Spring officially has started which typically means cold nights and the promise of warmer days. And Spring Steelhead. The local rivers – Manistee and Betsie – have been providing some fish but with the lack of rain/run-off, it’s been a case of earned fish rather than easy fishing. Yes, easy steelhead fishing does occur from […]
Longer days and mild temperatures have steelhead on most angler’s minds. Rivers like the Manistee and Betsie are still running cold – just under 40 degrees with fluctuations coming from cold overnights, sunshine, and any leftover snowmelt – it’s mostly gone (for now – the snowblower is still gassed up and the shovels are ready). […]
With mid-December here, so is the snow and cold, and it appears winter might have settled in for the season. Water temps on the local rivers (Manistee, Platte and Betsie) have steadily decreased into the mid-30s and has pretty much put the steelhead into a winter funk. There are fish around, but it seems fewer […]
As we enter December, anglers will find steelhead throughout local river systems (Manistee and Betsie) and pretty well spread throughout them. Water temps are hovering around 40 degrees, but after some cold nights, the smaller rivers tend to drop temps until any sunshine that day might warm them up. Since the rivers aren’t very busy, […]
Steelhead fishing continues as the water temps remain in the mid to lower 40s on the Manistee and Betsie Rivers. Usually by now they are cooler, so the milder temps of Nov. has been welcomed. Fish continue to be fickle, spread-out, and doing a pretty good job of making us work for them each day. […]
The steelhead fishing remains off with what seems like fewer fish around than we are used to this time of year. Some days we find them, other days we struggle. While the weather has been comfortable (in the 60’s!?!) it has left rivers like the Big Manistee and Betsie running clear and low. One advantage […]
November is here and as I type, so is the snow. Last week’s high water has pretty much dropped to normal levels leaving local rivers like the Betsie and Manistee running just a little above average re: fall levels/flows, with a slight tinge to it and in the mid-40s – kind of ideal if not […]
As October winds down, the river levels are on the way up. Recent rains have been significant and anglers will find the rivers like the Betsie and Manistee high and rising. Unlike Spring when high water events last a while, the rivers should drain out by later next week, providing we don’t experience additional showers. […]
With the colors at peak, anglers are finding that the peak of the salmon run is behind us. A few fresh fish are slipping through the river systems (Betsie, Platte, Bear Creek, Manistee) but the majority of the fish have been there a while and look like it. Crowds are still at unprecedented levels as […]
A lack of significant rain this month has local rivers running lower and clearer than normal and prolonging the salmon run. The upper Manistee river provided visibility like I had never seen before – it was a unique opportunity to see the water in greater detail as far as structure but also the number of […]
With August coming to an end it is apparent that the Trico hatch on the local trout rivers has also come to an end. This time of year typically is a transition time where fish start focusing on subsurface presentations and streamer patterns but it’s still summer-like and the fish are still looking up and […]
With August here we usually think about the dog days of summer, but seeing how we have already had five weeks of them, the trend continues as does our current fishing conditions. Trout anglers are finding the waters of the upper Manistee and Boardman in the low to mid-60s (depending on overnight temperatures) making for […]
