Pere Marquette River Fishing Report

Here's what's happening in Northern Michigan

MARCH 16, 2026

QUICK UPDATE - RIVER IS ON THE RISE

PERE MARQUETTE RIVER FISHING REPORT:
I wanted to give a quick Pere Marquette River update. As most of you may have experienced, the weather spiraled out of control Saturday and into Sunday.  We saw snow and freezing rain early Sunday. This then turned to rain all day Sunday. The river is now rising fast due to the large amount of rain we received along with the additional snow melt. The river level will be high the next few days.  Colder nights and daytime temperatures should drop it by the end of the week. If you head out on the water, be safe and know your limits.  We saw a lot of heavy winds the last few days so trees may be down. With higher water, these trees could become lodged effectively blocking sections of the river.  Be careful out there! I will keep you posted on conditions.
Steelhead fishing was pretty good again last week.  The water temperature came up with the warmer temps last week and the fish were happy.   Still finding a mix bag of older Winter Steelhead and fresh Steelhead in the system.  Look for this high water however to shuffle the deck once it comes down.  Hopefully this will push some more Spring fish into the river.
Flies last week that worked well, were bigger and brighter Clown and Estaz Eggs.   For Nymphs Egg Sucking Leeches,  Steelhead Buggers and PM Parr’s worked really well in the dirtier water.   On the Swing, the key was finding the flatter, slower,  walking speed, type of water.  The flow was fast still, so finding runs to slow the fly down is key. Bigger and Brighter Egg-Sucking Leeches and Feenstra’s Flash Mob will work well in the high, dirty water.
PSA:  If anyone found an anchor at Green Cottage last week Sunday or Monday, please reach out to me. A friend of mine left his anchor at Green Cottage. Thank you!
PICTURE: (Above) The calm before the storm – Kyle with this nice Spring Hen Steelhead that fell for my PM Parr before the winter blast on Friday.
On a sad note, I lost a good friend and client, John Dekker last week.  Some of you may have bumped into John on the river over the years. He loved to fish the PM!  John was one of my first regular clients back in the late 90’s at the Orvis Lodge.  John was a great Angler, Fly Tier, and most of all, a good friend. He became more like the older brother I never had!  He was such a great guy.  He was there to lend a hand or just an ear.  He will be missed dearly. RIP JD! I hope you’re swinging up some big chrome Steelhead up there. We’re sending our deepest sympathies to John’s family and friends.
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Check out my YouTube page for an awesome Fry pattern my good friend and guide of many years, Walt Grau tied up. Walt is one of the most creative Fly Tyers you will ever meet. Please don’t forget to subscribe.
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 P.M. PARR

PERE MARQUETTE RIVER STEELHEAD FLY
Spring on the Pere Marquette River sees one of the biggest hatches of the season.  This hatch is not a MayFly or Stonefly a trout would rise to and sip off the surface.  This hatch happens below the surface along the banks of the river.  As water temperatures warm, baby King Salmon begin to hatch.  These little Salmon become a huge food source for resident Trout in the river and also the migratory Steelhead.  Salmon eggs sit on the bottom of the river all winter long waiting for river temperatures to warm in the spring. When the water temps warm, these eggs become an Alevin and then a Fry. Quickly, they turn into a Parr which is what we see in the river.  You will see thousands and thousands of small minnows everywhere.  These little minnows are baby King Salmon.
A great fly I developed over the years, is my PM Parr.  If you have tied my “Hub’s Hex,” this follows those same tying steps.  This fly works great fished under a Strike Indicator.  The key to effectively fishing this fly is to let the fly swing out at the end of the drift, before you bring in to re-cast.  Trout and Steelhead will focus on it as it begins to swing and lift off the bottom.  At this stage, the fly resembles a life-like, wounded Parr. You can also tie this fly a little bigger and swing it for Steelhead or Trout.  I prefer using a 30 or 35mm shank with a size 2 stinger hook.
Be sure to tie a few of these up for the spring Season! Good luck and tight lines!
HUB’S PM PARR
  • Hook: Tiemco 3761 Size 6
  • Tail: White ( Natural) Grizzly Marabou (Don’t Cut)
  • Body: Caddis Green Ice Dub
  • Collar: Small Mallard Flank palmer to front
  • Head: Med Red Plastic Eyes, dubbed with Orange or Shrimp Pink Ice Dub (EGG)
  • Wing: Pull over Marabou and tie off
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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!