Late May Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 30, 2024

With May coming to an end, the Mayfly hatches and trout fishing continues.

This time of year it’s often time for headlamps and evening spinner falls at dusk when the mayflies drop to the surface to feed the fish. Hatches have been sporadic and with the weather, they can emerge at various times of day. It’s the spinners that typically collect in the evening to form decent numbers that anglers get excited about.

The upper Manistee has had it’s share of Great Mahoganies the past ten days and this is a hatch that seems to build in density each year. Sulphurs have been sporadic but are winding down, and those small #14 black caddis continue to feed a lot of the smaller fish. There are a handful of other bugs that can show up this time of year which can be intimidating when we try to match the hatch, but you can get by with a nice assortment of Borcher’s Drakes, Robert’s Yellow Drakes and Adams patterns to do a good job representing what you are imitating. And a drag-free presentation is just as – or even more important – than the pattern itself. Some medium brown/yellow stones belong in your box as do Isonychias and if it’s a warmer evening, stay till dark with some Brown Drakes – they should be starting if they haven’t already.

A fair amount of rain on Sunday and Monday brought the upper Manistee river level up while leaving a significant stain to the water. Those looking to get some streamer fishing would be best to do that before things clear up again.

Bass and bluegill fishing is mixed depending on the body of water you are fishing. Some bluegill have moved back into the shallow water for their second round of spawning thanks to a mild winter and early spring. The largemouth are in a post-spawn funk and the smallmouth bass are mixed but in the inland lakes, they are packed up and have mostly have moved deep again, only to hover around the breaks and drop offs. Weed growth in the past week has been remarkable and only helps anglers look for ideal spots to target fish.

Good luck.

Ted

Smallmouth Bass – Fish the lower Manistee with streamers & poppers this summer for fish that can pull.
Learn To Fly Fish – 1/2 Day trips are perfect for beginners! Learn how to cast before hitting the water to fish.
Trout, Tricos & Terrestrials – July & August offer fun dry fly fishing on the upper Manistee river.

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Full On Spring & Trout Fly Fishing in Northwest Michigan

Posted by Ted Kraimer - May 9, 2013

We have had some amazing weather the past 10 days here in the Traverse City area. Lots of sunlight and warm temperatures has made up for a long winter and has nature pretty much caught up and is where it should be for this time of year as the leaves are filling out trees, ground cover is greening and mayflies, stoneflies and caddis do their thing on the local trout streams and rivers in step with emergence schedules.

River conditions are ideal with a slight stain and good water levels – they are full, not high. Water temps are around 60 degrees on the upper Manistee, Boardman and AuSable and with that the bugs are varied and at times plentiful. Hendricksons have been the most prolific with scattered emergences and spinner falls at various times of the day but mostly at dusk since the evenings are staying relatively warm. Little black Caddis are plentiful – shake a streamside bush and watch what comes out of it. Early Brown Stoneflies, too, are dancing across the water with some fish taking notice. A variety of other bugs are coming off too, just sporadically and not in great numbers – look for that to change. This is the time of year to have a variety of bugs in your dry fly box because there is no telling what you might find the fish are keying in on. Sulphurs should be showing up any day as with Mahoganies and March Browns. Click here for a hatch chart.

Fishing streamers is ideal this time of year but the bite has been tough lately at least for me and my customers. As more people fish the streamer it seems the fish are getting smarter – little nuances to alter your presentation and even pattern can make a difference. The next 6 weeks are typically some of our best for streamer fishing and its a great way to cover the water between hatches. Having rods rigged with sink-tips and floating lines in the boat provides variety and gives you some good head-hunting opportunities.

The bluegill fishing is getting going on the shallower, dark bottom lakes as the fish move into shallow water. While dries will provide some action, very small streamers and decent sized nymphs will provide the best success. You will find the lakes and ponds extremely clear so the long cast is your best approach. Look for the bass fishing to improve in this pre-spawn period.

Some steelhead remain in the local rivers, but they are close to being done as the last of the spawning fish do their deed. The spring’s high water allowed for a lot of fish to come in and make it back to the lake safely which will not only help with future fish populations but bigger returning fish. It was a good spring season – thanks to all those who came out with me.

Lots going on right now on the water – get out and good luck.

Ted

Trout Fishing – May & June offer some or our best streamer fishing & great hatches!
Bluegill – Experience great fishing on the ponds and lakes in late mid-May and June
Hex Fishing – Some dates still available for the big bugs and big fish in mid-June
2013 Fishing Season – Now booking for all 2013 seasons – don’t miss out on this year’s fishing.

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Upper Manistee River (above Tippy Dam)

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 15, 2012

Upper Manistee River – Scenic Spring Creek

The upper Manistee River is where we do the majority of our trout fishing. Like a big spring creek, the waters of the “Mana” tend to run clear due to the sandy soil around it. With sections of gravel and riffles, sand bottoms and some silt beds the Hex nymphs call home; there are simply lots of different bugs that hatch on this river.

Majority of the fish in this section of water are Brown Trout and Brook Trout with the occasional Rainbow Trout. Ever seen a Tiger Trout? This is a natural occurring hybrid of a brook trout and brown as both spawn in the fall. These fish are rare but they do exist in the Upper-Manistee.

The flows of the Upper Manistee river are moderate and depth changes – common sense will tell you what side of the river to be on, possible places to cross and also what side will most likely to hold the fish.

Structure includes submerged logs, overhanging trees, deeper holes and combinations of them all. Just when you think there aren’t any fish in the river, you will either move a significant fish out of a holding lie or witness a hatch that suddenly turns the river into a jacuzzi with rising fish. Don’t ever give up, just try something different.

Where

The CCC bridge and the CCC Bridge campground are focal points of the fly fisherman who fishes the Manistee. The bridge is the lower boundary of the “Flies-Only” section of water with M-72 being the upper boundary. This water is open year round and has special regulations.

Much of my guiding and fishing takes place from M-72 downstream to the Rainbow Jim’s and I have been known to fish other sections when conditions are right.

Come float sections of water on the upper Manistee and experience the fishing the water around Yellow Trees, the Miracle-Mile, The Settlement, King Trout Ranch, Burnt Cabin (BKZ), CCC Bridge, Dutch John, and Smithville. The Upper Manistee offers anglers a variety of water and fishing conditions for all experience levels.

Brook Trout

Experience not only great fishing, but a river that is not over-developed or over-used. Because of it’s remoteness, canoe and kayak traffic is not a problem on these sections of river like they are on other areas or rivers in the region.

Located about 40 miles east of Traverse City and 25 west from Grayling.

See the map at the bottom of this page for directions.

Manistee River Hatches

The Hex

The best hatches on the river and the ones to fish are many. Starting in April, the early black stones get going, and beyond that it only gets better. From the end of April through mid-May Hendricksons are the first prolific mayflies to emerge and often are mixed in with Black Caddis (Mothers day Caddis). Next come the Sulphurs, Tan Caddis, March Browns, Black Quills / Borchers Drakes, Little Yellow Sallies, and Mahogany Duns – all in the month of May and into June.

Read about some of the great insects that hatch prior to the Hex Hatch »

The big bugs of June are what dry fishermen get excited about: Brown Drakes, Isonycias, and The Hex. Into July and August the Manistee experiences Tricos, Olive Caddis, Light Cahills, and more Isonycias.

Beyond these emerging aquatic insects anglers will want to pay close attention to the terrestrials: ants, flying ants, grasshoppers, beetles and more. Size does matter on these bugs – try to match what you see on the streamside vegetation or on the water and try larger and smaller if you aren’t having success. Throughout the year anglers can expect to see lots of Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) in sizes ranging from 16 to 22; these are a staple for just about any trout fisherman — and trout!

Obviously there are more types of bugs that come off on this river, but the above mentioned are the ones any fly angler and fly tier should be most concerned with.

For more information regarding our hatches, check out the Hatch Chart.

Streamer Fishing on the Manistee

Modern day streamer fishing for trophy sized trout was developed on this river by its pioneer Kelly Galloup, former owner and guide of the Troutsman fly shop once located in Traverse City. As a way to catch big fish on those bright days without a hatch or when trying to target big brown trout, streamer fishing gives anglers a great technique which has become not only popular here on the Manistee and other local rivers, but has caught on in popularity throughout the other regions of the country and trout rivers.

Beyond effective, this method also is exciting to watch a fish over twenty inches pounce on the fly before your eyes. Not to give the illusion that catching a fish is easy using streamer techniques, but any angler fishing this river will want to be prepared to cast some big flies (up to six inches long) to pull that lazy fish out of his lair when surface activity is null. Try fly patterns that imitate: sculpins, chestnut lampreys, smaller trout, chubs, and of course that generic fly that not only will move some water, but simply looks too good not to eat. Look to streamer fish all-year with the best times being April-June and September-November.

To learn more about streamer fishing, read Tips For Better Streamer Fishing »

Directions and Map

The CCC Bridge is located about 40 miles East of Traverse City, 20 miles South East of Kalkaska and 25 miles West of Grayling, Michigan. Anglers fishing the Au Sable River in Grayling often spend time also fishing the Manistee.

Map of the Upper Manistee River (above Tippy Dam)

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