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The Au Sable River near Grayling seen from the bow of a kayak, with cedar and pine along the banks

Grayling & the Au Sable

Grayling sits at the head of the Au Sable River in northern Lower Michigan, with the upper Manistee River a few miles west and the Boardman River toward Traverse City.

  • Michigan · Midwest
  • 4 waters
  • 23 guides nearby
  • 2 shops nearby
  • TVC airport · 43 mi
Plan this tripBudget it
Photo credit

The Au Sable River near Grayling, Michigan, from a kayak. Photo: Kurt Schwoppe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Waters around Grayling

About this

Tap a water for its live flow, access map, regulations and hatches.

All Michigan waters
  • The Au Sable River curving through green floodplain forest, seen from the Highbanks bluffBlue Ribbon
    Photo credit

    The Au Sable River from the Highbanks, Huron-Manistee National Forests. Photo: Jessica Piispanen / USFWS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Au Sable River

    Michigan · 10 mi from Grayling

  • The Manistee River curving around a wooded island below forested hillsBlue Ribbon
    Photo credit

    The Manistee River, Michigan. Photo: Eric Schmuttenmaer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Manistee River

    Michigan · 7 mi from Grayling

    Brown trout, steelhead & smallmouth bass

  • The shallow, clear Boardman River flowing between spruce and pine near Traverse CityBlue Ribbon
    Photo credit

    The Boardman River in the Brown Bridge Quiet Area, near Traverse City. Photo: Phoenix-Five, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Boardman River

    Michigan · 33 mi from Grayling

    Brown trout, steelhead & chinook salmon

  • The Black River flowing dark and smooth through northern forest in Cheboygan CountyBlue Ribbon
    Photo credit

    The Black River in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Photo: SweetCanadianMullet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Black River

    Michigan · 31 mi from Grayling

    Rainbow, brown & brook trout

Distances and official pages

The rivers, lakes or flats this hub is organised around, each with its straight-line distance from Grayling. Within 40 miles a water's own page names this hub as near; a farther one shows its distance instead. Where a nearby guide names a water on its own website, we say how many do. Access, seasons and special regulations differ by reach: check the agency pages under license and rules.

All gauge readings

The first USGS gauge on each water: the latest reading, how it compares with that gauge's record for today's date, the 24-hour trend and the NWS flood stage. Open a water for what the level means.

Reading the gauges around Grayling…

Check any river's flow Dated report publishers

All Michigan waters

Meet local guides

About this

23 guide listings within 60 miles (1 fly-focused), fly-focused first. Unclaimed listings say so on their page: confirm licensing, rates and dates with the outfitter.

All Michigan guides

All Michigan guides

Fly shops nearby

About this

2 shop listings in the towns around Grayling, fly shops first. Confirm hours with the shop before you go.

All Michigan shops

All Michigan shops

Fish around Grayling

About this

Species the state agency lists on the waters here. A species listed for one water is not a promise for every water.

  • Illustration of a brown trout in side view: golden-brown body with dark spots and red spots ringed in pale halos

    Brown trout

    Listed on 3 waters here

    Photo credit

    Brown trout (Salmo trutta), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service illustration. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Two anglers in rain gear standing in a boat on a grey river, one holding a long rod

    Steelhead

    Listed on 2 waters here

    Photo credit

    Winter steelhead fishing on the Skagit River, Washington (Doug Wilson, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). Photo: Doug Wilson, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Illustration of a smallmouth bass: bronze-brown body with faint vertical bars and a red eye

    Smallmouth bass

    Listed on 1 water here

    Photo credit

    Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Several red-backed Chinook salmon splashing upstream through shallow, fast water

    Chinook salmon

    Listed on 1 water here

    Photo credit

    Chinook salmon moving upstream in the lower Tuolumne River, California (Dan Cook, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Photo: Dan Cook (USFWS), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Illustration of a silver coho salmon with a blue-green back and small dark spots on the back and upper tail

    Coho salmon

    Listed on 1 water here

    Photo credit

    Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), illustration by Timothy Knepp for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Timothy Knepp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Illustration of a rainbow trout in side view: olive back with small black spots and a pink band along the side

    Rainbow trout

    Listed on 1 water here

    Photo credit

    Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  • Illustration of a brook trout: dark green back with pale wavy markings, red spots with blue halos and white-edged lower fins

    Brook trout

    Listed on 1 water here

    Photo credit

    Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Agency species and seasons (24 waters)

Taken from the state agency pages of 24 waters around Grayling, each on its own water page with the agency link. Seasons are quoted word for word and apply to the water named.

  • Brown trout3 waters
  • Steelhead2 waters
  • Walleye2 waters
  • Brook trout1 water
  • Chinook salmon1 water
  • Coho salmon1 water
  • Rainbow trout1 water
  • Salmon1 water
  • Smallmouth bass1 water
Species guides mention (16)

Counted from the species each guide lists on its own site. This is what guides advertise, not an agency species list or a promise of what you will catch.

  • Lake trout15
  • Steelhead14
  • Chinook salmon10
  • Brown trout9
  • Coho salmon8
  • Walleye7
  • Mountain whitefish3
  • Smallmouth bass3

Things to know

  • Fishing license: Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR eLicense)

    Fees on the agency page.

    License page

  • Getting there

    TVC Cherry Capital Airport · 43 mi

    Airports and lodging

  • Regulations and access

    Seasons, limits and access: agency pages.

    2 official pages

Official license and rules pages

Buy the license from the agency and read its current regulations before you go. These links are the authoritative pages; nothing on this page grants or implies access to any water, and fees are only shown when read from the agency page on a stated date.

Nothing here grants or implies access to any water.

Veteran-owned and veteran programs

About this

Near Grayling & the Au Sable. Each fact comes from the business's own website, an official register or an approved claim; the listing page links the source.

Veteran programmes and licences

The Grayling & the Au Sable area

About this

The circle is the 60-mile area this page covers, around Grayling. Tap a water for its page. Shops and guides appear where they publish a street address on their own website; all of them are listed above.

Map of the Grayling & the Au Sable area: its waters, shops and guides

RestroomsWaters

Map of Grayling & the Au Sable: the 60-mile area this page covers, its waters, and shops and guides with an exact address.

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles

Restrooms near Grayling & the Au Sable

Restrooms near Grayling & the Au Sable

Restrooms within 5 miles of the centre of Grayling & the Au Sable in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.

Map of 8 restrooms near Grayling & the Au Sable

Skip the map; every place is in the list below

Map of 8 restrooms near Grayling & the Au Sable, numbered as in the list, with the town centre marked.

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles

  1. Restroom

    0.2 mi away in a straight line
    • Flush toilet (mapped)
    • Public (mapped)

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · free? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Free?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  2. Restroom Bathhouse

    1.6 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  3. Restroom

    1.7 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  4. Restroom

    1.9 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  5. Restroom

    2.0 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  6. Restroom

    2.0 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  7. Restroom

    2.1 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

  8. Restroom

    2.1 mi away in a straight line

    Not rated yet — be the first to tell other anglers if it's clean.

    Directions
    We don't know yet: is it clean? · flush or vault? · free? · open to everyone? · step-free? — tell other anglers: show the questions
    • Is it clean?
    • Flush or vault?
    • Free?
    • Open to everyone?
    • Step-free?

    Mapped on OpenStreetMap · see or fix it on the map

Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.

Base yourself nearby

About this

Grayling is the river town; Gaylord and Roscommon are the nearest alternatives, with Traverse City about 45 miles to the west. We do not list or price properties. The search opens an outside site.

Find lodging on Google Maps

Nearest airports

About this

Distances are straight-line from the town centre, computed from OurAirports open data; distances by road are longer. Fares are never estimated here.

  • TVC Cherry Capital AirportTraverse City, MI · 43 mi · regional
    Search flights
  • APN Alpena County Regional AirportAlpena, MI · 63 mi · regional
    Search flights
  • PLN Pellston Regional Airport of Emmet County AirportPellston, MI · 63 mi · regional
    Search flights
  • GRR Gerald R. Ford International AirportGrand Rapids, MI · 129 mi · major hub
    Search flights

Rough out the trip

About this

Set nights, anglers and guided days. Each line says where its figure comes from, and anything we cannot source honestly (guide rates, fares, license fees not read from the agency page) stays a link rather than a number.

Estimates, not quotes

  • Fishing licenseSee source
    Agency page
    Source

    One per angler (2 anglers). Fees are set by Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR eLicense); see the agency page.

    Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR eLicense)
  • Guided days11 rates pages
    Maevelous Leland ChartersUltimate Charter FishingFish XTCPlumber's Helper Charter Service
    Source

    1 guided day for 2 anglers. We do not copy guide rates: 11 guides near here publish a rates page on their own website.

    Source: Guide websites (rates pages linked, never copied)
  • Find lodgingSee source
    Search lodging
    Source

    Search places to stay near the destination. We do not list or price properties.

    Source: Lodging search link
  • FlightsSee source
    Search flights
    Source

    Fares are not estimated here. Search flights to TVC (Cherry Capital Airport).

    Source: Flight search link (no fares quoted)

No priced itemsUse the links for real figures.

How we estimate

Estimates, not quotes. Nothing here is a price from a guide, a property or an airline; confirm every cost with the provider before you book. No placeholder lodging range is configured for this region, and licenses, guided days and flights are never priced here.

Parks, forests and visitor offices

About this

For the non-fishing days, or the people traveling with you. Official sources only; what to do there is for their pages to say.

Gear checklist

About this

What to bring on a guided float fishing trip: rain gear, polarized sunglasses, sun protection, a dry bag and your license. Most guides supply rods and flies. Estimated prices and where to buy.

A woman rows a drift boat while a man stands in the bow and casts

Guided float trip

Usually supplied by the guide; a 9′ 5–6 weight if you bring your own · Trout on most western float rivers

Open checklist

Watch: what to expect on a guided float trip

About this

What the guide brings, what you bring, how the day runs.

Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.

  • FLOATING ETIQUETTE (fly fishing)Embedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
  • HOW TO FLY FISH FROM A DRIFT BOATEmbedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube

Not sponsored All videos on guided float

Stories from Michigan

About this

Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly, tagged with a water in Michigan.

No Michigan stories yet.

Share a storyAll Michigan stories

Sources for this page

All 8 sources

Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories (open map records checked against each business’s own website). Everything else links to the publisher below; this page copies none of their text. A destination hub organises discovery; it does not assert public access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.

Links checked 13 Oct 2026. Not a claim of access or conditions.