Fishing Report 4/6/24

Manistee River Fishing Report

This week has brought a variety of weather with some rain and great bump in water levels to spark some fresh steelhead into running up the river to spawn.  It has been the strangest of springs so far with water temperatures hitting 42 degrees today.  The fish remain scattered throughout the system.  

The fish are definitely running smaller so far this spring in comparison to the last few years, much like the fall run of fish we saw.  The wild, winter fish continue to drop out of Pine and Bear Creeks and we are seeing a still slow trickle of spring fish showing up with bright hens and a few males showing up, but not in mass quantities at this point.  

We should be in peak spring steelhead season and it certainly does not appear that way with the numbers of fish we are seeing or not seeing in the Manistee.  Time will tell and they have to spawn at some point, so I would think when it finally kicks in the run will be fast and furious.  The water is still clear, but did bump up in flows with the rain and snow over the past week.  

Natural colored egg patterns, and beads with green caddis, stoneflies and salmon fry have been most productive in fooling the fish that are in the system.  The forecast next week looks to have a substantial warming trend and we can definitely use more rain.  

Upper Manistee Fishing Report

The Upper Manistee is still relatively low and clear for this time of year.  It is strange to see the river without the snow melt and winter run off.  Anglers have been chasing trout with both nymphs and streamers with success.  The end of the month marks the start of “trout season” and we should see dry fly action this year for trout opener weekend, if not before.  Get stocked up on little black stoneflies, and Hendricksons… the trout opener countdown begins!

 

Boardman River Fishing Report

Steelhead are running with the precipitation this week up to Union Street Dam.  There are fish throughout the system from behind the dam down to the mouth.  Please keep in mind that all smaller streams, Kids Creek and the Boardman are closed to fishing until the last Saturday in April.  

Thanks for checking out our fishing report for this week and hopefully you can get out and fish and enjoy the spring!