Manistee River Steelhead Report below Tippy Dam
Manistee River
Open Fall Steelhead Guide Dates
- Jon Ray Open Dates
- Jon Ray – Nov 20, 21, & 30 — Dec 1,2,3,5,9-11
- Jeff Topp Open Dates
- Jeff Topp – Oct 28 —Nov 2,9,25,26,30 —Dec 2-5,8-12
- Ed McCoy Open Dates
- Ed McCoy – Nov 19-21,23,24,30 — Dec 1,5,6,8,12
Fall Steelhead fishing Below Tippy Dam
The Fall Steelhead Fishing Report for Below Tippy Dam remains unseasonably warm, low, and clear water. But today Oct 19th, we have some much need rain falling, and this weeks forecast has 40’s and 50’s for the majority of the week. So far this fall we’ve had very little rain so Steelhead have been slow to come. We have a few fish around, but not a lot as our run timing this year is later than usual. River temps are now in the Upper 50’s we are starting to cool down. If we can get some North winds to cool down lake Michigan, the first big push of fall steelhead should start to show.
Fall Steelhead and Salmon Fishing
The Salmon Runs this year have been epic as far as numbers. With a small amount of rain and a big cool down this week the Salmon run has quickened its pace and a lot of fish jumped on gravel. Honestly, it feels like we are a good two weeks behind on the pace of the fall runs of 
fish. Fall Steelhead typically will start to show up in better numbers as the numbers of spawning Salmon increase. Other factors can play out in run timing such as wind direction, rain, flows, and water temps. Big winds from the North and some rain would be a huge help in getting our Steelhead into the river.
The river is running very low and clear, currently flow are 1570 cfs and 58.5 F. Basically these conditions are typically what we see near the end of September. As of now we have strong numbers of King Salmon in the river and a few Steelhead have been pushing in, but there aren’t a lot of Steelhead in the system yet. We have also been seeing some good numbers of Coho staging in the river and they can be a fun alternative for pitching streamers and spinners. Hopefully the winds of changes this week will begin to push more fish into the river. Make sure to pack your gloves and hats for the morning run with colder temps heading our way. List of the gear we recommend.
Fall Steelhead Fly Patterns
Right now the best fly patterns for Steelhead have been eggs, eggs, and more eggs. Mixing up the colors and sizes to match the hatch is the key to success right now. As always, sometimes throwing something different can be productive as well. Pale oranges, yellow, Chartreuse and peach have been the best colors. Beads in 8mm and 10mm have also been producing in the same color schemes. During the mornings and on cloudy days we have been fishing brighter colors until the day brightens up. Sunny Days and Brighter times of the day have been fishing best with pale colors tin smaller sizes. The leaf drop looks like it’s getting pretty close, when the leaves hit the river hard, try going even bigger to grab the attention of the Steelhead.
Swinging streamers is about to hit its peak for the fall. Some of the most violent takes on swung flies occur in the fall as water temps are optimal for an all out blitz from our Steelhead. Fishing flashy small to medium sized streamers can trigger aggressive takes. The rain today and stained water look for bigger and brighter colors like pink, orange, and chartreuse at the head of the streamer to work well. When the river is low and clear focus more on natural tones in your fly selection. I usually approach my color and size selection based on lighting and water clarity. I will make my adjustments to fly size and presentation to match the daily conditions and adjust as conditions change throughout the day. Following a similar set of rules I mentioned previously with my egg fly selection will help to maximize success. Typically the best swing conditions begin at the end of October as the Salmon runs have completed their spawning run and the egg biomass in the river has subsided.
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Booking a Trip
The Manistee River blow Tippy Dam is one of the best west side rivers in the state of Michigan. We specialize in Steelhead and Trout fishing on this section of the Manistee River Watershed. Mangled Fly guides are available during the fall, winter fishing, and spring for steelhead fishing trips. If catching a Great Lakes Steelhead in on your wish list give us a call to join in the fun at (231-631-5701), you can also shoot us an email. We are currently booking Fall and Winter Steelhead Trips.
Jon Ray
While Grand Travese bay is still in the upper 60’s for tempature as of mid September, which has kept most of the Smallmouth out deep, it is only a matter of time before Baitfish and Smallmouth go shallow.
