08/15/2026
If you mean rivers/river sections in Michigan where the regulations require artificial flies only, there are several. The important distinction is that these are generally specific reaches, not entire rivers.
As of the 2026 Michigan fishing regulations, the major flies-only waters include:
* Au Sable River
* North Branch — Sheep Ranch to the Main Branch
* Mainstream — Burton’s Landing to South Wakeley Bridge
* South Branch — Chase Bridge to Lower High Banks
* South Branch — Lower High Banks to the Main Branch
* Manistee River — M-72 downstream to Sunset Trail Road/CCC Bridge
* Little Manistee River — North Peacock Trail (Spencer’s Bridge) to Johnson Road
* Huron River — a short reach below Proud Lake Dam, but flies-only only during April 1 through the Friday before the last Saturday in April.
The Upper Manistee from M-72 to the CCC Bridge is probably the one you’re thinking of if you’re interested in northern Michigan fly fishing. It’s about 16.7 miles of year-round flies-only water, with brook, brown and rainbow trout.
And notably, the Jordan River is not currently designated as a flies-only river under Michigan’s gear-restricted regulations.
