Manistee River Fishing Report RSS

This Fall has certainly been interesting, and at times a bit frustrating. With August-like weather leeching into the king salmon run and scattered, short-lived rainfall across most of the lower peninsula, many of us are hoping for a long cold soak. Many steelhead anglers are happy to see lower, fairly consistent temperatures ahead.  The run of king salmon is tapering down and a few coho are being found. Steelhead numbers are increasing. Swinging bright, sparse baitfish patterns is a great option.  Brown trout have been caught behind spawning kings using egg flies, and some are eager to eat larger brown...

The drought we experienced earlier this month has come to a definitive end, and we’re now facing some very different fishing conditions. It took a lot of rain to fill the low water table and we recovered two months worth of precipitation in about two and a half days. If the forecast for most of the Lower Peninsula is correct, we expect to see high and dirty water for a week or more. Look for quick-draining tributaries and creeks which should have better clarity.   Anglers have had success streamer fishing and this may be the name of the game...

June is a month many of us cherish. We plan our lives around the behavior of winged insects and risk going a little crazy with changes in our sleep schedules. Swarms of mosquitos, waders caked with black silt, and even the occasional midge lodged underneath an eyelid…all of that discomfort seems to fade when trout start to rise.      Last week our northern rivers saw an emergence of brown drakes. Sulfurs were also seen in strong numbers but fish didn’t seem to be as interested in them. Hex have also been found and their migration up and down our...

Average high temperatures this week are close to those typically found in mid July, and our rivers are running low and clear. Nevertheless, fish are being caught and great memories are being made!

And just like that hex camp was over.  Many people look forward to November 15th each year for a pilgrimage up-north for deer camp. We, on the other hand, have looked forward to the end of June and have begun to create memories that will be passed down to grandkids someday.  Good food, friends, fires, and fish is the perfect mix for your soul during these uncertain times.  Politics are checked at the door for the most part and trying to piece together the puzzle pieces of the hex hatch is the main objective.   This year we had success...