Sturgeon River (UP) Fishing Map & Spots (MI)

Hatch outlook

White mayfly (Ephoron)Active window

Typical here: Jul 15 – Sep 30 · core weeks in August — shares its dusk with the White Miller caddis and gets confused with it

dundusk — the whole life cycle plays out in one evening — females mate, fly miles upstream and fall spent within a couple of hours; when the blizzard is too thick, your fly disappears in the crowd — fish the edges of the swarm
spinnerfull dark, same night

Smallmouth set up in feeding lanes like trout and will not move far — accuracy beats distance.

The best conventional surface window of late summer on smallmouth rivers: small white or bone surface plugs and propbaits in the last hour of light, white inline spinners run upstream through the feeding lanes, or a bubble with a White Wulff.

The event happens over sand- and silt-bottom runs with moderate current, feeding lanes below riffles

Blue-Winged OlivesActive window

Typical here: Mar 15 – Oct 24 · multiple broods — peaks early May and mid-June, again Sept–Oct at #20–24

dunmidday, roughly noon–3pm — the first dry-fly action of March and the last of October

Too small to match with hardware — use the schedule instead: midday, and the slow seams it pods fish into; smallest inline spinners and micro-jigs worked slow, or a bubble with an olive soft-hackle.

The event happens over seams, pool tails and flats

Isonychia (Slate Drake)Active window

Typical here: May 15 – Sep 30 · one of the Au Sable 'Big Five' — sporadic all summer rather than a dated blanket

nymphall day in fast water — often emerges by crawling out on shore or rocks — the fishable moment is the fast shoreward swim; fish the nymph with quick twitches toward the bank
dunevenings, sporadically — big fish stay watchful for the bug all summer, which makes it a searching-dry opportunity
spinnerdusk over the riffles — more concentrated action than the emergence itself

The best conventional crossover of the northern-Michigan summer: fish chase this fast-swimming nymph, so #1–2 inline spinners and small minnow plugs ripped through fast runs toward shoreline rocks duplicate it exactly, evenings May through September.

The event happens over fast riffles, boulder pockets and shoreline rocks

White Miller (caddis)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · core weeks late July to mid-August — NOT the same bug as the white mayfly that shares its evenings

pupalate evening into dark — larvae drift extensively before emerging and the surface emergence comes at last light — swing winged wets and actively stripped pupae through dusk
ovipositingdusk into dark — females dive and swim to the bottom in slow water to lay — a sunk white wet fished deliberately is truer than a dry

The prolific, predictable dusk food-form over sand and slow water in the dog days — primarily a night-fisher's event.

A late-summer dusk window on sand-bottom water: small white or pearl inline spinners fished slow near bottom in slow runs imitate the diving egg-layers surprisingly directly; white micro-jigs after dark.

The event happens over slow sand- and weed-bottom runs and pool edges

TricoActive window

Typical here: Jun 15 – Oct 20 · midsummer spinner falls come early; drifting toward mid-morning by fall

dunearly morning
spinnermornings, roughly 6–10am — the event is the fall, not the hatch

Honest answer: hardware can't match a #24 spinner. Fish the same pools with a bubble and a trico spinner on long fluorocarbon, or work micro-jigs through them after the fall ends.

The event happens over slow flats and pool tails

Terrestrials (hoppers, ants, beetles)Active window

Typical here: Jun 1 – Sep 30 · beetles from June, ants mid-June, hoppers mid-July to the end of September

adultwarm afternoons — wind is the delivery mechanism

The most spin-friendly 'hatch' of summer: 1.5–2" surface plugs and small poppers slapped along grassy, windy banks; a bubble-and-hopper rig out-casts any fly rod.

The event happens over grassy and undercut banks

Next on this water

Hendrickson · mayflyApr 15 – May 20 · in ~8 months

Spring black caddis (Grannom) · caddisApr 20 – Jun 30 · in ~8 months

Brown Drake · mayflyMay 15 – Jul 4 · in ~9 months

Sulphurs · mayflyMay 15 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Sturgeon River (UP)

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Sturgeon River (UP) on the board.

Fishing Sturgeon River (UP): what the data says

Wild canyon river out of the Sturgeon Gorge down to Portage Lake. The river tops out around 7 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

Traced from the shoreline, Sturgeon River (UP) runs 2,335 acres with 96.1 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 14.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Tip to tip the water measures near 32.4 mi with a 4.6-mi widest point. The water lies in Baraga County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Prickett Lake, 8 mi southwest of here.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Sturgeon River (UP)

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 2 to 7 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 7 ft. Current seam (mile 10.5) is the standout, a current seam at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	1 to 7 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Walleye fishing at Sturgeon River (UP)

Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 7 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Pickett Dam tailrace: a dam tailrace around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 7 ft	dusk & dawn	Pickett Dam tailrace (6 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dusk & dawn	Pickett Dam tailrace (6 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	2 to 7 ft	dusk & night	Pickett Dam tailrace (6 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	2 to 7 ft	dusk & dawn	Pickett Dam tailrace (6 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Brook Trout fishing at Sturgeon River (UP)

In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 1 to 7 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 7 ft, and they winter in 1 to 7 ft. Spring brook trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 10.5), a prime-rated current seam around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	1 to 7 ft	midday & dawn	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	1 to 7 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 10.5) (4 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Notable structure

36 pieces of structure are mapped here — Pickett Dam tailrace, around 6 ft, is the deepest of them.

Pickett Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 6 ft
Otter Lake Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 6 ft
Current seam (mile 37.8): current seam, around 6 ft
Current seam (mile 36.6): current seam, around 6 ft
Eddy pocket (mile 39.0): eddy pocket, around 6 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 5.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 8.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 18.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 20.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 22.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 25.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 30.4): creek channel, around 5 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Sturgeon River, 6 trailer spots

Access data: Michigan DNR — Michigan Boating Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Sturgeon River (UP) fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Michigan waters are set by the Michigan DNR — and special regulations can apply to Sturgeon River (UP) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Michigan fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Sturgeon River (UP)?

Sturgeon River (UP) is about 7 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.

What fish are in Sturgeon River (UP)?

Anglers target rainbow trout, walleye, brook trout on Sturgeon River (UP).

Where is the best fishing spot on Sturgeon River (UP)?

Current seam (mile 10.5) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Sturgeon River (UP)?

For rainbow 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Sturgeon River (UP)?

Fishing on Sturgeon River (UP) 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.

Nearby waters

Prickett Lake 8 mi · Otter Lake 8 mi · Pike Lake 11 mi · Emily Lake 12 mi · Lake Gerald 13 mi · part of Plumbago Creek Lake 13 mi · Clear Lake 13 mi · Sandy Lake 13 mi · Lake Roland 13 mi · Big Lake 13 mi · Thirteenmile Lake 15 mi · Toivola Lake (West) 16 mi

See how Sturgeon River (UP) stacks up: best walleye lakes in Michigan · best rainbow trout lakes in Michigan · best brook trout lakes in Michigan

More water nearby: Baraga County fishing maps (15 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.