Manistee River Steelhead Report

Manistee River Steelhead Report below Tippy Dam

Spring Steelhead 

Manistee River Steelhead Report

Steelhead fishing Below Tippy Dam

The Manistee River fishing report below Tippy Dam for Mid March.  With the apparent lack of snowpack, water levels started the week pretty low and clear.  However, we received a substantial rain event Monday night that made the river rise considerably.   Fishing this week started out pretty good, but as the water bump moved through the system it started to change the Steelhead behavior and made the bite more inconsistent to difficult at times.  You really had to grind it out in the high water as the fish were on the move and not slowing down. Fishing can always be challenging in high water, but new fish came with it so as things settle down there should be a bunch of new fish in the system. 

I strongly urge you to get your spring dates now!  Water temps are already over 41 and this run feels like it will peak early this year.  The next 30 day window could be the whole show for this spring. Give us a call 231-631-5701 leave a voicemail or drop us a text message and we will get right back with you.

Manistee River

Currently the Manistee River  Water Levels  are on a drop cycle after some heavy rains and the highest flows we have experienced this spring.  The river peaked late last week at 3100 cfs and is now currently sitting at 2750 cfs. This will more than likely be our peak runoff event for this spring barring any more heavy rains.  Water temps have already exceded 41 degrees and are quickly approaching the 42 degree mark.  A decent push of fish crashed the dam late last week in the high water and as the water drops we should see those fish spread out again.  The lower river is up significantly and Bear Creek was pumping some heavy color after all the rain.  

This week we saw mostly adults on the Manistee River and some rather large units that left us humbled.  Our landing ratio suffered a bit this week as the fish were pretty fresh and more robust in appearance.  Until the high water we were still seeing mostly wild fish, especially in the sections below Pine Creek.  I suspect the high water will bring a significant number of our hatchery fish home.  The hatchery fish tend to show up in larger numbers around our spring high flows with warmer water temps.  The Spring Steelhead should be spawning here pretty quick as water temps will likely hit or exceed 42 degrees this week. The forecast shows another warm up into the 50s and 60s for this week.

Egg Patterns

Once again Egg patterns this week had the highest success rates.  With the bumping flows you had to find a pattern bright enough and big enough to grab their attention.  I would expect the stones and fry patterns to take off this week as the water recedes.  Usually new fish are pretty receptive to egg patterns and then we see a trend where pressured fish will key in on other food items such as the flies I mentioned.  Color and size was more key this week as the water levels and the turbidity increased.  Both 10mm and 12mm in Tangerine, Orange, and even Chartreuse were producing throughout the week.  You still had to downsize some in the brighter sunny conditions.

Salmon Fry

March is here so bugs and salmon fry will be a main focus for the rest of this month.  The river will continue to warm up this week and the stones and salmon fry will continue to become more active.  After the Chinook Salmon run last fall, we should have a banner crop of salmon fry in the slack water this spring.

Manistee River Steelhead Report

 

Booking a Trip

Manistee River below Tippy Dam is one of the best west side steelhead rivers in the state of Michigan.  Mangled Fly guides are starting to book Spring Dates so please give us a call at (231-631-5701) or shoot us an email .  Also not too early to get your Spring Trout trip or Smallmouth Trip on the books.

We have a new sticker too check out in the shop , this sticker is pretty cool so make sure to get yours today.  Also have new this year hand tied Night Leaders for those of you that like the mousing for brown trout.  We also put together a Night Fishing Assortment that saves you a few $$’s and comes with a easy box to store them in.

Jon Ray 

pere marquette winter fishing

Pere Marquette Fishing Report

Pere Marquette Fishing Report

Good Morning fishing friends!!! What a crazy winter. The mild conditions has made this winter perfect for river fishing. Great temps, good flow rates and a slightly stained river are things you dream about! The Pere Marquette is in good shape. Slightly stained and maybe a little low.

Steelhead Fishing

pere marquette winter fishing

The steelhead fishing is getting good. I feel the the warmer water temps has made the spring migration start a bit early this year. With a mix of winter fish and fresh spring fish has made the past few days a blast. We have been finding fish in the slow winter holding water and some fish in the shallower pre spawn runs. This time of the year you have to fish everything. Beads under floats has been working well. The fish we are hooking on the bead are in the seams created by log jams. Make sure you hit both the fast and slow sides of the seams.

Lure Fishing

pere marquette winter fishing

The lure/streamer bite has been hot. Fishing the sticks and log jams with this method is key. Getting into the water that the float rig can’t. Minnow and perch baits have been working. Yellow and olive colors are working best on our streamers. The trout bite has been hit and miss. The weather is playing a key part in the trout bite. Pray for clouds if you’re looking for browns. The trout are still living in the lumber. This will continue until the steelhead start to spawn. Browns love to chase the lure baits.  Minnows patterns, Sculpin flies and small fry patterns have been the go. Fish them slow and deep. When you think you are fishing slow fish slower. Stealth mode is a must. It is a winter to take advantage of. Get out there and enjoy what mother nature has to offer.

TIght Lines Captain Jeff

 

 

Upper Manistee Trout Fishing

Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing

Manistee River Trout Report

Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing report for the third week of February has us experiencing a very mild winter and mostly lacking snow.  With that being said the Upper Manistee River trout fishing has been good this winter.  The river is currently at or just below average flows and has a slight stain.  The water temperatures have ranged anywhere from the low 30’s to low 40’s. Water temps have been dependent upon ambient temperature and the amount of sunlight we get.  It looks like our area is going to receive another warming trend heading into March and I expect this trend to continue.   

Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing

Upper Manistee Trout Fishing

Streamer Fishing

The Winter Streamer bite has been decent on the Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing, especially during the warmer conditions.  With the unusually mild winter we are experiencing the trout have been more active.  Grinding through the slow periods until the next bite window has been the key to success, but the windows have been somewhat unpredictable.  The streamer bite has been primarily on mid sized baitfish and leech patterns.  Black, Tan, and Yellow were the most productive colors recently, but you need to play with color and size as it can change frequently.  

Normally I would shy away from sunny conditions, but this time of year it can warm the water and inspire short feeding windows. Warmer Cloudy days have been the best, but this time of year you just go when you can.  Water temps have dropped into the low 30’s so you need to slow down your retrieve and fish a little deeper.  Weighted flies are typically more productive for us during colder conditions, but some days the swim flies can get the most lethargic fish motivated to come take a look.  

Upcoming Spring Streamer Season

Upper Manistee Trout Fishing

The Spring is typically a peak time to fish Streamers on the Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing. However, spring has become sort of an anomaly over the past 5 years.  Our winters have become progressively milder and our seasons have shifted forward over that timeframe.  With that being said our fishing has been ahead of  what we would consider normal.  Based on the lack of snowpack and warmer weather we are having we are probably a solid two to three weeks ahead of that pace.  The streamer fishing in the spring can be productive at times, but you still have to approach the day with a mindset to grind through the slower times.  

It won’t be long and we will be matching the hatches on the Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing.  Early Winter Stones were rolling all afternoon, we didn’t see a rise, but a few more degrees and that becomes more of a possibility.  Spring fishing can be challenging at times, but it is a great time of year to be a trout angler.  Pursuing larger fish with streamers while waiting for an emergence of BWOs and Hendrickson’s can provide a mixed bag of opportunities.  It won’t be long before the hatches start to produce.  The longer days and sunshine are currently turning our thoughts towards the Upper Manistee River trout fishing prospects.

Didymo

Didymo on the Upper Manistee continues to be a problem with a high level of concern.  I would consider the whole Upper Manistee River System to be contaminated with this Diatom. There was new Didymo growth above CCC bridge and it has been documented as far upstream as Yellow Trees Landing.  The Didymo mats in sections below CCC are still breaking down and to my knowledge there isn’t any blooming like we saw in the 2022 season.  Didymo is considered a very resilient invasive species so you need to educate yourself on safe cleaning techniques.  River Users will need to clean their gear or anything that touches the water.  Didymo can easily be spread between watersheds and can be detrimental to our trout streams.

I would consider the ENTIRE RIVER TO BE CONTAMINATED and treat it as such. Clean, Drain, Dry your gear before entering another Body of Water.  Currently, there are no effective methods to eradicate didymo once it is established in a river.  To prevent spreading Didymo and other aquatic invasive species to new locations, it is critical for users to thoroughly Clean, Drain and Dry waders, equipment, and boats upon leaving a waterway.

  • Clean by removing mud and debris from all surfaces.
  • Use a 10% Solution of Dishwashing Soap with hot water for 10 minutes (Example 1 gallon of water is 12.8 oz of Dawn Soap). Then it must dry for 48 hours (mandatory if your fishing different water systems).

New Shop Items

Have a few new Items in the Shop, besides the Stickers, we have Night Fishing Leaders,  a new Assortment of Night Flies that is perfect for the wade angler, and coming soon the ultimate boat anglers Night Fishing Assortment (coming soon).

 

Trout Guide Trip

If you’re looking to book a Trout Guide Trip you can reach us at 231-631-5701 (leave a message) or shoot us an email.  We are excited for the upcoming Trout Season.  We have openings for this Spring with limited openings during the prime drake season, so make sure to book your dates now!  Also make sure to follow along on our social pages and our online fishing report page . for more updates. 

 

Tight Lines,

Ed

Hooks for Steelhead

Top Steelhead Hooks

Hooks for Steelhead

Top picks for steelhead hooks, talk about a sticky topic! I’m sure this is going to open a can of worms, but I wanted to address this topic as it gets a lot of attention amongst our guide staff. Every day, no matter what we are fishing, every rig we tie starts with a hook. It doesn’t matter if we are tying up a batch of streamers for steelhead, or if we are twisting up a bead rig for Alaska or Northern Michigan. The hook is usually the first item we start with.

Hook choices have consequences! Personally, I know I will never run a B10S hook again for trout. I’m fine using it for smallmouth bass, but I don’t have a scientific reason for it. Basically it’s the same reasoning I use when putting my right sock on first followed by my left. The same holds true with our favorite hooks for steelhead. It’s not really about scientific findings, but more about having confidence.

In order to shed some light on choosing the best hooks for steelhead, I have included a list of hooks preferred by Mangle Fly Guides below. This list of hooks has been proven over time and is Guide approved. For the purpose of this discussion, we chose hooks you can use for both swing and egg fly presentations. My hope is this list will help you decide which hooks to use this winter to prep your spring steelhead box.

Streamer Hooks

Streamer fishing for steelhead is not easy and you typically must capitalize upon fewer opportunities. You need a hook that is strong enough to land the Big Boyz, but light enough for your fly to move properly. The following is a Guide recommended list of streamer hooks for steelhead.

  • Owner Mosquito – is our number one choice for steelhead swing flies. This hook is a top choice personally and for Ed McCoy and Steve Pels as well. Most importantly, this hook has proven to be strong enough to handle the biggest Manistee River steelhead. Another advantage with this hook is the light wire, allowing me to pull a high percentage of my flies back from the log jams on 16# fluorocarbon. I like this hook in size 1 for most of my steelhead streamer patterns.
  • Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap – this is another one of Ed McCoy’s go to hooks. Ed runs this hook in size 1/0 and 1. He likes the big gap and very positive hook up ratio on fish that eat the fly from behind. This is a great hook later in the season to capture those fish that are nipping at the tail.
  • Daiichi 2557 – This hook has a super sticky point and will not bend out on hot fish. It has an oversized eye and makes passing trailer wire through the hook eye very easy. As is the case with most of our swing flies, we use wire or braid to attach the hook to our shanks. Steve likes this hook from size 1 to 4.
hooks for steelhead
Streamers for Steelhead

Bonus Streamer Hook

The bonus streamer hook is a “baby treble” and I was scared of what might happen upon hooking up. Baby trebles in size 10 or 8 work really well and more or less pin the steelhead upon contact. This is one of my late season hooks that might ruffle a few feathers. I only run this particular hook when temps are dropping from 40 degrees into the 30’s. I prefer this hook for days when one bite is likely all we will see on the swing. When you’re searching for one bite and only getting lethargic tugs or pulls, this hook can save the day. Try this treble hook on your next cold front fishing trip.

  • VMC 9650 – I use this hook in size 10 and size 8. It’s super sharp and strong enough to land most steelhead. An added advantage to these light wire hooks is you will get all of your flies back from the many log jams along the Manistee River. Another bonus with this hook is the oversized eye makes passing wire or braid through them a breeze. One point of caution regarding this hook. I would not recommend using these treble hooks in October or during heavy spring run off, it will not hold. If the steelhead is super charged up it will bend them right out. Please understand, when you hook up with this hook you have to take your foot off the gas. You can’t pull as hard as you normally do with the bigger heavy wire swing hooks.

Egg Hooks

The meat and potatoes fishing in the Great Lakes area is with egg patterns. It’s not uncommon for me to fill the tackle box with 1000’s of egg hooks in my preseason orders. Having tried a slew of egg hooks over the years, here is where we stand currently on the best of the best.

  • Blood Run Tail Out Ed McCoy favorite hook for pegging beads. The Blood Run Tail Out works great in size 1 to 4. It has a straight eye, so snelling your knot is a top selling point here. These hooks are super sharp and they will not bend out! This is not as ideal when fishing around all the wood, but there is never a question in confidence when fighting big steelhead on our float rigs.
  • Raven Specialist – is Jon Ray’s go to hook when fishing beads.  Especially the size 6 option for size 10mm or 8mm sized beads.  The benefits of this hook are the smaller diameter gauge metal, along with the micro barb make for better penetration and great hook up ratio. This is the perfect all-purpose hook. It is considered the most dependable Steelhead hook on the market with its great hooking and holding power.
  • Owner SSW – when it comes to fishing beads and egg patterns, no one on our staff has more experience than Jeff Topp. Having guided in Alaska for over 22 years, when Jeff recommends a hook I listen. For bead fishing he likes the size 4 hook with 10mm beads and the size 6 hook with 6mm to 8mm beads. The number one reason he likes this hook is the wire. This hook has a very strong thin wire making hook penetration better for Alaskan Rainbow Trout and Manistee River Steelhead. This razor sharp hook serves him well from size 6 to size 1 depending upon the bead size he is fishing.

Closing Thoughts

With so many hook options available at your local shops to choose from it can get confusing. I know this is just a sampling of choices, but the idea here is to help you make educated hook selections. Over the last few years we have been tying fewer yarn eggs, but the same hooks we use for fishing beads also work really well when tying big rag style yarn flies. For instance, the red Owner SSW listed above is one of my favorites to tie oversized egg patterns on for Spring Steelhead.

Treble hooks in the fly fishing world are nothing new, but I personally had no experience with them back in the day. Ten plus years ago, when I first ran treble hooks, I was very nervous and pessimistic to be honest. What would happen to the steelhead? How torn up would the mouth of my prized fish become? Would my fly just get tangled up in all the treble hook points? Experience has played a big part in answering some of these concerns. For example, the bigger hooks listed above actually do more damage than the VMC treble hooks.

This current list of hook choices is what we prefer for most of our fishing situations. I’m sure over time I will edit this list as new hooks are forged and some of the old standby’s are no longer available. Please feel free to add your favorite hooks in the comment section below and thanks again for checking out the blog.

Jon Ray

Holiday Deals and Mangled Fly Selections – 2023

Holiday Shoping, Sales, and Deals

With so many sales and Holiday deals hitting the inbox you might be losing track of all the options that you have.  So I asked the guides at Mangled Fly to share some of their favorites .  We will be updating this over the coming days and weeks. Check out them out below and you will find a few different links to help with your Christmas Shopping.  I’m also hoping over the next few days (okay maybe longer), to add a few Mangled Fly Shop bundles / savings.

 

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Steelhead fishing in the snow

First Snow of 2023 and Steelhead Fishing

Steelhead and Snow

Something about the first snow of the year and turning on the bite window of our Northern Michigan Steelhead.  Not only does the first snow of the year bring some much needed cover up to all the brown landscape, but it does seem to trigger a good bite from our local steelhead population.  Here are two clips from 2023 and 2022 showing off a few nice fish the last two years during the first falling snow of the year.

 

Manistee River Steelhead Report

New Steelhead Bag Limits

New Steelhead Bag Limits

On November 9th, 2023 the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) passed a fisheries amendment regarding Steelhead bag limits. A list of specified rivers and streams were changed from the current 3 fish bag limit to a one fish bag limit for steelhead on a year round basis. The NRC adopted the changes with a 7-0 vote to pass the fisheries order amendment. The new regulations will go into effect on April 1, 2024.

The following backyard rivers were included in the new Regulations taking effect on April 1, 2024:
– Betsie River
– Bear Creek
– Big Manistee River
– Little Manistee River
– Pere Marquette River

Here is the updated amendment with legal descriptions of streams to be included in the new Steelhead Regulations:
 

 

Drone image of the Big Manistee River

Birds Eye View Fall Steelhead

Taking a look from above down on the Big Manistee River  while we step thru a run looking for a steelhead.  Fall colors are about done, as heavy winds have really blown away our fall colors.  Water levels continue to be low and clear this 2023 Fall Steelhead season.  But we keep grind out most days finding a few steelhead to play.

cold weather fishing gear

Cold Weather Fishing Gear

Cold Weather Fishing Gear
Cold Weather Fishing

Fall and Winter Steelhead Gear

One of the more difficult challenges we face in the Midwest during Steelhead season is staying warm. This leads to many questions when preparing for your fishing trip. What do I wear? What cold weather fishing gear do you bring on your trip? With over 30 years of fall/winter steelhead fishing under my belt, I thought I would share how I layer myself before each steelhead trip.

I live by the philosophy that if I get hot I can always take it off. I’ll also share a few bonus tips, tricks, and some new technology along the way. We found some new tech last year that we used with great success and I’ll share that as well.

Base Layer

Once I determine wether the day is going to be wet or dry and what the overall forecast is, I can make my base layer choices. I have two layering systems that I can choose from based on what the weather forecast might be for the day. If I believe it’s going to be wet I prefer my base layer to be a Merino Wool based material. Having tried almost every other type of layering fabric, wool is my go to choice for wet days. No matter how cold and wet I get, wool based materials still keep me warm. The majority of my favorite wool base layers I purchase have been from Patagonia and now Duckworth. Duckworth is a new company for me, but to say I’ve been impressed is an under statement . Make sure to check out the Mens Powder Hoody, you will not be disappointed.

One more quick tip here, no matter if it’s a wet or dry forecast, I will NEVER wear cotton based materials! Even on the unseasonable warm days I still go with a synthetic base layer on dry days. Synthetics are always my go to base layer, wether the forecast is wet or dry. I always start with some sort of wicking layer for my base. Some of my favorite wicking layers range from our hoodie less sun-shirts to any of the Simms fabrics.

To complete the base layer system I choose for the day, I may double up on my base layers depending upon the low and high temperatures for the day. It’s not uncommon for me to start with lightweight layers and then add a mid or expedition weight base layer before adding one of my favorite layers of all, the Puffy Jacket.

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smallmouth bass

Late Summer or Early Fall Smallmouth

Smallmouth fishing in Late Sumer or Early Fall can be one of the best times of the year.  Smallmouth bass are putting on the feed bag as they are starting to anticipate the winter months.  After a nice long summer of a diversified diet smallmouth want to put on as much weight as possible for the upcoming winter.  To do this their main focus is protein.  What gives them the best bang for their buck on the protein scale.  Baitfish!

Baitfish

As water temps start to drop baitfish start to congregate and form big balls of bait.  Some popular techniques to imitate these baitfish balls are umbrella rigs, spinnerbaits, and with the fly rods a two fly rig I like to call the Donkey Rig.  Covering water is key, as you have to locate the baitfish.  Using your electronics or understanding wind direction or current flow should help you and point you in the right direction.