Photo by Ron Sinfelt.

The drone of the traffic noise coming from the expressway was annoying, but soon I was immersed in the beauty of the stream.

Less than 100 yards from the highway, I cast my spinner into a deep hole. As the gold lure neared my rod tip, I spotted a large dark form following it, but the fish did not take the bait. Several more casts did not bring the fish back, so I switched to a copper spinner. It was a good decision because the big trout inhaled the lure on the next cast.

After a lengthy and splashy tussle, I finagled the brown trout into my net. It stretched over 2 feet and weighed over 6 pounds in the net -- a true trophy. The commotion attracted the attention of the landowner who was working in his yard, and I talked him into taking a photo of the trout before I released the fish.

The stream I was fishing was Rice Creek near the town of Marshall in south-central Michigan. This creek is a tributary to the Kalamazoo River, which is a large warmwater stream that begins as two branches south of Jackson and then flows west and a bit north to Lake Michigan at Saugatuck. While there are no trout in the mainstream, many of the K-Zoo's tributaries offer good trout fishing.

Let's start this guided tour upstream and move west, giving you the details on where to find trout in the Kalamazoo River watershed.

The South Branch of the Kalamazoo starts as a warmwater stream, but a large influx of groundwater where the creek dips into northern Hillsdale County results in ideal trout habitat. Wild brown trout are numerous here, so there is no need to stock the stream. The prime reach lies between Grove Road in Jackson County and Concord Road in Hillsdale County, with access at road crossings. Most of the trout will run between 8 and 14 inches, but some very large fish exist. Two years ago, I was having an average day on the stream, with my largest trout measuring 13 inches. I ran my spinner by an undercut bank and was shocked by the appearance of a huge fish in the ultra-clear water. At first, I thought it was a pike, but it turned out to be a 25.5-inch brown, nearly twice as long as my next biggest trout.

Rice Creek is the first sizable trout tributary to the mainstream, and it is stocked throughout its journey through Calhoun County. Even though its North Branch is a warmwater stream, the best trout fishing is found in the lower part of the creek -- below the confluence -- because groundwater additions more than counterbalance the warm inflow from this tributary. The Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is very active on projects to improve the trout fishing on Rice Creek. They are now working with the Department of Natural Resources to remove a dam near Marshall, which should help extend the trout water.

Moving downstream, Augusta Creek is the next major trout tributary to the Kalamazoo. Between Rice and Augusta creeks, there are four small streams offering fishing for brown trout. Bear Creek west of Marshall, Dickinson Creek and Minges Brook near Battle Creek, and Seven Mile Creek west of Battle Creek all contain brown trout, and some brookies are possible. Only Dickinson receives any planted trout. Access is limited to road crossings, and often you will need to get landowner permission because these creeks are small.

Augusta Creek is a good-sized stream stocked annually with browns. A long reach of it flows through Kellogg Forest just downstream from M-89. This reach is owned by Michigan State University, is open to the public and offers the best trout fishing. There is even a stocked pond on the property where kids can catch trout. You will also find good trout fishing above and below the forest, with access at the bridges.