The main Lake Huron run near Oscoda, now a steelhead and Atlantic salmon fishery.
On the Lake Huron side, the Au Sable below Foote Dam near Oscoda is the main run. Its story is different from the Lake Michigan rivers, and being honest about that helps you plan a realistic trip.
Steelhead are now the most reliable run here, moving in through fall and again in spring. Fall brown trout also run up from the lake.
Chinook still return in September and October, and Lake Huron's growing Atlantic salmon program adds another target, but the enormous king runs of decades past are not what they once were.
The trophy water below Foote Dam is fished by drift boat and on foot. Spawn, beads, plugs, and swung flies all produce. The tailwater below Foote holds the run.
Foote Dam access, Whirlpool, Rea Road, and the Oscoda river mouth provide launches and foot access along the lower river.