About Boardman River

The Boardman begins in two small branches. The North Branch begins just northeast of the town of Kalkaska and flows primarily in a westerly direction toward Traverse City. The upper reaches are home to some very large brook trout and decent numbers of browns. The South Branch begins just upstream of the mill pond in the town of South Boardman and flows in a mostly westerly direction before joining the North Branch and forming the mainstream near the Supply Road Bridge just southeast of Traverse City. Both streams offer decent fishing through heavy undergrowth.

When most people speak of the Boardman, however, they are talking about the river downstream of “The Forks” near Supply Road. The river here averages one to two feet deep and flows quickly over a mostly gravel bottom. Unlike the Manistee and AuSable Rivers which are dominated by mayfly hatches, the Boardman is primarily a caddis river. Those who do best usually fish traditional soft hackle flies or skating flies to imitate that active caddis. Some mayfly hatches are present including a terrific Gray Drake hatch and in some areas a prolific Hex hatch. Most of the river above the site of the former Brown Bridge Pond is dominated by publicly held lands and access is plentiful. Once the river takes on East Creek, a major tributary, it averages one to three feet in depth with holes to six or eight feet in places. The birthplace of The Adams, one of the most popular dry flies in history and a stopping point for Hemingway in his travels, the Boardman is steeped in history and should be on every angler's list as a stream to visit.

Reconnecting over 160 miles of free-flowing cold water, the Boardman River is lucky to be the recipient of one of the "most comprehensive dam removal and restoration projects in Michigan's history and one of the largest such projects in the Great Lakes basin." Learn more about this phenomenal project here.