Pere Marquette River Fishing Report

Here's what's happening in Northern Michigan

JANUARY 19, 2026

PUTTING IN THE EXTRA EFFORT AS WINTER HAS LANDED AGAIN

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PERE MARQUETTE RIVER FISHING REPORT:
Winter has landed again on the Pere Marquette River.  With a giant Polar Vortex heading our way this week, the water temps are going to drop along with water levels. If the air temps and wind chills drop as predicted, the river will unfortunately begin to lock up with ice. Last week I managed to take advantage of the warmer weather and got out on the water quite a bit.  The river was in great shape early in the week. The flows were still a little fast, but it finally looked more like a river. 🙂
Steelhead fishing last week was still tough. To find a fish meant we had to hunt.  The numbers of fish in the river system still seem low. The high water should have pushed more fish into the upper stretches.  Hopefully they are still on the move with the higher water. I worked over the weekend and the key was drowning that swing fly in a lot of runs to find one player.  Flies that produced last week were Grapefruit Leeches, Firecrackers, and a Sculpin pattern that I came up with a number of years ago that still needs a good name.  My buddy Rich said it had Mardi Gras vibes.  Nick thinks we should call it the Lagniappe Sculpin which means in creole “a little something extra.”  Last weekend took “a little something extra” with the weather we fished in. 😀
Saturday, the weather was bad. Sunday, the weather was even worse. Temperatures were dropping and the wind was howling. Nick was determined to get another fish on the swing, and he swung all day with his Echo Glass rod.  In whiteout conditions, he found a really great fish! This fish was definitely one of the biggest Steelhead I have seen all season.  Putting this fish in the net was awesome and well deserved.  Great Job Nick 👊
A week ago, I had the opportunity to head down to Nomad Anglers of Grand Rapids to do some Fly-Tying.  I wanted to thank Justin and his awesome staff for having me and a special thank you to everyone who joined me.  If you’re in the Grand Rapids or East Lansing area and need some fly-tying gear, a New Echo rod, or a Hatch reel, Nomad is a great place to shop.
Stay warm and I will keep you posted on the river conditions.  Tight Lines!
YOUTUBE: I’ve started a new YouTube page! Click on the link for some new videos and click the subscribe button. https://www.youtube.com/@OutfittersNorthJeffHubbard
LIVE FLY TYING WITH THE NORTHERN ANGLER:  If you missed it – I had the opportunity to head up to Traverse City to visit good friends Brian and Matt at The Northern Angler Fly Shop. Thanks to all who joined us on YouTube for the Live event. If you missed the live event, you can still watch the full video on the Northern Angler’s YouTube Page.
If you are ever in Northern Michigan stop by their shop and say “hi!” They have a great assortment of gear, tackle and fly tying materials. You can find them online at The Northern Angler

FLY OF THE MONTH

HUB'S HEX

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HUBS HEX
As the Pere Marquette River temps start to drop in the winter months, fishing nymphs can be productive.  A staple in my fly box this time of year, is my Hex/Wiggler imitation. This fly works well when the river is cold and clear. It’s a subtle, natural looking fly which can be fished under a float or bounced off the bottom. Checkout the Hub’s Hex on my YouTube page and please like and subscribe.
Tight Lines !!
  • Thread:  140 ultra strong thread in Black.
  • Hook:  1x strong 2x long down eye size 6 or 8.
  • Tail:  Tan Grizzly Marabou. Tie in don’t cut.
  • Body:  Brown Ice Dub taper body so dubbing gets thicker toward eye of hook.
  • Collar:  Tie in smaller Mallard flank by tip and wrap towards front.
  • Eyes:  Medium Black Plastic Eyes.
  • Head:  Yellow UV Ice dub wrap in front and around Plastic Eyes.
  • Wing:  Pull rest of stem of Grizzly Marabou and tie off at eye of hook. Make thread wrap and whip finish and go fish it. 😁
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I am Jeff Hubbard. I grew up in West Michigan with a real love for the outdoors. After guiding in Alaska for a few years, I returned to my favorite rivers and streams, here in Michigan. Among these, the Pere Marquette River is my favorite by far. I have spent many years next to this great river in the town of Baldwin and have a great love for this great natural scenic river. I became a professional guide in 1998, and fishing still remains a real passion to me.

I’m a licensed USFS Special Use Permit holder and State of Michigan Permit holder.  This allows me to fish the whole water shed of the Pere Marquette River.  I am fully insured and CPR Certified. I run Full and Half Day Trips, Instructional, walk and wade, or float trips.

Always feel free to drop me a note if you have any questions or ideas!  Thank you for stopping by!