Manistee River Steelhead Report

Manistee River Steelhead Report below Tippy Dam

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Manistee River

Manistee River Steelhead Report

Fall Steelhead fishing Below Tippy Dam

The Manistee River fishing report below Tippy Dam for the early November.  It is Fall Steelhead time!  I continued to be impressed by the fishing giving how tough the conditions are.  This fall is the driest I can remember and the river is as low and clear as I can imagine.  But we have started to receive some rain, levels are starting to climb.  Sh0uld help to lock in fish for the remainder of the season.  

Water Levels  remain unseasonably low. But even though conditions are not favorable I would say fishing is pretty strong for the conditions.  Over the last 6 weeks of our season, I have been in shocked steelhead even ran the river this fall.  But now as temps are starting to fall, and winter is on the horizon.  Our fishing has honestly been really good.  This December should be one of the best we have recently had, just need to dress correctly and keep your hands warm. 

With low water all our guides are changing up a few small details each day to combat this water levels. Downsizing has been a real key to success.  Some new flash combos on our streamers have been paying off, smaller shanks and cotter pins.  

One other aspect to this fall run, is I believe December this year is going to fish better than the previous two years.  With the run we have and the conditions so far on the great lakes, I would expect late fall to be good.  All guides are open, don’t let this opportunity pass you by.  Want a date drop me an email, or send a text message.

Open Fall Steelhead Guide Dates

Fall Steelhead Open Dates

Jon Ray – December – 3,4,6  10-13, 14-24, 28-31

Ed McCoy – November 23,24  December 1-4,6,7

Jeff Topp – November 26-30  December 1-4, 6-10

Fall Steelhead

Steelhead are often considered the holy grail of freshwater fly fishing, and for good reason. These powerful, elusive fish combine the challenges of both salmon fishing and trout fishing, offering a unique and rewarding experience. Whether you’re an experienced angler or just starting out.

The Thrill of the Fight

Steelhead are renowned for their hard-fighting nature. Once hooked, they put up an explosive battle, making runs that test your gear and skill. Known for their acrobatic jumps and powerful runs, landing a steelhead is a test of endurance, patience, and technique. These fish can weigh anywhere from 5 to 20 pounds, with some trophy fish reaching even larger sizes, making each catch a memorable event. For fly anglers, steelhead provide one of the most challenging and rewarding targets in the freshwater world.

Swinging Flies

Swinging Flies currently has been really solid  Leeches, sculpins, gobies, and baitfish patterns are all excellent choices for enticing fall steelhead. The key is to work the water methodically, allowing your fly to swing or stripManistee River Steelhead Report naturally, triggering the steelhead’s predatory instincts. Vary your retrieve or fly swing, experimenting with different speeds and casting angles, to discover what presentation the fish are most responsive to on a given day.

The next few weeks on the Big Manistee River represent a prime window of opportunity for passionate steelhead anglers. With the fish actively feeding and primed to strike, this is the time to capitalize on some of the most exhilarating fly fishing action of the season. Persistence, presentation, and a keen eye for reading the water will be your greatest allies in connecting with these magnificent migratory trout. 

Steelhead Clothing

Stay Warm new Hoodie

Mangled Fly Hats & Beanies

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Booking a Trip

Manistee River below Tippy Dam is one of the best west side rivers in the state of Michigan.  Mangled Fly guides are available  for late fall trips so give us a call soon to join in the fun at (231-631-5701) you can also shoot us an email.  Also it’s not too early to get your Winter/Spring Steelhead trips on the books.

We have a new sticker available in the shop, this sticker is pretty cool so make sure to get yours today.  

Jon Ray

Upper Manistee Trout Fishing

Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing

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Manistee River Trout Report

Upper Manistee Trout Fishing

The Upper Manistee River Trout Fishing report for the third week of October has our fish starting to spawn.  As water temps continue to cool the spawning activity will accelerate.  With some unseasonably warm weather still hanging around the fishing has been for our entire season.  We have had a few rainy days, but we could use inches upon inches at this point.  

Streamer fishing has been good on the cloudy days and you have to grind in the sun.  Make sure to keep a dry fly rod on deck as there have been some BWOs on the cooler cloudy days.  Look for the streamer fishing to pick up after the fall spawn is completed.  Some timely rains, a bump in flow, and some cooler weather could provide some excellent post spawn opportunities on streamers.   

Water conditions currently are very low and clear as we haven’t had much rain over the past few months.  The river has been dropping and clearing  with the current warm weather and lack of rain.  The water temperatures have been warmer but mostly stable with temps ranging 48-55.  The forecast shows another warming period heading our way for next week

Streamer Fishing

The Streamer bite on the Upper Manistee River has been decent to good in the low light.  Cooler Mornings have been the best for us.  Smaller streamers have been getting the most attention, but you have to play the game of “lighting dictates color”.  Black has been good for us during the low light periods.  Tan and olive based combinations have been better during the brighter sunny conditions.   Play with size and color throughout the day and from one day to the next.  Grinding through the slow periods and keeping the faith is still key for success.

With the current water conditions you will need a couple of different setups to fish effectively.  You will need to consider the water type, depth, and retrieval speed you are fishing and match the proper line to the situation.  In deeper sections you can still get away with a 200-250 grain line, but as temps drop you will need to slow down your presentation.  I would consider carrying a floating line and/or an intermediate line as well.  This will allow you to fish slower and maintain your flies in the strike zone longer.  

Cooler, cloudy days are always the best streamer days, but the current heat has made it challenging at times.  This time of year I look for cold fronts with rain to provide a bump in flows to offer anglers the best streamer fishing opportunities.  With all the recent heat our water temps have been pretty stable, but the clarity and sun have been the biggest limiting factor.  As we head into late October the forecast remains unseasonably warm which means the spawning period will likely get stretched out until some cooler weather sets in. 

Didymo

Upper Manistee Trout Fishing

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).

Trout Guide Trips 

We have very limited openings available during the peak hatch season, so make sure to book your dates now for 2025!  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 Fall Trout Season.   Also make sure to follow along on our social pages and our online fishing report page  for more updates. 

 

Tight Lines,

Ed

Pere Marquette Fishing Report

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Pere Marquette Fishing Report

 

Hello Fishing Friends! It is the time of the year to get the dry fly box out. In the evenings we have seen some ok hatch fishing. This style of fishing should improve as the weather warms up. Look for Gray drakes, Sulfurs and stone flys to begin any evening now. It is the time to chase monsters at night on top.

Streamer Fishing

The streamer fishing has been good on cloudy days. We have moved a good number of trout on minnow patterns, olive and white streamers and yellow based streamers. Start early and fish the timber. Brown trout love to chase their prey and ambush them from the logs. The lure fishing is slowing downa bit. We had a good spring on lures. Historically as the bugs start to hatch the lure bite gets slow. If the lure game is your favorite way to fish you should plan to start as early as possible. The trout will chase early before the sun breaks the trees.

Headed to Alaska

As the insect life gains power the lure bit usually suffers. This will be my last report before I leave for Alaska. This will be 28 years of guiding up there. My second home is at Anglers Alibi on the Alagnak River. Thank you to everyone that fished with us this spring! i’m looking forward to spending the day with you guys this fall. Be safe and tight lines

Capt. Jeff Topp