February 26th 2026
We aren’t out of the woods just yet! Some unseasonably warm weather moved through and shuffled the deck big time. With the first major high water event of spring under our belts, there are quite a few fish scattered throughout the systems. There have been great days, there have been very slow days. Conditions didn’t seem to line up with exactly what you might expect the last couple of weeks. On the warmer weather patterns, the morning was fairly productive while the afternoon slowed down a lot. That could be due to numbers of fish in different sections of river, the high sun, or snow melt cooling down the water. Mid-river on different systems has been consistent vs being way high or way low. Even the larger rivers were rolling pretty good after all of that water in the last week and a half. Levels are dropping back down but be cautious if you’re out wading because it was dicey last week and the next warm up will bring in another wave of water.
Nymphing and egging produced a few fish despite tougher circumstances. With such high water, the zones you might be used to fishing are often too fast or too deep to effectively fish. Check for some of those adjacent seams and softer currents toward the middle or inside of the runs. We’re seeing bites come on smaller pink and orange eggs along with leech patterns. In a few weeks the smaller salmon fry and young of the year should make for some good opportunities.
Ethan and I had an incredible day streamer fishing in sub freezing temperatures and very high water. Adjust your tactics, slow down the presentation, and aim for the couches - not the treadmills. It took a little time to put a pattern together, but once we did - it was one of the best days I’ve seen in a while.
Streamers can also be a great way to target steelhead in the early spring, but angles and approach are everything. Fishing high contrast patterns with UV materials and a little more flash can produce bites even in cold water. Rubber legs, dirty bird dubbing, polar chenille, and estaz are all fan favorites around here for these types of patterns. If you’re in need of these kinds of materials, swing by the shop and we can point you in the right direction. In higher water, you will get away with slightly larger patterns but a safe bet is something in that 3 - 4 inch range.
Our winter class schedule is wrapping up, we’ve got one last session next week on March 4th with Allen Campbell coming in to spin up some deer hair bugs. If you struggle with these, as I do - this is a great opportunity to learn from a guy who’s got it dialed in. Click here to RSVP!
The rivers will be getting busy in the next few weeks! Say hello and enjoy all that early spring has to offer here in West Michigan. It’s only just getting started! See you in the shop and on the water.
