In compliance with the Governor’s Executive Order, guide trips have been suspended until April 13th, 2020. As interpreted, outdoor activities are still permissible, however maintaining the 6 foot distance between others is not feasible during guide trips which led to this decision. It’s not easy to walk away from three weeks of income, nor is […]
Most of the snow is gone (except for north facing slopes) and much of that runoff has found it’s way to the river systems. Water levels are up on area rivers and they have some stain to them. The Manistee below Tippy Dam is running 3,200 cfs and the Betsie, too, is running full. The […]
As we flip the calendar to March it’s apparent that the days have become longer, temps a little warmer, and the sun is making an appearance a little more often. Was it me or did it seem like the sun went south for the winter this year? Much of the snow pack has diminished thanks […]
It’s been a see-saw winter with snow, mild temps, more snow, etc. But the calendar notes it is January and any chance to get out and fish this time of year should be considered a bonus. Despite the warm-ups, the water temperatures on local rivers remain in the lower 30s. Whether you are looking to […]
While we are officially still in Fall, there is no denying that we are in Winter once we step outside or even look out the window. And the fish know it, too. Fishing has become tough the past couple weeks with water temps in the mid 30’s. If it is steelhead you are after, look […]
The mild fall came to an abrupt stop last week with a cold front and significant snowfall dropping the water temperatures in the local rivers. Temps on the Manistee and Betsie are in the upper 30s after dropping about 8 degrees in 10 days. Now as it rains, the snow is sure to melt but […]
November greeted us with full-on fall weather – a mix of snow and rain and some wind making for classic fall steelhead weather. Water temps have settled into the lower to mid 40’s on the lower Manistee below Tippy Dam and Betsie Rivers which are running higher than normal for this time of year, but […]
Mid-October finds the weather and fisheries in-line with the calendar. The river banks are popping with color as the leaves and salmon change color while some chrome steelhead show up. The salmon run is past the peak however a fresh one shows up occasionally. With the erratic weather patterns since late August, I wouldn’t be […]
A few trees are starting to change colors as we head to the river but they remain pretty green along the river bank. Water temps are just starting to drop below the 60 degree mark after some cooler temps and more of the same in the forecast. Another batch of rain has sent another batch […]
With Fall officially starting today it sure feels like we were in the middle of summer just last week with the 80-degree days. With a little color in some trees, it appears that fall is imminent. The warm weather paused the migration of salmon on the local rivers, but the significant rains over the weekend […]
With September well underway, anglers are finding salmon in a number of the local rivers. These fish are migratory and with the inconsistent weather (think shifting winds) the run has been truncated and some days are better than others as these fish work their way upstream. The Betsie has been really busy as this natural […]
Not a whole lot has changed since the last fishing report. A long period of virtually no rain has the rivers running low and clear which tends to be the case for this time of year. Cool nights have kept the water temps on the upper Manistee and Boardman rivers in the low 60’s making […]
