After last weekend’s rain, river levels are full and returning to normal levels. The Upper Manistee is in good shape, the Lower Manistee is still on the high side with an ideal stain, the Boardman is running full and the Au Sable is back to normal. The flush of water made for good streamer fishing […]
Addendum After over 40 hours of rain spanning Friday into Sunday the region received significant rainfall. Anglers will find local rivers running high and stained for a while. Be careful wading and for up to date river conditions you can click on the USGS Michigan Streamflow Conditions The weather has had its ups and downs […]
Not much has changed from last week’s report other than river clarity has become a major issue – the rivers are running very, very clear and there is virtually no rain in the forecast – stealth and lighter tippet/leader is pretty much a necessity. The Manistee, AuSable and Boardman are all running low and clear […]
This time of year there are so many species to choose from – it can be difficult to decide what to fish for and where. Trout fishing continues to offer some good dry fly fishing as the mixed hatches are bringing fish up when temperatures stay mild in the evenings making for ideal hatch conditions. […]
Last week’s rain has pretty much come and gone, returning river levels pretty much close to normal and leaving just a little color to it which is good considering the long-term forecast calls for a fair amount of sun. The hatches on the upper-Manistee, Boardman and Au Sable Rivers have been offering some good dry […]
Trout opener has come and gone and so have the anglers. While opener weekend had mixed results thanks to cold weather, the annual traditions of groups, families and friends seemed to be alive and well. Stable and warmer temps this week has improved hatches and dry fly fishing – they should continue get even better […]
After getting a significant rainfall, the water level came up, but a push of steelhead did not. The Manistee rose nicely, but is already falling back down and not much has changed as far as conditions. I guess I was optimistic and hopeful a bunch of fish would come in or perhaps I was stubborn […]
We finally received some rain, but with the ground so dry, most of it went there rather than into our rivers having little impact on river levels and the much anticipated re-start of the Spring Steelhead run. Some fresh fish continue to trickle in on the Manistee, but not as many as there typically is […]
A classic quote from the movie Caddy Shack comes to mind as we wait for some rain to inspire the remainder of the steelhead to move upstream. While we have had some rain and some snow, no significant amount has fallen and the steelhead run remains stagnate, stale and otherwise unprecedented. The forecast is calling […]
Now that April has arrived, I kind of feel like a fool – have the bulk of the steelhead already come or are there more fresh fish to come in the weeks ahead? Never accused of being overly optimistic but a realist, I am however thinking there are more fish to come. Water levels are […]
Next to my front door are pack-boots and sandals. While it’s been a few weeks since boots were needed, last week’s sandal wearing weather made the latest cool down feel like pack boots might be a good call in the mornings. Confused on the weather? So seem the steelhead. What started off as a great […]
Wearing the clothing typically worn in July is definitely strange for steelhead fishing, but it beats fishing in gloves and fleece jackets. The water levels have come down a bit in the Manistee and more on the Betsie River with clarity improving however it’s still pretty stained. Water temps are in the mid to upper- […]
