News photo by Josh Jambor People register for the Michigan Brown Trout Festival on Friday afternoon. The annual event features fishing tournaments on Lake Huron, family activities, and live entertainment, with favorable dry weather expected through the weekend.

ALPENA – The Michigan Brown Trout Festival is set for a mostly dry and warm weekend with highs in the mid-80s Saturday and Sunday before a cooldown early next week, though marine winds and lingering smoke will require attention from anglers on Lake Huron.

Meteorologist John Boris said the showers and thunderstorms that moved through the area Friday night will clear out Saturday morning. Dry conditions are then expected to take hold for the afternoon and continue through Sunday.

“Once that system clears things will dry out this afternoon and remain dry throughout Sunday,” Boris said.

The forecast arrives at a key time for the long-running Alpena festival, which features fishing tournaments, live music, family events, and crowds drawn to the city’s marina and shoreline. With many competitions involving boats heading into Thunder Bay and offshore areas, stable weather is essential for both safety and prime fishing opportunities.

Daytime highs are forecast to reach the mid-80s Saturday and Sunday, offering warm, comfortable conditions for spectators and onshore festivities. A cooldown is expected early next week.

“Temperatures today could reach the mid-80s with similar highs Sunday,” Boris said. “We cool off Tuesday and Wednesday with projected highs in the 70s.”

Precipitation chances return Monday with rain showers and thunderstorms possible, potentially lingering into early Tuesday before drier weather resumes through Thursday.

“We will have another chance for rain showers and thunderstorms Monday, perhaps extending into the first part of Tuesday,” Boris added. “Then we should be dry through Thursday.”

Marine conditions will require attention from boaters. Winds around Thunder Bay are expected to shift and increase Saturday.

“On the lake for areas around Thunder Bay, today the winds will switch to the northwest with increasing winds between 15 to 20 knots. There is a possibility a small craft advisory could be issued as a result,” Boris said. “Waves will probably be around four to five feet through tonight.”

Such conditions can influence fishing success by moving baitfish and affecting near-shore clarity, but they also heighten risks for smaller vessels. Festival participants are encouraged to monitor marine forecasts closely, especially when targeting brown trout and other species near reefs, river mouths, or deeper structure.

Lingering wildfire smoke remains a factor. Visibility and air quality should improve somewhat in coming days, but haze is likely to persist through the weekend.

“I think things will improve a little bit over the coming days but there’s definitely still going to be smoke around through the weekend,” Boris said. “In terms of the low visibility we have been seeing the past few days, and the smoke concentration, that might improve, especially once we get a good rain, that would help scour things out a bit.”

Josh Jambor can be reached at jjambor@thealpenanews.com.