Fishing Report 7/11/25

Boardman River

Fishing on the Boardman River has remained steady and is shifting toward our typical mid-summer approaches. Water temperatures have been fluctuating between 55 in the morning and low 60s in the afternoon. Small attractor-style dries are a great way to search the trout water of this river. Once the sun begins to warm the water, you should see some fish rising. Although most of our hatches have wrapped up, fish are still going to be opportunistic. I recommend carrying a selection of Patriots, Royal Wulffs, Caddis, and Chubbies in sizes 12–16 and a variety of colors.

One of the most effective ways to find larger fish in the system is to carry a box of small streamers. Michigan Skunks, JJ Specials, and Woolly Buggers in black, olive, and white can all be productive. Cloud cover or light rain usually offers the best conditions. With all the sunny weather lately, your best bet is to fish early—from sunrise to noon—or during the last few hours of daylight. Use a fly with some weight and at least 7' of leader or loop on an "instant sink-tip" like the Sonar Leader  or Versi-Leader.

Manistee River

We’ve been running trips on both the upper and lower sections of the Manistee. The lower river, below Tippy Dam, has been fishing well for bass. Bite windows are typically from sunrise to around noon, though cloudy days can extend the action into the afternoon.

In the mornings, poppers and deer hair frogs have been effective before the sun hits the water. Once the sun is out, weighted streamers tend to out-fish topwater flies. Productive streamer sizes have ranged from 2 to 4 inches, with white, yellow, and chartreuse being top color choices.

The trout water has also been fishing well in the mornings. Small Chubbies and Damsel imitations are catching fish. As terrestrial season ramps up, I recommend having a selection of small hoppers, flying ants, and beetles ready for afternoon fishing. Be sure to check water temps—if it's above 68°F, it's best to give the trout a break, as warmer water reduces catch-and-release survival and slows feeding activity.

Small twitch-style flies like the Skunk and JJ Special have also been productive.

For nocturnal anglers, we’ve received solid reports on mouse and frog patterns. We particularly like McCoy's patterns available in the shop—they ride lower in the water, which improves hook-up ratios. Mice that float too high often produce what we call the “beach ball effect”—when a brown trout explodes on the fly and knocks it away rather than eating it. Articulated patterns that displace more water tend to "stick" better and help improve success during night fishing.