Sixteen volunteers – including five volunteers from the Mershon-Neumann Heritage Chapter of Trout Unlimited – participated in the annual South Branch Redd Survey on Friday, November 8, 2024. Together with chapter members from Mason Griffith Founders Chapter of Grayling and additional local volunteers; the south branch of the Au Sable River, from Chase Bridge to Smith Bridge was surveyed for brown trout redds. Each redd’s GPS location was
recorded, along with its size and if there was adjacent protective cover available for the female trout while spawning.
Participating in this year’s survey from the MNHTU chapter were Larry Brown, Natalie Guenther, Kathy VanderKolk, David Fisher, Tim Weiler, and Robb Tunney.
The location and size of spawning trout redds provides:
· DNR Fisheries an estimate of the female trout population
· Yearly averages of redd sizes identifies trends of fish size
· Identifies protective cover needs
· Identifies productive and non-productive river reaches
The number of redds surveyed on the south branch in 2024 was 112. This is the highest number since the beginning of the south branch surveys and represents a 15% increase compared to the last four-year average. There was a substantial increase in redds within Potter’s Landing – The Swamp reach. The middle sections of the Mason Tract have been maintained, while the lower sections – Downey’s Wall to Smith Bridge …continues to provide the greatest number of redds.
The raw data generated by the survey will be entered into a database to determine the number of redd per mile and compared to prior years. If you are interested in helping with this survey next fall, please contact MNHTU chapter advisor Howard N. Johnson for details at ausablecedars@gmail.com
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