fly fishing steelhead Archives - Current Works Guide Service

With the official start of Spring this week, it seems that Winter is making up for some delinquency bringing us some cooler temps, wind and snow.

Steelhead fishing continues on the Manistee River below Tippy Dam and Betsie River with water conditions near ideal. It’s been a bit since we have had rain and the recent snowfall wasn’t enough to really affect levels. The mild winter brought water temperatures up to over 40 which has encouraged some early spawning in the rivers. There are still a lot of fish to come up stream over the next few weeks and these migratory fish are weather and condition dependent.

Fish are near gravel sections and others are slipping up the watersheds from the lake, preferring those soft seams to travel. The steelhead not quite ready to spawn – or those that are, on bright, sunny days – can be found in the pocket water and holes near spawning gravel.

Eggs and beads are often fished in tandem with a nymph. With the clearer water, smaller eggs have been working better and in natural shades to imitate the natural eggs in the water. Other days they take big, bright egg patterns that look like nothing in nature – that’s just the nature of steelhead fishing. Effective nymphs have been caddis, small stones, steelhead buggers and the alevin and fry bite are just starting to turn on.

Good luck.

Ted

Spring Steelhead – Just a few dates remain available in April – get your Spring fishing started right!
Trout Season – Mid-May into July offers some of the best match-the-hatch dry fly fishing of the season.
2024 Fishing – Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water. Booking all seasons thru September.

caddis, egg patterns, fly fishing steelhead, fry patterns, mansitee river, spring steelhead fishing michigan, steelhead, steelhead buggers, tippy dam, trout fishing

While fall was pretty mild with some cold days mixed in, it looks like those days are gone as winter has shown itself. With the white stuff falling outside the window and the long term forecast not calling for temps to be above freezing, anglers will have to look for their windows of opportunity to fish comfortably.

Steelhead fishing has remained mixed – doing good one day, not so good the next which seemed to be the theme for the fall run. There are a good number of fish in the system and they are scattered throughout river systems. As water temps drop into the upper 30s, the fish are mostly taking up residence in the slower water to the side of the bubble line. Swung flies in and around structure have been working as are flies presented on float and indicator rigs. Bottom bouncing/duck and chuck will work too, but the fish are starting to get lethargic and picky. Small, natural egg patterns on the smaller waters like the Betsie have been working where some larger eggs in bolder color patterns have been the theme on larger river systems like the Manistee.

Trout fishing this fall wasn’t what it normally is for the time of year but the streamer angler casting mid-sized streamers on presenting them a little slower in the cold water can get some good fish to eat. Yellow streamers, natural sculpin and baitfish patterns are great themes to start with but as always mix up the pattern and presentation.

Good luck.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – As fall continues, so does our Steelhead season, into December or until the weather says no more.
Trout/Steelhead – The lower Manistee offers good streamer fishing for trout in late Fall for a combo of species.
Gift Certificates – With the Holiday Season near, give or ask for the gift of time on the water or a lesson.

Betsie, egg pattersn, fall steelhead, fly fishing steelhead, indicators, manistee, sculpin streamers, steelhead, swung fly

Posts tagged "fly fishing steelhead"

Late March Fishing Report

Early December Fishing Report

Ted Kraimer • Current Works, LLC • PO Box 333 • Traverse City, Michigan 49685 • (231) 883-8156