Water levels and clarity have improved a lot in the past week with that lack of any appreciable precipitation on the local watersheds. There is still a stain to the Manistee and Betsie rivers, but that isn’t out of character for mid-April and steelhead fishing. Water temps have passed the 40-degree mark which is what […]
The local rivers are all running high with recent rains. The good news is we have a few days without any rain (or snow) in the forecast. Higher water has meant dirty water. A flood gate was lifted on Tippy Dam yesterday which always frees up mud and algae while increasing the flow. The ice […]
April has come but the snow hasn’t gone. The transitional weather usually found in March is continuing as we get into April with a mix of rain, snow, mud, and ice. We did see the sun twice last week which, could be a sign of things to come. With the rain and snow, water levels […]
The higher water from run-off and some rain showers brought in fresh steelhead and invigorated those already in the Manistee and Betsie to move around. With a stain to the water, fish were happy and moving along those soft bubble lines towards the sections of rivers with spawning gravel as they prepare for why they […]
A really warm Thursday with intense sunshine really knocked the snow pack in the woods and valleys down, creating significant run-off into the tributaries and rivers. Local rivers are on the rise and gaining some color which is likely to continue after some rain and more of it in the forecast. With rains comes fish. […]
Warm weather over the weekend along with a heavy rain really knocked down what snow was around and increased flows on the Manistee and Betsie rivers. Monday found us with another 4 to 6 inches of fresh snow which kind of makes this a typical March. And further confirmation that we are in that transitional […]
Now that it’s the first of March, it’s time to start thinking about fishing again! It’s been a pretty cold winter with a few mild days mixed in to help keep the snowpack reduced. These mini run-off situations gave some bumps to the water levels which encouraged a few steelhead to come into the local […]
The first day of winter kind of feels like it with below freezing temps and a threat of some snow in the forecast. It’s mostly been a cold month with the exception of a few days as fish are settling into winter mode. Steelhead numbers increased on the Betsie and Manistee with the increase in […]
The fall steelhead season continues to be challenging and inconsistent. The mild weather of fall impacted how many fish came into the river and now that late fall temperatures, snow, and dropping water temps are prominent, the steelhead spigot on local rivers like the Manistee and Betsie just got turned a little further in the […]
The fall weather sure has been comfortable to fish in, but it sure hasn’t made for great steelhead fishing. The lack of any appreciable rainfall the past 6 weeks is taking a toll on fish inventory numbers in the river. We finally got some winds to blow some water around on Lake Michigan which helps […]
As October comes to an end, it almost feels like the end of September. The past month was mild with overnight temps well above typical leaving the water temps at least 10 degrees warmer than normal. A second, late push of salmon never occurred as a lack of wind on Lake Michigan and a lack […]
Being well into October, we continue to experience some really nice weather. The long underwear has stayed in the dresser drawer so far this fall and that’s unusual, even on mild Autumn days. But it is fall and some cooler over nights are in the forecast which is likely to drop the water temps (hovering […]
