Winter Steelhead in Michigan - Float fishing guides. (231) 519-7348

Mild temperatures over the past month have made water temperatures above average and favorable for steelhead fishing. With the ridiculous numbers of Fall Steelhead that entered the river in November/ December, January and February should offer some outstanding Winter Steelhead fishing throughout the Winter months. Steelhead on the Muskegon River are certainly larger than average, as we have had three Steelhead near 17lbs, and one over 18 pounds! That is a trophy in anyone's book with most fish averaging in the 10 lb range!

Our best techniques over the past two weeks have been fly fishing with the Alaskan bead technique and floats/spawn combo is also working very well producing over a steelhead per hour. Trout fishing has also been excellent in the upper river with resident trout being healthy, fat and sassy!

Step on board for one of the best Fall / Winter Steelhead runs in over a decade! If you ever wanted to learn to steelhead fish, now is the time! Steelhead fishing has been very good over the past week making this December one of the best migrations in over a decade. Both the numbers of steelhead and the average size have been larger that years past. This trend should offer tremendous fishing oppetunities through December and the winter months. The long-range weather looks to have our run of above normal temperatures ending and seasonal conditions becoming the norm. Steelhead fishing forecast looks excellent!   Muskegon River Fishing Report

Muskegon River Winter Steelhead - Betts Guide Service

Muskegon River Steelhead fishing has been outstanding over the last few days! Spring Steelhead on the Muskegon River are starting to fish well near the Croton Dam. Jigs and wax worms and floats / spawn all fishing well for new spring steelhead. Mid-section - Thornapple to Pine st. has also been fishing well.

Fly Fishing has been doing well. Best pattern for the Muskegon have been the Mojo fry pattern, dark knight, Hex nymphs, clown eggs, and Ice Man minnows. Fry patterns have been outfishing clown eggs and egg patterns. Stone flies fishing well on sunny days. Had a fantastic three days with Dr. Steve and Josh. They landed 15 steelhead in three days on straight flies with both myself and Jimmy B. We fished mostly the upper river.

We should expect to receive good numbers of steelhead and trout over the next few days. Longer day light, Strong full moons, and slightly higher than normal water levels have steelhead on the move. Good number moving up from the lower river.

Steelhead dates available for this weekend. Steelhead fishing has been very good with warmer tempratures ahead! Both Floats Spawn or Fly Fishing!
Water levels are stable: 1900 cfs: Muskegon River Streamflow Data


Wednesday - Had a fantastic day with Wally Riker and Marvin! Today was the first day of the spring season that stones flies outfished and out produced all other methods including floats / spawn. There were a lot of stone flies in the water column - We landed quite a few steelhead today while fly fishing. Water levels are slightly up and stained. Perfect levels to bring in some great new chromers from Muskegon Lake.



Stone flies are now emerging along the frozen shoreline - This is great news for Steelhead and Trout fishing. Stone flies will be the primary food source for Trout and Steelhead for the next several months. Look for changes in fly patterns for Steelhead - going from egg patterns to Stone flies- Fish have begun to key in on small dark nymphs drifted along the bottom. Muskegon River Fishing Report

Manistee River Salmon fishing - "Thundersticks for Kings!"

No doubt, Salmon are bigger this year! There are now good numbers of salmon in both the Big Manistee River and the Pere Marquette River. Cooler water temperatures with Northeast winds have brought lots of kings into the lower Pere Marquette River.

Manistee Lake and lower Manistee River are beginning to fish well. Rainbow Bend down to Insta-Launch has good numbers. Pine Creek area also starting to fill in. Our best choice at this time is casting Thundersticks in the lower Pere Marquette River and Manistee River below Matson's Campground. This should kick off the beginning of our Fall fishing season! I'm excited to see some chrome fish in the River.


Salmon are healthy and much larger this season. With great numbers alewives, salmon are 5-10lbs larger than normal making for some great fishing of BIG Kings Salmon!




Fly Fishing the Pere Marquette River. For those of you that are interested in fly fishing for early Kings, this year is the exception to the rule. The Lower "Flies Only" water is loaded with salmon. It's safe to say there are good numbers of fish in the holes. Fly fishing should be good for the rest of the season now that the fish are parked and captive in the holes. Gravel fishing should start in a week or so.

Muskegon River Steelhead

Muskegon River Fly Fishing

Pere Marquette River Salmon - Thundersticks and Salmon

The action is heating up as September offers cooler evenings, shorter days, and Chinook Salmon fishing on the Pere Marquette and Manistte Rivers. The Fall months offer the best in Salmon fishing in Michigan with the Big Manistee River being first on the list. Chrome Kings enter the river in late August - September. Fly Fishing, casting thundersticks, or floats/skein are the prefered methods for these big fish.
October offers the best in fly fishing the Manistee River below Tippy Dam in later September and October.



The Pere Marquette River also offers great salmon fishing. Often incredible crowded in the famed "Flies Only" section, anglers can escape to the lower PM river for salmon. The Pere Marquette River also has great trout fishing.



The Muskegon River offers a great mix of Fall Steelhead, Salmon, and excellent trout fishing during the Fall. Salmon ascend the Muskegon Later in October and November. Muskegon River Fly fishing is best in November and December for Fall Steelhead and Trout.

How to catch more salmon on the Pere Marquette & Manistee Rivers.

The action is heating up as September offers cooler evenings, shorter days, and Chinook Salmon fishing on the Pere Marquette and Manistte Rivers. The Fall months offer the best in Salmon fishing in Michigan with the Big Manistee River being first on the list. Chrome Kings enter the river in late August - September. Fly Fishing, casting thundersticks, or floats/skein are the prefered methods for these big fish.
October offers the best in fly fishing the Manistee River below Tippy Dam in later September and October.

The Pere Marquette River also offers great salmon fishing. Often incredible crowded in the famed "Flies Only" section, anglers can escape to the lower PM river for salmon. The Pere Marquette River also has great trout fishing.



The Muskegon River offers a great mix of Fall Steelhead, Salmon, and excellent trout fishing during the Fall. Salmon ascend the Muskegon Later in October and November. Muskegon River Fly fishing is best in November and December for Fall Steelhead and Trout.

Muskegon River Trout - Fly Fishing Nymphing Trout

Muskegon River Trout - There are lots of suckers spawning and encouraging the bigger browns and rainbows to feed on nymphs behind sucker redds. Excellent numbers of Gray Drakes seen in the last couple of days, mostly during the afternoon period. Many of stocked Trout targeting dry fly Caddis with an occasional big fish on the surface. As water temperatures increase, larger Trout will come up. Sulpher emergence is soon to come. Streamer stripping with salmon fry patterns has been working well for larger Trout - We need warmer water to get the big boys to chase streamers.



Muskegon River Hatches: March Browns, Caddis, Quill Gordons, Black quills, and Sulphers. Gray Drakes coming soon! We still have good numbers of steelhead in the system on shallow gravel redds. Key locations are holding fish. Chinook Salmon fry are everywhere against the banks. Resident Trout are feeding on fry and parr big time - Making for some fantastic Streamer fishing during the next several weeks.

How to catch Muskegon River Steelhead

How to catch Muskegon River Steelhead. 

Muskegon River Steelhead fishing has been outstanding over the last few days! Spring Steelhead on the Muskegon River are starting to fish well near the Croton Dam. Jigs and wax worms and floats / spawn all fishing well for new spring steelhead. Mid-section - Thornapple to Pine st. has also been fishing well.

Fly Fishing has been doing well. Best pattern for the Muskegon have been the Mojo fry pattern, dark knight, Hex nymphs, clown eggs, and Ice Man minnows. Fry patterns have been outfishing clown eggs and egg patterns. Stone flies fishing well on sunny days. Had a fantastic three days with Dr. Steve and Josh. They landed 15 steelhead in three days on straight flies with both myself and Jimmy B. We fished mostly the upper river.

We should expect to receive good numbers of steelhead and trout over the next few days. Longer day light, Strong full moons, and slightly higher than normal water levels have steelhead on the move. Good number moving up from the lower river.

Steelhead dates available for this weekend. Steelhead fishing has been very good with warmer tempratures ahead! Both Floats Spawn or Fly Fishing!
Water levels are stable: 1900 cfs: Muskegon River Streamflow Data


(3/23)Had a fantastic day with Wally Riker and Marvin! Today was the first day of the spring season that stones flies outfished and out produced all other methods including floats / spawn. There were a lot of stone flies in the water column - We landed quite a few steelhead today while fly fishing. Water levels are slightly up and stained. Perfect levels to bring in some great new chromers from Muskegon Lake.



Stone flies are now emerging along the frozen shoreline - This is great news for Steelhead and Trout fishing. Stone flies will be the primary food source for Trout and Steelhead for the next several months. Look for changes in fly patterns for Steelhead - going from egg patterns to Stone flies- Fish have begun to key in on small dark nymphs drifted along the bottom.