan fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.