Greg with a giant Northern Pike from the Lower Pere Marquette River. Cooler temps and NW wind should get the Salmon moving in good shape.
Steve with a bright salmon from this morning on the Manistee River. Fishing has been challenging with the hot weather. Should be fantastic when the wind changes direction in a few days. (8/29)
Ron with a nice bright chrome salmon from this morning. The lower Manistee has a fair amount of bright kings.. for those who keep castin'. (8/24)
Dave with a really nice bright hen. Thundersticks have been producing some good salmon. (8/24)
Jason with a chrome bullet King from the Manistee River. Things are just now starting to get going with new fish in the river! (8/22)
Kodie with a nice Manistee River King. (8/22) Thunderstick bite should be going strong over the next few weeks with new fish entering the river.

Mac and Sheila with a really nice Smallie. Mac was on some really nice Smallmouth all day!(8/18)
Mac with one of his many nice Smallies. (8/18)

Vince with another really nice Smallmouth from today. 30 plus landed on crankbaits. (8/17)
Luke and Myself with a really nice Smallie from yesterday morning on a local inland lake. (8/16)
Matt with a really nice top water smallmouth. from today. 30- 40 Smallies landed on surface lures!
Marty with one of many Muskegon River Smallmouth on topwater lures. (8/12) To conclude my summer in the AK - I finished the trip with a Halibut trip out of Seward. I caught this neat looking Yellow Eye Rockfish. (8/9)
We caught lots of smaller "chicken" Halibut, several Rockfish and a few Silver (Coho) Salmon.
I will return to MI and begin Smallmouth and Chinook Salmon trips beginning on Aug. 11th. I had a chance to do some bead fishing for Rainbows and Dollies ... Had to take a pic of this gnarly Sockeye (Red) Salmon.. (8/6)
Beautiful Male Dolly Varden. (8/6) Great weather and great King Salmon fishing!
Alaska is a great place to be! (8/5)
James and Jason with a really nice buck.
Eric with a beautiful bright hen from the Copper River. Only a few days left but fishing is fantastic! Helene and Damon with a very nice 42 lb buck King Salmon. The last week of the season has been outstanding! Looking forward to Michigan Salmon starting Aug. 20th. (8/3) Jason and Tiffany with a 46 lb buck Salmon.
Robert and Jason with a very nice Copper River King Salmon landed on the fly rod. (7/20)
Mike with a giant buck from the Copper River. Lynne and Courtney with a 38lb buck from the Klutina River. Klutina Lodge (7/12)
Bo with our first chrome king on the fly. (7/12) Myself with a 28lb king from the Klutina River. Fishing was outstanding today. We were well into double digits on Chinook Salmon. (7/9) We spent the day dry fly fishing for Artic Grayling. I have never witnessed a fish take surface flies more aggressively! These are a blast on a 5 wt! Between Bear hunts over the past few days, I had time to fly fish for some chrome Sockeye (Red) Salmon that had just entered the Klutina River. Buddy with one of our first Alaskan Rainbows from today! Rainbow fishing was fantastic. Large leach patterns and sculpin were the key. (6/13)
Don with a really nice Rainbow taken on a Caddis emerger. Consistent caddis each afternoon.(6/4)
Dick with a beautiful Rainbow taken on a fry pattern. Dick just turned 83 and loves fly fishing!
Nymphing for Trout has been excellent. Here is a nice Brown that Paul landed yesterday. (5/27)

Swinging soft hackles has also been producing nice fish between hatches and during mid day.

Sucker spawn and little nymphs have been the key for large Trout. Dan with a really nice 'Bow.
John with another really nice Rainbow. I wanted to thank John and Eric for a very enjoyable day of Trout fishing before the rain. I look forward to fishing with you guys for Salmon on the Manistee!
Trout fishing has been the name of the game! Nymphing for Trout behind the sucker redds makes for a fun day.
Steve with a gorgeous May Steelhead hen taken on a streamer pattern. There are a few new fish with the higher water levels. (5/3) Ray with a really nice hen. May Steelhead have started to filter into the river after a decent rain last night. This should get the May run going. (4/25)

Another spectacular day of fly fishing on the Muskegon River!! John Holland with a gorgeous bright hen from today. (4/18)
Lee and Darcy with our ninth Steelhead of the afternoon. We had a blast! (4/17)
Allen with one of several bullet bright hens from this afternoon. Fair numbers of new fish - trickle charge throughout the river system. ( 4/14)
Mike with a huge lake-run brown trout from this morning. Guide: Jim Berthiaume (4/11)
We had a fantastic evening of fly fishing with lots of fish landed. Gary with a bright Buck. A sure sign of a new batch of Spring Steelhead. (4/7)

Bill with a great looking hen. Fishing was fantastic this morning just before the heavy rain. (4/3)
Quite possibly the largest Walleye that I have ever seen.. Huge numbers of 'eyes in the upper river.
Congratulations Bob and this phenomenal trophy Muskegon River Brown Trout! This is truly the fish of a lifetime! I know where you live during Gray Drake season! (3/26)
Ying & Yang of Steelhead. Bob and Ron landed this gorgeous double on floats/spawn! (3/26)
Cory with a gorgeous bright hen from this afternoon.Major improvement on the bite!
Sadie with one of her many chrome hen- This was her fifth of the evening! Great job casting! (3/25)
Barry with our first of many Steelhead from this morning. Float fishing was excellent today! (3/22)

Lizzy with a huge hen from today's high water landed on a curved scud stone fly. (3/13)
Monster Eagle Lake Strain Rainbow?? Migratory Rainbows are everywhere in this river.

Anstey Jr. with our first Steelhead of the morning. It's great to start seeing some bright males. (2/27)
Fly Fishing today with Anthony. Here's a fine hen taken on a micro sparkle nuke egg. (2/17)

Laser chrome hen so bright the scales were falling off! New chrome moving up river! (11/4)
Michigan Fly Fishing Report
Skamania Steelhead from South West Michigan.

- King Salmon Season -
Now Available! - $350 for 8hrs. (C) (231) 519-7348
Now Booking Manistee River King Salmon - 7am - 3pm- $350 for
one or two anglers. Manistee River Salmon. 1/2 day- $250
Smallmouth Bass trips also available. $250 / 5 hrs.
Open Salmon Dates: Sept. 4, 6, 7, 17, 19. Oct. 5, 6, 20

(9/2) Muskegon River Report for Salmon: We will guiding anglers on the Manistee and Pere Marquette River for Salmon. There are good numbers of Salmon on both rivers, especially after the cool rains we've had over the past two days. Manistee received over an inch of rain yesterday! Water temperatures on the Muskegon River are at an outstanding 73 degrees which means we are a solid month away from Kings on the Muskegon River. It doesn't matter if you are casting Thundersticks, Senyo "Thunderschtyk wanna bees" or Salmon Snakes for early kings... You can't catch what isn't there, That's why we drive to Manistee each morning.. to get our clients into numbers of bright chrome kings on the Big Manistee and Pere Marquette Rivers!

"Skamania Steelhead" If you are thinking of a "Skamania Steelhead" trip on the St. Joe, we can gladly give you MapQuest directions for for some great creek mouths where Skamania steelhead are stressed from the heat, and are resting in small pods..
We believe that this is an unethical trip but there is another guide & author that will gladly take the trip and proclaim that they are biting and live when released.
"My T-Rex patterns"... Tied by Greg Senyo. Originally by (Tim VanGessle)

(8/30) Manistee River Salmon Report: Salmon are just now entering the Big Manistee River near Insta-Launch and Manistee harbor. There are also fair numbers on the Little Manistee below the weir. We have recently hit a few nice pushes of salmon on the lower Manistee. A strong East wind or Northeast wind to turn over the Lake and get salmon moving in a hurry! Cold shoreline water would move salmon in close and heading into the river.
(8/30) Pere Marquette River Salmon Report: Lower PM has been showing a few fish and improving daily. Steve and Steve did quite well on Friday (8/27) going 4 for 6 on crankbaits. Scottville down has had fish moving through but have been difficult to stay with. Walhalla and braids between Reek Rd. and upper Custer should start seeing pushes in the next few days with fish moving into South Branch of the Pere Marquette.
Open Salmon Dates: Sept. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 17, 19. Oct. 5, 6, 20

Now offering Manistee and Pere Marquette River - Thunderstick trips.
Full Day- $350. Afternoon half-day. 4:00pm till dark $250.00 - One or two anglers. Do you want to learn to catch trophy Chinook Salmon and Steelhead casting crankbaits? Do enjoy bone jarring hooksets and fish that rip the rod from your hands? We are also offering floats and skein trips for Salmon. Floats and spawn produces many early salmon. Manistee River is also home to the World-Record Brown Trout that was caught casting Thundersticks.

Michigan King Salmon with be available soon. Guided Salmon fishing adventures begin on August 25th. Casting Thundersticks for Kings on the Pere Marquette and Big Manistee Rivers. Prime dates are from Aug. 25th - Oct. 20th. Come join us for chrome Chinook Salmon on the Big Manistee or Pere Marquette.

Muskegon River Smallmouth Bass on the fly...
(8/16) Muskegon River Fishing Report - Smallie fishing has been very good over the past weekend. Hot, humid weather and an abundance of crayfish have got the Smallmouth Bass on the Bite. Streamers up tight to the banks have been the key. Clouser minnows, black leaches, and bunny strips have all been working well. Light Spinning gear and soft plastics have also been excellent. Good numbers of smallies on curly tail grubs or tube jigs...

(8/12) Muskegon River Trout Fishing Report - Trout fishing has been very good the past few days! Perfect water levels have made for some excellent dry fly fishing in the upper river. Caddis have been the name of the game. Size 16 - X-Caddis with a trailing shuck and small nymph droppers have been producing many nice trout. Dark brown soft-hackles (emergering Isoynchia) swung on light sink-tips have been producing some larger fish. Isonychia dries have also been producing larger Muskegon River Trout just before for dark. You can hear big fish feed and take iso's!

June & July are the the time for Dry fly fishing with the Isonychia Bicolor. (Iso's are a "husky"- Larger Mayfly similar to GrayDrakes but more of a purple hue with smoke clear wings, a thick variegated body, and dark front legs, light rear legs) Most spinner falls occur just be for dark. Not as prolific as Gray Drakes but fish will find them! Isonychias also always spinner fall on or near riffles or fast current. Muskegon's most overlooked hatch, typically found in the middle to lower sections of the river. Thornapple - Henning Park.

Isonychia BiColor- June-July Evening Hatch Fishing ( Mahogany Dun) River perfect level-2450-cfs- 66 degree water temp. Isonychia occur on the Muskegon during low light periods, usually in the lower sections of the river below Thornapple, sometimes well below Newaygo.

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Hot and Humid equals Gray Drakes and BIG Trout!
Gray Drakes, Drakes, and more Drakes!!
(6/13) Streamer and wet fly fishing with sink tips for trout are producing decent numbers of nice fish, especially on overcast days. Big, bold streamers have produced some big brown trout for those who are willing to work. A wide variety of insects are currently emerging, Caddis, Sulphers, and Gray Drakes being primary in the evenings. Sulphur mayfly hatches/spinner falls are heavy with other common mayflies getting underway. Gray Drake spinner falls have been going well into the evenings with last light producing the most rises and best fish. ( 9pm-10pm )

Here is a chance to spend a productive day at the office and still have time to get into some excellent dry fly fishing or sink-tip streamers! Hatches are in the evening, during the most comfortable part of the day. Come join us for a fantastic evening of trout fishing on Michigan's greatest tailwater.

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Wow! What a change in weather! Warmer temperatures forecasted and the fishing has been very good! Muskegon River Trout and Streamer fishing has been great with the huge amounts on Sucker and Steelhead fry. Fry patterns have been the flavor of the month. Both Rainbows and Browns have been feeding heavily on fry. Trout have also keyed up on Caddis emergers and or fry depending on the weather.

Steelhead Fry & Sucker Spawn

During the day- Large Streamers and fry patterns near the bank. Shaded pockets hold the fish! Sink-tip fly lines have been the key. Nymphing with sucker spawn patterns and small nymphs has also been producing numbers of Muskegon River Trout. Dry flies & Drake spinners in the evenings. Some of the best hatches occur as the sun drops below the tree line with low light.

May & June are the the time for Dry fly fishing with the Gray Drake Spinners. ( Gray Drakes are a mid-sized may fly with smoke clear wings, a thin variegated body, and a white ring around the eyes.) Most spinner falls occur just be for dark. Drakes also always spinner fall on a riffle or fast current. Muskegon's most overlooked hatch, typically found in the middle to lower sections of the river. Thornapple - Henning Park. Gray Drake Spinner - May - July Trout Evening Hatch Fishing (Gray Drake Spinner -Mahogany Dun) River perfect level-2450-cfs- 60 degree water temp.

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.

Water levels are low - clear. Muskegon River Streamflow Data
Water level is 2200cfs - and rising.... Streamer fishing!!!
Water temp is 60 degrees- Perfect for May Steelhead & Trout

Excellent Muskegon River Trout fishing for this Summer!
Welcome to Muskegon River Fly Fishing! Michigan's best kept secret for hatch fishing at it's finest! Trophy Trout are available throughout the summer months on Michigan's Muskegon River. A tailwater fishery, the Muskegon fishes well all summer long with cooler water temperatures, expansive riffles, and easily waded flats, this river is loaded with large Trout.

Hatch fishing is at it's best during May, June, July, and August. Trophy Trout Fly Fishing on the Muskegon River with Stone flies, Gray Drake, Iysonychia, and Caddis.

High Water Clowns Without question, my hottest fly pattern, bar none for high water conditions is the Clown Egg. Brightly colored eggs show up well in stained water. Clown Eggs are also a bit more buoyant than regular egg patterns and suspend a little higher in the water column making them easier to see. I always use them as my point or middle fly, usually trailed by something dark... Steelhead Bugger or Wiggle Stone. This gives color contrast and movement to the drift.

Best fly patterns have been large Clown eggs with a bit of flash. Rainbow Clown egg has been my best fly in the higher water levels. Hex nymphs and fry patterns have also taken some hard hits and fish during the past three days. Sometimes during the afternoon, Stone flies have worked well but have been hit or miss taking mostly smaller Trout and Steelhead smolt. Light tippets and long drifts have produced the most Steelhead especially later in the day or bright sunshine.


Stages of Steelhead life cycle. Egg to Smolt.
During March and April all stages of a Steelhead's life cycle are very important to the fly fisherman. Eggs and eyed eggs are a major food source for both resident Trout and Steelhead. Egg patterns in apricot, steelhead orange, and oregon cheese represent represent fertilized or freshly spawned eggs. Nuke eggs represent "dead" or unfertilized eggs with the white halo around the egg pattern with a center nuke (nucleus) dot, usually bright orange or red (Blood dot) Egg Flies
Late March - April is the time of year that the Salmon fry start to hatch and show themselves in big numbers. Salmon / Steelhead fry and parr are another favored morsel as they are readily available this time of year. Salmon / Steelhead fry live in the gravel and are are high in protein, and don't swim very well. Small streamers or fry patterns drifted along the bottom also work great. Fry are always striped with a mottled tan or soft green, with parr marks.

Why do Steelhead key in on Winter Stoneflies?
Great Lakes Steelhead are perhaps the most opportunistic member of the salmonid family. While Chinook and Coho salmon require large schools of baitfish like smelt and alewives to support their numbers, steelhead take a substantial amount of their forage from insect sources, supplementing with baitfish, crayfish, gobies, and whatever else strikes their fancy. This fact leads some experts to believe that steelhead "residentize" back to their stream-trout roots when they spend any length of time in a river environment. When February and March roll around, the winter stonefly hatches begin in the cold river environments in Michigan.
It has been my experience as a fly fishing guide that Stone flies begin to emerge and become active in late morning through the afternoon, usually when water temperatures are at the warmest. Steelhead also tend to key on them during the warmest part of day when they are the most abundant and moving.

The steelhead holding in river pools, waiting for spawning time to begin, may revert to feeding behavior that worked well during the early stages of life. When you're winter flyfishing and you notice tiny black specks (they look like carpenter ants with gray wings) on the snow around you, study them closely. You'll find that these are adult Stoneflies, possibly ringing the dinner bell for whatever lurks in the depths of that hole in front of you. Fish accordingly, as your luck may have just turned.

There are a variety of nymph flies that imitate the Winter Stonefly.
Most of these patterns are simple, from a hare's ear nymph or pheasant-tail nymph colored dark brown or black with marker, to more involved patterns such as the Egg Sucking Stone, black Viagra caddis, Mojo Dark Knight, Rubber Legged Stone, etc. Remember that these flies should be dead-drifted the same way you'd fish glo-bugs or egg flies, under an indicator or bottom-bounced through holes that look promising. No vigorous stripping is needed with these - keep in mind that while the weather is warmer than usual, the water is a few degrees above freezing. Deep and slow wins the race here - make sure that your flies drift along current breaks and bubble-lines, to ensure that any fish present has time to take a shot at them. Strike back when the strike comes, snub that fish before it can get loose, and then enjoy the music of your reel underscoring the winter sunlight dancing on rippled waters...

Muskegon River Winter Stone Flies: During February we begin to see Stone fly movement throughout the river. The Dark Knight Stone is a great stone fly imitation that also does very well in normal water levels. I tie this pattern primarily for Steelhead and Trout. It's a great looking bug with movement and a true nymph profile. Fishes best drifted as chuck & duck or floating line/ indy.

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 should begin to key in on small dark nymphs drifted along the bottom.

Current River Conditions: 34 degrees- Water levels are perfect with a slight stain- Upper Muskegon River is ice free. Visibility is: 6- 8ft.
Water temp: 34 degrees. Level: med - Clear with slight stain

Unlike the Grand River, White River, and Pere Marquette Rivers, the Muskegon is a tailwater fishery, this means the Muskegon River never freezes! This allows us to guide anglers throughout the winter months for Steelhead and Trout. Float fishing during the Winter is a beautiful time to be on the water with good numbers of Steelhead and lots of wildlife along the rivers banks.
Now is the time to float fish Steelhead!

Check this out! StopAsianCarp.com


New Video Clip: Float Fishing Muskegon River Steelhead
One of the best float fishing videos we have filmed for Fall Steelhead on the Muskegon River and Great Lakes region. Lots of float fishing with a ton of hook ups and fish landed on video! Now is the time to float fish Steelhead!

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Pere Marquette River Report
(Accurate Steelhead Fishing information for the PereMarquette River)

Spring Steelhead fishing on the lower Pere Marquette River has been improving daily. The lower sections near Custer and Scottville have been producing fair numbers of Steelhead on Floats and Spawn. Back Bouncing with fresh Steelhead skein has also been very productive producing well over a fish per hour. Upper to Walhalla has also been fishing well. Centerpin float fishing with small spawn sacks has been producing a good number of Steelhead. Jigs and Waxworms have also been working well.

Although crowded, the "Flies Only" section is beginning to show signs of Steelhead on gravel. Floating lines with strike indicators have been working best. Egg imitations, Clown Eggs, and natural glo bugs are working well. Now is also the time for the late winter stone fly. Stone flies have begun to emerge along the shore lines. Steelhead have started to key on the little black stones. Pheasant tail nymphs in chocolate and black have been working well. Estaz Stones are also producing a fair amount of fish.

As water temperature begin to warm, Steelhead fishing should greatly improve of the the next few weeks. We look forward to fishing with you on the Pere Marquette River. Pere Marquette River fishing Report
Sea Lamphrey News about the Pere Marquette River

Attempting to stop sea lamprey with an electric barrier has become a thing of the past on the Pere Marquette River, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials. The federal agency recently announced it no longer will operate its electric weir and will resume treating the river only with chemical lampricides.
This should greatly increase natural reproduction of Chinook Salmon on the Pere Marquette River. It should also significantly improve Steelhead migrations!

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Floats and Spawn for Spring Steelhead


A selection of floats and spawn.
Another preferred method for Winter Steelhead is fishing floats and spawn. Fishing floats and spawn is a fast-paced style of steelhead fishing. We fish quickly and cover miles of river in a day, usually producing lots of hook-ups and many steelhead landed.

We prefer to fish specialized G. Loomis 11' 3" float rods. Loomis rods are available for your use on guided trips. These longer rods allow the angler a longer drift and a stronger hook set. We also use Cabela Prodigy spinning reels or center-pins reels spooled with 10 lb hi-vis monofiliment line. These smooth reels allow for long casts and a smooth drag system to fight big fish.

Floats for steelhead vary greatly depending on water levels and conditions. We generally use the orange/black Thill steelhead floats. They seem to work best for the Muskegon and Big Manistee Rivers. Smaller floats styles are available for the White and Pere Marquette rivers. All gear is provided for you. We have the spawn tied, cured, and ready to fish!

Fly Fishing: Best patterns have been Rainbow Clown, Steelhead - Orange
Glo-Bugs, Nuke eggs in Chartreuse/flame, Chart/Golden, Egg/Golden.
Leaches such as Egg Sucking, Laser, & Steelhead buggers also producing Steelies.
Trout have been keying on micro eggs and nukes, and Rhyacophila (Green) Caddis.

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