Late March Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 20, 2024

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

December Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 4, 2023

December has come and it seems that the big push of steelhead we are accustomed to in the fall simply did not.

While it was a tough fall, reports from the lake indicate the population is healthy and the lack of rain is to blame for keeping the fish there. We had good pulses of fish move upstream after the rains we did receive and the light fall run bodes well for a good spring run as they move upstream for annual spawning migration as the days get longer again and rivers get a bit higher. If the long-term forecast of a mild winter holds true, look for fish to trickle through the river systems all winter long.

If you are looking to get out on the water, pick your days wisely based on the forecast as we go from late fall to winter conditions and weather. Snow is more common and run off can drop the water temp a couple degrees. A little sun not only makes it comfortable for anglers but also helps bump the water temps a little.

The steelhead that are in the system can be just about anywhere as long as it isn’t a hard current. The softer side of current seams and cross overs and those with some structure have been more reliable the past two weeks. As the water temperatures start to stay below 40 degrees, we mix up our presentation using indicators, floats, swung flies and duck and chuck.

Water clarity on the Manistee has been remarkably clearer than normal so, dropping down in tippet size is a good approach as is using some stealth. When hooked, the fish are starting to do more of that alligator roll through the fight allowing you to get away with lighter line. Smaller, less obnoxious patterns seem to be out fishing the big, bold and bright with these conditions.

Good luck.

Ted

Gift Certificates– Give the gift of time on the water this Holiday Season. Half or Full Day trips.
Spring Steelhead – Most of the season is booked – get your dates for March and April while you can.
2024 Fishing – Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water. Booking all seasons thru September.

fishing, gift certificates for fly fishing, guide trip gift certificates, manistee, manistee river, spring steelhead, steelhead, tippy dam

Early October Fly Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - October 7, 2023

Summer-like weather has come to an end after a few extra weeks of it which continued well into October.

The local rivers have been really low from a lack of rain, however today’s rain along with the rain in the forecast should really help get the local rivers into shape and get the fish moving. I am not sure I have ever seen the rivers this low at this time of year. Water temperatures, also, should get into seasonal form and drop into the 50s.

Salmon are all over the place in the local rivers (Manistee, Betsie, Platte). Because of the date/time of year and the warm water, the fish are pretty dark and busy doing their spawning ritual. It seems that there are a few more salmon around this year than in recent years which is a good thing. The more salmon in Lake Michigan usually means less pressure on the steelhead from the lake anglers which helps to bolster steelhead population. And more salmon in the river means more scent and eggs to coax steelhead upstream. A few steelhead have been moving up the river but mostly the juvenile skippers on their first return up the river.

Trout fishing was extended for those looking to fish some terrestrials thanks to the warm weather but now it’s time to pull out that 6 or 7 wt rod, sink tip lines and box full of streamers. It’s pre-spawn for the brown trout on most rivers and the fish can have an attitude and chase down a fly. Because our trout population is meager and mostly dependent on natural reproduction, please leave any visible spawning brown trout alone to help ensure a future fishery. Some rivers closed on October 1 so make sure your favorite section of water is still open before fishing it.

Regardless of where you are fishing or for what, you’ll find the trees well decorated in fall colors making for a great backdrop as you fish and wind down the season.

Good luck.

Ted

Fall Steelhead – Just a few dates in November remain available – finish the fishing season strong.
Spring Steelhead – Most of the season is booked – get your dates for March and April while you can.
2024 Fishing – Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water. Booking all seasons thru August.

Betsie river fly fishing, caddis, egg patterns, fall steelhead, fly fishing guide, lake michigan, manistee river, Platte River, salmon fishing, salmon fly patterns, steelhead, tippy dam, traverse city, trout fishing, trout fishing with streamers

Late December Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 22, 2022

Winter officially started today, but we have been dealing with winter-like fishing conditions for a few weeks now.

Water temperatures are in the low to mid 30s, running clear and the steelhead have seemed to find great places to hibernate as fishing has been challenging. If you head out, look for the deep, slow water and the soft water tail-outs to be your best bet.

It’s time to fish some smaller, realistic nymphs and “dead egg” patterns in pale, muted colors as dead drift as possible. Fishing under indicators and floats help with that. If that doesn’t work, try big and bright attractor flies like bold egg patterns and chartreuse caddis. Swinging a decent sized fly suggesting a baitfish is still a possibility because it allows you to fish over some structure (wood) and entice a fish to eat something with a few more calories. However, as winter bears down on us, that window of opportunity is closing.

I hope you all have a great Holiday Season and that the New Year ahead finds you healthy, happy and on the water.

Regards,

Ted

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2023 Fishing – Get your dates secured to ensure your time on the water. Booking all seasons.
Gift Certificates – Quick and easy gifts of a half-day, full-day or casting lesson for friends or family.

Betsie, mansitee, steelhead fishing, tippy dam

Late April Fishing Report

Posted by Ted Kraimer - April 24, 2022

Finally, some warm weather is helping us forget about the cold spring we have had so far. With temps in the 70s this weekend the water temperatures should climb a little and get things to where they should be for this time of year.

Steelhead fishing is winding down on local rivers (Manistee, Betsie and Platte) with most fish hitting the gravel fast and getting back to the lake. Drop-back fish and a few fresh ones that are a little late to the game can be found in the runs and holes while most anglers focus on the shallow water. Smaller egg patterns and beads in natural colors have been best while fry and caddis are taking a respectable number of fish, too. With practically no suckers in the river yet, I suspect we will have a trickle of steelhead for a bit longer.

Water temps on the upper Manistee reached mid-50s this weekend and some of the first Hendricksons have shown up. Not many, but some. Water temps usually need to be in the upper 50s before the surface activity goes to the next level and one can expect to cast to a rising fish. In the meantime, cover the water with streamers. The next 4 to 5 weeks is a great time to have a dry fly rod rigged in the boat while you cover the water with subsurface patterns. When a hatch or rising fish presents itself, switch rods/presentations.

Good luck.

Ted

May Days – The month that offers so much variety for a number of species. <<More info>>
Match the Hatch – Late May and June offer dry fly anglers some of the best trout fishing of the year.
Fall Steelhead – Some good dates remain available in October, November and into December.

betsie fishing, caddis, dry fly fishing, eggs, hendricksons, manistee river, steelhead, streamer fishing, tippy dam

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Posts tagged "tippy dam"

Late March Fishing Report

December Fishing Report

Early October Fly Fishing Report

Late December Fishing Report

-The end of year Newsletter has just gone out – click to read or subscribe –

Late April Fishing Report

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