Longer days and some warmer temps are encouraging a return to the rivers in search of steelhead. Decent numbers of fish are in the rivers with more to come. The water is still cold so focus on the slower water unless we get an increase in temp and or water volume.
Winter started a little early this year as the snow started to fall on Thanksgiving. Since then, temperatures have been cold with some single digit days thrown in. The water temperature of Manistee has also dropped into the mid-30s making fishing challenging. Steelhead are in the river but have taken up their winter residence, sitting […]
Mid-November finds us with fishing conditions that we kind of expect this time of year. The crowds and tree leaves are gone as are the salmon, but steelhead remain in the rivers. Colder temperatures and even some snow brought the water temperatures down as they bounce around in the mid-40s on both the Big Manistee […]
It’s November and with lots of leaves off of the trees, it feels and looks like it. Steelhead fishing is our primary focus right now. We finally got some rain a bit ago and the levels have come and gone, and we continue to have low water levels that are running clear. A decent number […]
It is the middle of October, and the tree colors look like it as we are in peak color season, although they aren’t as vivid as most years due to the warm fall we have had. The lack of cool weather, rain, and wind has also keep the chrome (steelhead) color from entering the rivers […]
Its officially Fall, the calendar has flipped to October, but summer weather continues to hang on. The unseasonable weather with warm temperatures and almost no rain over the past few weeks have the rivers like the Manistee, Betsie, and Platte running low and clear. The salmon are in the rivers and many have hit the […]
As September winds down, so does the summer weather with temperatures starting to drop a little. The water levels on all the region’s rivers are very low and clear making fishing a little tough. For those looking for the migratory salmon, you will find fish in rivers like the Betsie and Manistee but a lot […]
The past week of fall weather had us thinking summer was over, then, well, summer showed up again. The cooler weather combined with some favorable winds helped encourage a number of salmon to run up local rivers. Now that the summer weather and sunshine has returned, those fish are hiding and are wondering why they […]
As August comes to an end, it’s also the unofficial end of Summer. The cooler temps tell us September might be a little cooler than recent years rather than the bonus month of summer we have had the past decade or so. The terrestrial/attractor fishing on the upper Manistee has been decent but with the […]
Not much has changed on the trout rivers as we continue to cruise through summer. The water is low and clear and the water temperatures are ideal most days, starting cooler in the mornings and warming up later in the day. There aren’t too many bugs on the water, but the trout are still looking […]
August is here and so are August fishing conditions. The rivers are low and clear and with the cooler overnight temperatures, the water temperatures are ideal. It’s a fun time of year to wet-wade with a box or two of flies in your pocket and some tippet and just keep it fun and simple with […]
UPDATE 7/17: Significant rainfall late July 16 and early July 17 have left the rivers running very high. Wading will be difficult and water is likely to be dirty. You can monitor flows and water temperatures here: Manistee Boardman Au Sable and other Rivers in Michigan The big bugs including the hex hatch on the […]
