Manistee River Fishing Report

Information
Running parallel to the Au Sable for several miles, the Manistee, known to locals as the “Big Manistee,” turns southwest instead of east and makes its way to Lake Michigan. Regarded by the state as a Blue Ribbon Trout Stream, several miles of its waters are also designated as a national Wild and Scenic River. Similar to the Au Sable, experienced anglers consider this to be one of the finest fisheries east of the Mississippi.

Like the Au Sable, the Manistee was once home to Artic gray, and here too they disappeared as logging destroyed their ecosystem. Fortunately for the region, from 1933 to 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) actively repaired habitat structures, reforested the surrounding area and planted millions of fish in the rivers and the streams that feed into them.

Today the river is primarily a brown fishery, although brook and rainbow can also be found, with the best fishing at the upper end of the river. Here, non-migratory trout tend to average about 12-14 inches. Initially a narrow, easily waded 15-25 feet across, over the next 30-miles it gradually opens up to as wide as 200 feet and picks up speed. Throughout the lower reaches of the river you can expect to find steelhead, salmon and large browns from Lake Michigan. In fact, the river holds the U.S. record for brown trout with a lake-river run, weighing in at over 40 pounds.

Public access is available for the entire length of the river with ample parks, campgrounds and boat launches. One section 17-mile section, between Michigan 72 and the CCC Bridge, is open year round and reserved for fly fishing only; it is considered the best place to catch resident large browns. The combination of a sand, silt and gravel bottom along with fallen logs, undercut banks, deep runs, and abundant pools, make the Manistee a great place for trout to thrive.
 
Additional Information
Tributaries:
Bear Creek, Pine River, Goose Creek, North Branch Manistee
Source:
Antrim County, Michigan
Mouth:
Lake Michigan
Length:
200 miles
Seasonal Conditions
Season
Hatches
SpringHendrickson, BWO, March Brown, Red Quill, Gray Drake, Light Cahill, Brown Drake, Hex, Blue Quill, Little Black Stone
SummerTrico, Light Cahill, Hex, Giant Stone, Yellow Sally, Terrestrials
FallMahogany Dun, Caddis, Terrestrials
Current Forecast
Water Flow
River Water Temperature
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Fishing Quality
Scenery
Access
Water quality

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