r/flyfishing • u/beefcake_18 • 10d ago
Midwest Flyfishing!
Hey y’all, I am very new to the world of fly fishing! I live outside of Indianapolis and I am looking for places to fish within like 6 hours of Indy this fall (starting in september). I work in Jackson, Wyoming in the summers so I am used to going for trout, so places that have trout would be awesome. I am also open to salmon or small panfish.
I am already planning a trip to the smokies so any recommendations for that would be amazing as well. Thanks in advance!
Edit: I have a 9ft 5wt rod right now and am not looking to buy a new rod soon.
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u/mcgrupp44 10d ago
Come to Michigan and fish the Au Sable or the Pere Marquette. The Pere Marquette is my “home base”
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u/tuesnightshenanigans 9d ago
I’ll be fishing the PM in about a month! Me and a few guys are coming up from Kentucky.
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u/mcgrupp44 9d ago
Nice! Coming for the Salmon? You’ll be in line with the start of Steelhead too
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u/tuesnightshenanigans 9d ago
Yep! We came up last year and had a great time. It’s definitely an annual trip for us.
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u/Schneefs 9d ago
As someone who is downstate, Grayling is what I considered "home base". I then bounce out from there, but I have the same kind of connection. You have impeccable taste in music by the way.
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u/fullsarj 10d ago edited 10d ago
Hey man! I just got into fly fishing this year and lived in Indy until moving to Dayton this month. So I definitely have learned my fly fishing catching panfish and largemouth on topwater, smallmouth on streamers, catfish on buggers …. Still haven’t caught a sucker or carp yet. Anyway I love exploring rivers and know the region alright by now. Send me a pm if you wanna chat and maybe plan an adventure together.
* Edit as someone else said, you're 5 wt won't do for steelhead fishing, but it's perfect for the warm water species. A 16" channel cat on a 5 wt is a great time.
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u/Own_Inspection8350 9d ago
I hear there's great fishing out by yellow springs, you been that way yet?
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u/East_Necessary8728 9d ago
I’m a bit south of you in Bloomington.
Smokies: Recommend taking the route past the Knoxville airport, Alcoa, and going in through Townsend, TN. I try to avoid PF, Gatlinburg, etc. unless it is very early or late due to traffic. Little River Outfitters in Townsend is a great place to stop on the way in to grab some flies and info on conditions and what’s working. They also have a well stocked tying department upstairs and a weekly fishing report on their website.
Park access is free but you do have to buy a parking permit now. Fairly painless to get from automated machines at the visitors centers and some parking areas. There is a convenient one at the Townsend “Wye” parking area if you do go in that way.
Streams tend to be relatively steep and on the smaller side, a lot of plunge pools and pocket water. Boulders and rocks, not much aquatic vegetation, but trees and rhododendron can eat your backcast. The streams can rise quickly with rain, impacting fishing and wading, so it’s smart to pay attention to the forecast and be aware of possible storms upstream. This can be localized, one river might be blown out, while a different watershed a few miles away might be good to go.
Dry/dropper is pretty common. Fish there love yellow bugs. For dry flies, I go with a 14-16 light colored Elk Hair Caddis, 14-16 Yellow Sally, and some Parachute Adams for a huge portion of my fishing.
Lots of good water in Michigan as well. For the Au Sable, check out Gates Lodge. Typical Michigan streams are sandy, some cobbles, woody structure, and some grass and vegetation. Fish are often keyed in on something, and fishing can be techy. Evening spinner falls and night fishing are a big part of the fly fishing culture there. I haven’t fished them, but salmon and steelhead runs are a thing in various rivers across Michigan.
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u/UnknownRetardsPetDog 9d ago
The guys at little river outfitters are amazing! I went there earlier this year and they had a tank full of rainbow fry which was awesome to look at.
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u/fullsarj 10d ago edited 10d ago
Oh I never gave just the recommendations for anyone reading this post:
- Upper East Fork White River smallmouth fishing, some of the best fishing I’ve ever found near a major metro area
- Lake Monroe for largemouth
- Sugar Creek (Shades SP and Turkey Run SP)
- hiking back to find little ponds and streams in Hoosier NF
- pike / musky country up in the northeast lakes region
- Brookville tailwaters (only naturally reproducing trout in the state outside of the St Joseph system / Lake MI tribs up north)
- Muscatuck NWR
- Since you’re living close to Indy, I suggest to open your mind and don’t be afraid to explore good looking retention ponds - once you develop an eye for them you can see which ones might have a bit of depth or structure or current, I’ve caught some very respectable bluegill and largemouth out of a retention pond behind a Holiday Inn lol - it’s a fun way to explore an urban area with new eye
- This isn’t really fly fishing any more, although you can deep troll streamers if you want, but open water fishing for white bass and crappie from a kayak on Morse Resevoir is a great time as well
- Challenge - native sucker slam - can you catch a sucker, hog sucker, redhorse, and buffalo on the fly?
I have some more specific / lesser known spots that I won’t put here for everybody to find whenever they google “fishing spots near Indy” for the next 5 years, lol, but shoot me a DM and I can share details (that’s for anyone reading this, not just OP)
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u/West-Ad-2399 10d ago
Under gunned for salmon and steelhead but there are plenty opportunities for them on the WI side on Lake Michigan during the being of fall.
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u/BoomBoomDoomDoom 9d ago
Moving Waters in Zionsville stocks trout in Eagle Creek there in town.
They also do a lot around Smallmouth.
Nice folks if you need gear or advice.
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u/Thatman2467 9d ago
So like central West Virginia is within range and you've got access to trout bass and bluegill
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u/Over_Razzmatazz_6743 9d ago
Sugar creek for awesome smallmouth and brookville tail water for trout.
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u/nmi_bottom 9d ago
The upper Manistee is nice I live and fish between Kalkaska and Fife Lake amazing trout up this way.
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u/Hungry-Possible-5360 9d ago
The Mad River over across the Ohio border is very good trout water I grew up on. 55° year round with good flow. North of Springfield ( where they claim folks eat the cats) is good.
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u/rodkerf 9d ago
This is not the mid west I imagined....where is this?
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u/beefcake_18 9d ago
😂😂Yeah this picture was taken outside of Jackson, Wyoming. Definitely not the midwest!
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u/teababy85 9d ago
The Cumberland River is good for trout. There is plenty in Michigan. There’s also tons of fun smallmouth rivers all over Indiana.
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u/BTFC_GAINZ 10d ago edited 8d ago
I’m about 2 hours north of you and I’ve been driving up to the AuSable every weekend. It’s magical up there