Fly Fishing for Bass in Michigan: Techniques and Tips

A perfectly calm and windless beautiful morning on the river.

The beautiful trout waters of Michigan often attract trout aficionados from all over the country to try their skills. Everything from small technical streams to large rivers, 4wts to 8wt, dry flies to chucking streamers, Michigan has it all. What’s often overlooked, however, is the native fish that call Michigan their home.

The camo colors of smallmouth bass are hard to beat.

The native smallmouth bass inhabits a wide variety of water types from the large Great Lakes to the small rivers that litter Michigan. Fortunately, the techniques used to target smallmouth bass with a fly rod borrow the same principles as trout fly fishing. The following techniques and tips will help any fly angler find success targeting smallmouth bass.

Upgrade your rod. This doesn’t mean a more expensive rod but a stronger rod will be more effective. Most trout fly fisherman use rods ranging from 2wt - 5wt, for smallmouth bass a 7wt or 8wt will make for a better experience.

Sometimes a sinking line is required to get the fly deep to holding fish.

Fly lines are important and should be tailored to the rod and fishing technique. Heavy weight forward lines are great for turning over larger files typically used for targeting smallmouth bass. Sinking lines are extremely effective at getting streamers down in the zone. Additionally, when fishing in the heat of the summer, a warm water line will be an anglers best friend.

A mangled Sluggo, a type of streamer, immediately after getting swallowed by a large fish

One of the joys of fishing for smallmouth include the use of top water poppers, divers, and flashy streamers. There’s arguable nothing more exciting than a smallmouth crushing a popper chugging along the surface. For those more interested in dead drifting flies, a big hopper or damsel fly are eagerly taken by the largest fish. Hellgrammite nymphs and crawfish imitations are also incredibly effective when the fish aren’t looking up. Lastly, streamer fishing cannot be overlooked as some of the the most vicious takes and fights begin here. Smallmouth are fearless and aggressive

Deer hair poppers are extremely effective for exciting and explosive top water eats.

Skills honed for trout will server the angler well when targeting Smallmouth bass. Smallmouth will hold in similar water where trout can be found in rivers. Back eddies, sunken timber, shelfs, and under trees are all prime locations. If you find yourself in Michigan this summer chasing trout, don’t forget the natives.

Beautiful smallmouth bass caught in a back eddy.

Good luck and tight lines

- Allen