KALAMAZOO RIVER
It is the lower half of the Kalamazoo that provides the best combo fishing for smallies and walleyes in this southwestern Michigan river.

DNR biologist Jay Wesley thinks the heavy walleye stocking in the Morrow Impoundment just upstream from the city of Kalamazoo is the reason for good numbers of walleyes joining the smallmouths below this dam. The upper half of the Kalamazoo River is loaded with smallies, but walleyes are very scarce. The river is quite wadeable below Morrow Dam at normal summer levels.

Downstream from the city of Kalamazoo, there are four draw-down dams that tend to concentrate the smallmouths and walleyes. The first dam is located about halfway between the towns of Plainwell and Otsego, and the next is in Otsego. The third is two miles downstream from Otsego, and the last is Trowbridge Dam halfway between Otsego and Allegan. You can try below all of these dams in one outing, and then concentrate your fishing where you have the most success.

The next dam is Allegan Dam, and the river is free-flowing below this barrier all the way to Lake Michigan. This dam is located about four miles west of the city of Allegan, and the reach below it offers good multi-species fishing. You can fish from shore at the dam, but a boat is better for fishing farther downstream. There is a launch ramp at the dam.

ST. JOSEPH RIVER
Our state shares the St. Joseph River with Indiana, and there is good combo fishing for walleyes and smallmouths, both before the river loops into Indiana and after it returns to Michigan. In the upper river, the best fishing for walleyes and smallies occurs from the town of Colon down to the state line. The other hotspots in the upper river are below the Sturgis Dam, which is about five miles downstream from Mendon, and below the dams in Three Rivers and Constantine.

When the St. Joe returns to Michigan, the best fishing is found below three dams in the towns of Niles, Buchanan and Berrien Springs. There is good access at each dam, and limited wading is possible below each barrier. A small boat will help you reach more water, and it will be especially helpful when targeting walleyes.

For more information on the St. Joseph, Kalamazoo and Grand rivers, call the DNR at (269) 685-6851.

HURON RIVER
The best chance for good walleye-smallie fishing in southeastern Michigan is found in the Huron River, which starts in Oakland County and flows south and east to Lake Erie. It is an excellent smallmouth river, and walleye numbers are steadily increasing. The lower river between the Belleville Impoundment and Flat Rock runs through several metro parks and offers good fishing.

Upstream from there, Kent Lake is an impoundment of the Huron River, and some of the walleyes from this lake are showing up in the river downstream. The same is true in the Ann Arbor area where there also are several impoundments. Look for good fishing below the Barton Dam right through town. Between Ann Arbor and Kent Lake, there are also several metro parks offering very good access to the river. Information on the river and tips on fishing it can be obtained at (248) 359-9040.