Sturgeon River Michigan Trout Fishing Conditions
The Sturgeon River in Cheboygan County is one of Michigan's best-kept secrets — exceptional wild trout water that most anglers outside northern Michigan have never heard of. Cold, spring-fed, and flowing through the Pigeon River Country, it is a serious trout river that rewards those willing to make the drive to Wolverine.
The Sturgeon River flows north through Otsego and Cheboygan counties, passing through the southern edge of the Pigeon River Country State Forest before entering Burt Lake. Spring seeps throughout the watershed maintain cold temperatures even in August, when most Lower Peninsula rivers are borderline for trout. The river has the character of an Upper Peninsula stream — tannin stained, cedar-lined, cold, and wild — in the northern Lower Peninsula.
Wild brown trout and brook trout share the river. The lower sections hold larger browns; the upper tributaries and headwater reaches carry the native brook trout that are the Sturgeon's most characteristic fish. The river width varies — some stretches can be waded in a few steps, others push 40 feet across in a good water year. Precise wading matters here — the bottom is variable and the current is stronger than it looks.
Underrated and Uncrowded
Part of what makes the Sturgeon special is the solitude it offers. On a Saturday in June when the AuSable Holy Water has anglers in every riffle, the Sturgeon sees a fraction of the pressure. The fish are less educated, the hatches go unmolested, and you can wade a quarter-mile of river without seeing another angler. This will not last forever, but it is true today.
Access
Wolverine is the center of gravity for Sturgeon River fishing. The DNR maintains access sites at the Wolverine area. Sturgeon Valley Road runs along much of the river and provides access at bridge crossings. The Pigeon River Country State Forest adjacent to the watershed provides additional public land access in the upper watershed.