Steelhead Fishing in Grand Rapids, MI 49505

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Anyone traveling to greater Grand Rapids area can find a million reasons to wet a line! The city abounds with areas and locations to fish, both lakes and rivers provide ample places to fish. The city is also surrounded by world class salmon and steelhead fishing areas.

The “Sixth Street” Fish ladder downtown has one of the largest salmon, steelhead and migratory trout passages in the world with an estimated, 100,000 fish swimming through the ladder. (Sixth Street fish ladder pictured below.)

Anglers fish for Steelhead on the Grand River located in Grand Rapids Michigan. Home to the Great Lakes largest migratory run of Chinook, Coho, Lake Run Brown Trout, Lake Trout, and Steelhead.

The Grand River has decent wading access below the concrete barrier at 6th street. This area can be waded from the bank or fished from a boat. It offers endless opportunities for migratory Chinook, Coho, lake run brown trout, Lake Trout, and of coarse, steelhead.

The best time to fish the Grand and Rouge Rivers is during the Spring and Fall.

Another great river is the Rogue, Located less than ten miles from the greater Grand Rapids area. The Rogue River runs right through the town of Rockford. Some of the best places to are under the bike bridge, and behind the paper mill. The Rogue has some great wading opportunities for resident Brown and Rainbow trout. This river has clean, clear water, and offers excellent fishing!

Just a little further North, is the Muskegon River. The Might Mo excels in big numbers of Steelhead, Salmon, and resident Trout. Although mostly a private river, the Muskegon also offers great wading and boat fishing. It’s a tailwater fishery and offers the best trout fishing in Michigan.

Phenomenal Spring Steelhead ~ Muskegon River

Steve with a gorgeous chrome bullet from this morning! A spectacular fight on light spinning tackle. We’re going to have some really big Steelhead this Spring! Muskegon River – Floats / Spawn (4/1)

Steve and Ross with another big buck from today. Higher water levels have brought in the “Magic Carpet Ride” of Chrome Spring Steelhead!! Spring Steelhead Float Fishing (4/1)

Happy Birthday Brad! We had an awesome day on the water with a bunch of fish landed! Higher water has not dampened our spirits and has made from some pretty darn good fishing to say the least! (3/31)

Mad Maxx is back! It’s great to see Frank (Mad Maxx) holding some beautiful Muskegon River Chrome! Frank is a long time friend, and it was great to spend an afternoon with him and his Bother-in-law. We landed some nice steelhead, and a jumbo-tron Brown trout. (3/31)

Muskegon River will not disappoint! “Home of the Chrome!” John displays one of the leading pack of chromers that has just entered the river. There’s sure to be a bunch more where that came from! Great day guys! (3/31)

Mike with his first experience with the “Chrome Dome”. Well played my friend. Changing tactics made for some very good fishing. Drifting stone flies and fry patterns put fish in the net today. Looking forward to more great days ahead. (3/31)

Mike with another nice hen taken on a Mojo sac fry. Fly fishing seems to be working well over the past several day.


Banner day on the Might Muskegon River. Mark and Jill were way into double digits on the lower Muskegon. Floats and spawn was the ticket for low and gin clear water! Ring- a- ring – ding dong! Chromers! Spring steelhead are here! (3/28)

Jill wailed on her share of new fish! Mark had a tough time keeping up with his lady! There were some times Jill was putting on a clinic! Floats and spawn. Newaygo to Anderson’s Flats. Fish moving up! (3/28)

It feels wonderful to start seeing some of these bright girls! Steelhead fishing is really starting to turn on with good numbers of fish entering the lower river. Water has been low and clear making for some great float fishing with spawn! Papa displays one of his nice steelhead from today, a gorgeous, bright hen! (3/26)

Muskegon River fishing continues to be very good with lots of steelhead in the lower river below Newaygo. Fish are on the move with the longer daylight and perfect water flows. Come fish the Muskegon River and make some memories! We are now offering MORNING HALF DAY TRIPS for March and April.

Starting to see some steelhead beginning to spawn in the upper sections near Thornapple and surrounding gravel areas. Despite the cold water temperatures, steelhead are on a biological time clock based on time of year, and length of daylight. Some of our focus has been deep holes in close proximity to gravel.

On certain days, free style nymphing deep water has produced excellent results. (Ed & Jared had an awesome day of fly fishing, landing five beautiful steelhead, and many chunky trout!) Muskegon River Center pin trips.

Over the past few days, fishing has been greatly improved! We are starting to see some much brighter spring steelhead with plenty more on the way! Much needed warmer weather next week! (3/26)

Ron displays a gorgeous chromer. Lower river steelhead are migrating up river towards spawning areas in a big way! “Come and get your fish on!” (3/26)

Bright bullets from the lower river. We are starting to see a lot of beautiful colored chromers! I don’t know about you but, I am definitely ready for warmer weather and spring steelhead! (3/26)

She was a chrome bullet!! Tom with a gorgeous bright hen from today. It’s great to start seeing some spring Steelhead. Muskegon River is starting fish well. (3/25)


Jo hit this colorful hen fishing an “Empie Hex”, a fly that looks like a hex nymph or a hatch fry. Lots of action and day long despite having a few boats around. (3/20)

Lisa with one of many really nice winter -hold over trout. These big rainbows and browns have been very healthy, even after our harsh winter. trout were fun fishing between the steelhead. (3/20)

Jo and Lisa with a nice hen from today. We had a blast fly fishing for steelhead today. The fly bite was actually really good! Egg patterns and fry seemed to do really well on both steelhead and big browns. (3/20)

Rob putting on a clinic today float fishing. Some stunningly bright hens landed today! During the last couple of days, All of our guides have been landing some very respectable numbers of Spring Steelhead. (Rob guided by Kodie) 3/19


Paul landed a plump and respectable hen from today. Our morning started off slow but with weather fronts moving around, afternoon bite was on! (Paul, guided by Chad) 3/19


Mike Craston from Scottland lands a gorgeous buck steelhead on the fly. Trout beads and stone flies are a deadly combination when drifted near the bottom. Who says you can’t land a lot of steelhead while fly fishing in Michigan? (3/16)

Molly had an opportunity to get on the boat this weekend and make a few drifts. She was rewarded with a very plump hen from the lower Muskegon River below Newaygo. New fish on the move! (3/16)

Ron certainly had the hot hard for these fish! Starting to see way more bright Spring steelhead throughout the river. (3/16)

Rick with a colorful male. We experienced some phenomenal fishing over the weekend. Spring is finally here! (3/15)


Jerry with a chrome hen. Lots of new fish entering the river every day. Spring steelhead fishing is going to be fantastic! (3/15)


Quite a day it was! We fished hard, covered water, and made a lot of casts. Well worth the efforts to land a lot of chromers! Joe landed his first steelhead!

Muskegon River Trout Fishing & Sucker Spawn

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Hatch fishing has been excellent on the Muskegon River. Great hatches of Gray Drake, Sulphers, and Isonychia Bicolor. Fantastic dry fly fishing. (6/2)

Nymphing by day – Prolific hatches by night. Trophy Brown Trout on the Muskegon River. Mega Trout! (6/1)

Trout fishing on the Muskegon River has been exceptionally good for the past two weeks. Incredible Gray Drake and Isonychia spinner falls. Dry fly fishing at its finest!! Don’t get put off by the whole fly fishing thing, we offer casting instructions, simple casting techniques, and easy fishing methods for catching lots of nice trout during the summer months. Casting small crank baits is also available and easy, available way to catch nice trout. The Muskegon River offers great trout fishing year around!

Send and email or Text >> (231) 519-7348

Linda & Chuck with one of many very respectable Trout from today. Summer will offer excellent trout fishing. (5/26)

Miles with a gorgeous trophy Brown Trout landed on the Muskegon River – Sucker fry pattern. (5/14)

John with a stunning Muskegon River Brown Trout taken on a small bead head nymph. (5/26)

Toby with an absolute BEAST of a Brown Trout. Our person best resident river trout. 27″ Trophy Brown Trout. (5/14)

Sucker Spawn Trout fishing has been phenominal – One of the best in years! Lots of really nice resident Trout. Dry fly fishing (Gray Drakes, Isonychia) has also been great. Hatches in both mornings and evening. Fishing should continue to be excellent through early July for Muskegon River Trout.

Spring is here and it’s finally Trout season on the Muskegon River. Trout season is our favorite time of the year! Warm weather, birds chirping, and outstanding fishing opportunities! Muskegon River Sucker spawn is with out a doubt, our most productive time of year for trophy trout. Large wary Brown Trout feed during the day when Red Horse, and White Suckers begin to spawn. Eggs are at a premium this time of year, and Trout go crazy for this food source! 30 – 50 Trout per day are common during the Michigan Sucker Spawn, usually several trophy trout (20 inches or above) are also landed each day.

We use free style nymphing techniques when fishing the Sucker spawn. 9′ – 5 weight fly rods are our weapons of choice, spooled with running line. This technique is incredibly simple to learn. It’s a great technique for introducing children or novice anglers to fly fishing. Usually anglers can cast free style nymphing within 15 or 20 minutes, making 30 foot casts is easy and incredibly productive landing MANY nice trout!

We offer both full and half days, morning or evening. We love to fish Sucker spawn so we can guide you anytime, our schedules are flexible. Full Day trips (8 hrs) are $350 for two anglers. Half days (4.5 hrs) are also available for $250 for 2 anglers. ALL gear, tackle, and flies are also included in all fishing trips.

Please send us a text (231) 519-7348 or reserve a date online – Rates Tab listed above.

Coming Up Next – Summer Specialty Fishing Trips.

Atlantic Salmon are known for awesome fights, great jumps, and excellent table fare. These fish are a blast on light tackle or fly gear. (July, early August)

$250 Evening “Hatch Master” Specials – Guided Dry fly hatch fishing at it’s finest! Learn Caddis and May Fly hatch fishing for quality trout. 5pm – 10pm. (June, July, August)

Smallmouth Bass Shang-Ra-La. Guided Smallmouth fishing on pristine sections of the Muskegon River and other local areas. (June, July, August, September)

Michigan Salmon Fishing on Lake Michigan, Lower Pere Marquette River, Big Manistee River, and White River. (July, August, September)

No matter what plans you have this summer, we have a guided fishing adventure planned for you! Whether you would like and Olympic jumping Atlantic Salmon, an explosive Smallmouth Bass on top water, soft sipping brown trout on a dry fly, or freight train pulling drag of a King Salmon, we have something to fish for. For over 18 years, guiding is what we do, and we’re go at it! Muskegon River Fisheries alliance. Come join us today! (231) 519-7348

All guided trips are all inclusive. All Gear, Tackle, Flies, Bait, Rods, Reels, and fish cleaning are included in fishing trips at no extra charge. We’ll hook you up on some big fish!

I will be doing daily fishing reports on our business FaceBook Page. Give us a “Like” and enjoy daily – Up to date, Fishing Reports. Betts Guide Service

Brown Trout on the brain! Sucker spawn fishing for big trout continues to go well. White Suckers are spawning now in good numbers. (6/5)

Toby and Nate with an awesome Brown Trout from today! We worked for them today but there’s plenty around if you spend the time looking. (5/27)

Bill with one of several nice Trout landed today. Weather and water conditions are perfect right now. Sucker spawn trophy trout. (5/27)

Hatches are going strong right now! Big Brown Trout on the Muskegon River. Gray Drake Spinner fall are also producing some nice fish. Muskegon River Trout Fisheries alliance (6/8)

Giant Muskegon River Brown Trout that we landed on a fry pattern over the holiday weekend. Trout fishing is excellent right now! (5/27)

Brown trout don’t come easy but we were fortunate enough to land a double – Pair of gorgeous Brown Trout from the Muskegon River. (5/27)

We are offering “Hatch Masters” evening hatch trips. $250 5pm – 10pm.

Over the past few days, our main focus has been chasing trophy trout feeding around the spawning Red Horse Suckers in the upper Muskegon River. Big numbers of trout have been feeding on nymphs and sucker’s spawn. Trout fishing should remain excellent for the next several weeks.

Steamer fishing has also been great. Dry flies have been a bit slow so far. water temperatures are still on the cool side for good insect activity. There is still a lot of eggs, both sucker and steelhead, for trout to key in on.

Gray Drake and Sulphers with be the next big and up coming hatch. Early Jun – mid July.

Big Rainbow Trout have also been common during the last couple of outings. Trout have been feeding heavily on nymphs, sucker spawn, and Chinook salmon fry. (5/27)

Brown Trout are the most common this time of year however, there are also plenty of Rainbow trout to be had. Hatches usually bring nice Rainbow trout. (5/27)

Great Evening Hatch fishing for Trout!

Now is the perfect time to bring you son or daughter out fishing and introduce them to great trout fishing on the Muskegon River. Guided trips are available all weekend and next week. Hatch trips are usually during the afternoon. Hatches are this time are Sulphers, Caddis, and Gray Drakes, being the most common and attracting larger trout. Hatch trips are $250.

Greg with a gorgeous buck brown trout taken on a Gray Drake spinner dry fly. This time of the year is prime-time for hatches and larger trout. (6/12)

The Muskegon River is home to good populations of very nice brown trout. Hatches are prolific and offer great trout fishing during the summer. (6/12)

Light Spinning Tackle (Conventional) Trips are available during the mornings from 8am – 1pm. All Gear, Tackle, Rods, Reels, and fish cleaning is provided at no extra charge. Guided Trips are all inclusive – Everything is provided for you on our guided fishing trips. (231) 519-7348

MUSKEGON RIVER TROUT – HATCH SEASON!!

Trout fishing remains excellent on the Mighty Muskegon River. Big spinner falls of Gray Drake, Isonychia Bicolor, and the ever present Cinnamon Caddis emergence, every evening from 7pm until dark. Hatches draw out big brown trout like this guy pictured above. Michigan offers wonderful evening hatch trout fishing on the Muskegon River. “Work during the day, fish in the evening!” (231) 519-7348

Evening “Hatch Masters” Trout specials going on now! $250 for an afternoon – evening of great Gray Drake, and Caddis hatches, entomology lessons, casting, and all around great trout fishing.

Work all day, then hit the river for an evening hatch! June evening hatch trout trips on the Muskegon & Manistee Rivers. Morning Half days also available. Text – (231) 519-7348

Trout fishing has been outstanding over the last several days!! Great sucker spawn nymphing followed by some very good dry fly hatches in the evening. Heavy Gray Drake Spinner falls with BIG trout rising!

Excellent trout fishing right now on the Mighty Muskegon River. Jessica displays a very respectable brown trout from today. Stripping small streamers against that bank has paid big dividends. (6/16)

Fat and healthy Michigan Trout. Bruce with one of several very nice trout. Isonychia nymphs on a sink tip fly line, working well. It’s great to see good trout now. (6/16)

Time to think about booking your Fall King Salmon fishing trip on the lower Pere Marquette. Casting crankbaits for big chrome kings on light spinning tackle! These monsters crush Thundersticks with fists of fury – Awesome power and great table fare. Kings are a riot on the lower rivers of the Manistee and Pere Marquette. $395 per 2 anglers.


Was the perfect storm last night! High humidity, no wind, and tons of Gray Drakes on the water. Don with a pig brown from yesterday evening after the rains. Massive clouds of drake spinners on the water! (6/12)

With the sucker spawn over, it’s hatch time now!! Check out this beastly brown that Dave caught on a Gray Drake spinner. Big hatches and dry fly fishing this month! (Caddis, Gray Drake, Isonychia Bicolor ) (6/10)


Ok. I finally give. Mercy! This is the last Steelhead of the 2014 season. 6/10 is a new personal record. What an awesome spring steelhead season!! Special thanks goes out to all the clients that spent the day on my boat! Hopefully ya’ll had a great time on the water and caught lots of chrome! We look forward to October 20th when fall bullets enter the river!! (6/10)

Spot and stalk – Trout Nymphing to trophy brown trout. Steve landed this stunning brown this morning while drifting nymphs for trout. Trout Fishing on the Manistee, Muskegon, and Pere Marquette has been phenomenal lately. Lots of healthy fat Michigan trout. (6/6)

Andy with a beast of a brown trout taken on a tiny nymph while fly fishing behind spawning gravel. Trout fishing has been great over the past several days. Water levels are perfect for fishing. (6/6)

Madelyn with a gorgeous fat brown from today. Its safe to say that our trout are not starving!! Fat Michigan Brown Trout for sure! Nymphing and small fry patterns fishing well. (6/3)

Stomach contents of an 18″ Muskegon River Brown Trout that I landed this evening. Four yellow eggs are Red Horse Sucker spawn. The alvin are actually freshly hatched Steelhead fry that are just now emerging from the gravel. Large Trout prey heavily on these things in early June. Notice the lack of insects in the stomach contents? These are “High octane” food sources, and are easy to catch. (5/31)

Mike and Bryant joined me for an evening “Hatch Master’s Evening trout session.” These guys we pleasantly surprised landing a pile of big steelhead, several large brown trout, and a bunch of smaller trout. Overall, it was a fantastic evening on the water with lots of fly fishing action. (6/5)

I know, every day, I say, I’m finished will steelhead but, one can not merely just pass up a redd with over a dozen fish on it. Logically, we just had to fish ’em! Mike and Bryant hooked and landed a bunch of steelhead on sucker spawn egg flies, and steelhead fry patterns. Fishing was very good with no other boats on the water. (5/28)

Early June is the time of year for BIG Trout! Michigan offers some exceptional, and mostly over looked, great trout fishing. Whether it’s nymphing behind suckers, stripping streamers, or dry fly fishing the drakes, Michigan has lots of big trout. (5/27)

As we say good bye to possibly one of the most epic steelhead migrations that I have ever experience, sheer numbers of steelhead that we had, with incredible size! Trust me MR. Chrome Dome, You will be missed! 2014 will go down in the history books as one of the most phenomenal steelhead years ever, we should be so lucky as to ever have such a great year class of steelhead…

From here on out, it’s all about trout, sucker spawn that is, yellow gold! Nothing draws my attention more than big old brown trout sitting behind a big ball of Red Horse doing the nasty! That’s right! Resident rainbows and brown alike love sitting down wind of spawning suckers. A somgasporg of eggs, fry, nymphs and whatever else suckers dig out of the gravel. Nymphing behind suckers has become my obsession for big trout! It’s just about the only time of the year, I dig out my good camera and go fun fishing!!

For the next two weeks I’ll be on the Muskegon and the Big Manistee River hunting big brown trout with a nymphing rod in hand. I’ll do my best to keep you posted as to how things are going. Without a doubt, early June is my favorite time to trout fish before the more noticeable hatches begin.

It’s almost June and Matt and Tom are enjoying a Steelhead double of two chromers! How do we tell clients that fishing is awesome right now with little or no angling pressure! Double digit hook ups on great fish during nice weather. This rarely happens in steelhead fishing in Michigan. (5/23)


Matt fights a leaping chromer! These fish are bad ass fighters this time of year!! Lots of fish with great jumps and drag ripping runs! I love May Steelhead!


Did someone say Brown Trout? May also offers a chance at some trophy Muskegon River Brown Trout. Our Muskegon River trout are Ginormous! These egg feeders have a much higher average size for hold over browns and rainbows! These fish put on the feed bag year around! Chubby Trout! (5/23)


We had a wonderful day fishing steelhead with Holly and her father, Paul. They’re from Kentucky and were in search of large Brown trout. Well, they were about 10 days too early for big trout but wow did we get in to some great steelhead fishing!! (5/21)

Fishing this week has been nothing less than excellent!! I guided both a full day and a half day today and we hooked up over 25 steelhead in the course of 13 hours of fishing, two trips. We did both techniques, both float fishing on spinning gear, and fly fishing. Both styles were very effective!

It’s a far cry from fishing in February or March to hook a handful of fish while freezing your butt off! It feels great to have some outstanding steelhead fishing with air temperatures in the low 70’s! Steelhead are healthy and are in great condition for this time of year and have been fantastic fighters! Spawning fish on gravel, drop back steelhead, and many smaller chrome May hens. Most people think its about over but this year, it’s actually some of the best fishing we’ve had all year due to the long winter and very cold river water temperatures! Come take advantage of special guide trip rates from now until June first!

Send us a text for open dates and fishing trip specials… (231) 519-7348

We had a fantastic afternoon of steelhead fishing! Armond has been a professional fly tyer for nearly 50 years and the results paid off big time! We had some really good fly fishing today. I can’t believe these are May Steelhead! (5/21)

It didn’t take Holly long to get into a bunch of really nice steelhead. Check out this buck she landed just as it started to rain. Lots and lots of May steelhead! (5/21)

Banner day on the Muskegon River! Holly and Paul were beatin’ checks on big chrome steelhead! Whoo Hoo! May steelhead are a blast on the fly rod! (5/21)

Joni and Tim put on a clinic this afternoon. We were the last boat on the water this evening and we hooked fish like crazy!! When is the last time you saw a bruiser chrome buck in mid May? Yeah! Fishing is that good right now! Water temps are cold with lots of steelhead and perfect river levels. (5/20)


Jim and Sure with a double from today. Both two very nice fish. Every day we’ve found pockets out really nice fish. Keeping my clients on fish ALL day long! Both morning trips and afternoon trips fishing well. (5/15)

Joni, Joni, Joni! What more to say… This girl can fish! Yes Ma’am! Another chrome please! Thank you! Fly fishing is really fun when your hitting banner days on the Muskegon with lots of fish! (5/15)

Grant showing off his fly fishing skills. We had a very enjoyable day on the water, learning new tricks, great conversation, a low impact day relaxing, and bringing a lot of fish to the net! (5/14)


Tom Jr and his Grandfather had a wonderful afternoon on the river today. No other anglers and plenty of fish to go around. Steelhead fishing has been great, today was no exception. Check this fat and healthy buck! (513)


Q with his very first steelhead. what a great Grandpa and Grandson trip. We had lots of fun and excitement with lots of fish landed with comfortable weather, quite a change from most of this spring. (5/12)

Keith and his grandson, Q, were a little hesitant about spending the money for a half day trip. They were pleasantly surprised and were rewarded with constant fish on and with lots of actions and great memories. I was happy to introduce another young angler into steelhead fishing! What a great afternoon on the water. (5/11)

Jim with one of many steelhead from today. For all the days in February when we work so hard to get fish in the net, It feels great to catch double digits in a t-shirt and very comfortable weather. Give us a call for steelhead dates – We are running special pricing from now until June 1st.

With water temperatures still very cold, bright chrome hens continue to be very common. No doubt we will be catching steelhead well into June this year. Kyle with a nice bright hen. (5/12)

Fishing has been outstanding over the last few days! Things have been way behind schedule due to the cold winter that we had. We’re finally experiencing some great steelhead fishing, lots of action and lots of fish! Myself with the largest steelhead that I have ever landed! 22 lbs on the boga. Beast of a buck. (5/9)

It was the day of days for big fish! We had some awesome action all day today. Heavy rain and wind made it an adventure. We enjoyed the weather and had a great day of fishing together. Jess was my third client from 1996. (5/9)

Its been many years since I have fished with Jess. Great friends and some great stories from over 16 years of steelhead fishing together. We had an epic day of fly fishing for steelhead! (5/9)

Phil displays one of many bright and energetic steelhead landed in the last few days. Water temperatures are in the high 40’s making for some phenomenal steelhead fishing on gravel! Sight fishing is now the name of the game with average hook-ups being in the 20’s or more! The bite is definitely on for spawning steelhead and “Drop back Steelhead” Cooler temperatures should keep us fishing well into early June! (5/8)

Phil and Bob landed a pile of fish during the last several days. Small salmon fry patterns and stone flies continue to do well. Caddis flies have also done exceptionally well. Were looking forward to more outstanding fly fishing in the weeks to come! (5/7)

Dane from Finley, Ohio with his first Steelhead. (Guided by Alyssa.) Ron and Dane had an awesome afternoon of catching steelhead. Best flies of the day were fry patterns and small nuke eggs. Sight fishing has been a blast!! (5/6)

We were very pleasantly surprised today at how good steelhead fishing turned out today! We spent the day fly fishing and just landed a ton of steelhead including this beautiful hen. Egg patterns, caddis, and fry patterns are working well. It’s a very late steelhead migration this year, we should easily have steelhead in this river until early June. (5/5)

Joe displays a gorgeous hen from today. We spent the day float fishing on or near gravel and we landed a pile of bright Steelhead. Bobber and spawn put well over a dozen steelhead in the net. Double digit Steelhead. Fish of all stages, pre spawn hens, bright males, and drop back hens. An old school technique that pays off big time on a busy weekend when all the “Prime Gravel” spots are taken, (5/4)

Drop – Back Steelhead holding in the pocket water behind spawning fishing. These fish hammer a well presented bead drifted behind the redds. Grad a bite to eat before heading back to the lake. Bridgett put on a clinic fishing a pocket between three boats and popped a bunch of fish weaving in and out of boats in the “Gaza Strip” (5/4)

Alyssa with a chrome mint silver bullet hen landed one of “Alyssa Beads” these things rock! She air brushes beads to make exact egg replicas. They’re beautiful and Steelhead obviously can’t tell the difference between her beads and the real thing!! They eat ’em like its the real deal!

Joe with a hefty fish from the morning bite. Fly Fishing has also been producing lots of fish. It’s all about the perfect glide on the gravel. Gettin’ it done on stone flies and hex nymphs! Nice buck Joe!


Dustin with a healthy buck! This thing was all over, jumping and running all over the place! We overheard another boat refer to their steelhead being “Foul mouthed” We laughed at the thought of foul mouthed steelhead jumping out and cussing at anglers! A good time was had for sure! (5/1)

Dave with a super tight hen, its hard to believe it’s May first with hens this tight and fishing so good right now. Fly fishing has been astounding over the past week or so. Lots of steelhead entering the river preparing to spawn. (5/1)

John Curley landed a beast of a chrome hen. Bright fish are not the norm usually in late April but this year, they are plentiful to say the least! I love being able to catch and release such a regal fish!! We’re Very excited about the next three weeks and great fishing headed our way!! (5/1)

Alyssa helped us all eat humble pie as she layed the smack down on a pile of steelhead today while fly fishing the Muskegon River!! (5/1)

Carl landed some gorgeous steelhead including this chrome bullet hen!! Chrome steelhead are not usually the norm in late April but they sure are this year! Nice work putting this beauty in the net!

Sam’s first steelhead!! One of the greatest joys of being a fishing guide is having the chance to help young people land their first steelhead. The smile says it best! (4/27)


Alyssa helped colleen land this gorgeous hen. Only 14 but, Colleen is a very experienced fly girl, and has landed many great fish with me over the years!! (Thanks DJ for a great afternoon trip!) (4/27)

It seems that with the awful winter that we had, everything in nature seems to be two weeks behind schedule, steelhead are no exception. This weekend was the first time so far that I started to see many chrome bullet hens landed and piles and piles of steelhead beginning to dig gravel in earnest. There was a spot near Pine st. on Saturday that I counted over a dozen females spawning in the same area at one time. Having that many hens in one area like that is mind blowing for me!! It’s been over a decade since I’ve seen such a late push of fish.

I absolutely feel comfortable guiding clients to big numbers of steelhead well into the first week of June. There’s been quite a few years with big late runs of Steelhead, this year with definitely be one of them. Water temps are still in the low to mid 40’s which is usually unheard of. All of this bodes well for great fishing well into late spring. For all of the clients that rescheduled because of the cold spring, good call because you’ll be into a lot of fish, in comfortable weather and great conditions.

We are excited because water levels, temperatures, and clarity are now perfect for steelhead! Its the perfect storm to bring everything together for some great fishing. The best part of the whole deal is, 90% of the hens we’ve been landing are tight or just barely starting to spawn. That’s some great news! After such a harsh winter, things are several weeks behind schedule, we should have great steelhead fishing well into late May!!

Fishing Steelhead while the weather is still warm. Lots of chrome fish still to come!!

Afternoon trips have also been fishing well for those who work during the day but would like a chance to fish in the afternoon. These trips are available most days are run from 3:30 pm – 8pm. Fishing can be great with much less angler pressure later in the day. Cost is $250 for 2 anglers. We look forward to fishing with you!!

Water levels have been steadily dropping on the Muskegon River. Fishing has all been outstanding with 20 plus hook ups per day being the norm right now. I fished with Paul and Colby for the past 6 days and we landed over 100 steelhead on their outing. We were fly fishing and fished several local rivers. Most of our steelhead were landed on clown eggs, fry patterns, and black stone flies. A few were landed on brightly colored caddis. The best steelhead fishing of the year is upon us and should last well into the next several weeks.

Ed and his daughter, Anna, with her very first steelhead. We proud as a guide service, to promote, and do our best to get kids on the water and into fish! “Hooked for life” is the wat we see it! (4/27)


Abbie with her first Steelhead. There was a million steelhead in the river and everyone was having a blast! Fish were everywhere this weekend and getting these kids into piles of fish was easy, landing them was another story. (4/27)


Afternoon trips have seemed to be landing the most fish lately. Afternoon trips are a great way to relax after a day at work. This time of year, weather is perfect for an afternoon fish. (4/26)

I have to say, I had a blast fishing with these guys on Saturday. We has a lot of fun cracking on each other and giving bs. We did mange to land 11 steelhead in a half day trip. There are piles of fish right now!!


TJ landed this colorful buck today on the fly rod. Fishing has been phenomenal over the past week. We have just been hammering on the steelhead. Water levels continue to drop making for exceptional fishing. Afternoon half days are fishing well. (4/24)

Check this kid out! What a beast of a buck!! Fly fishing the Billy Pate and TFO fly rod, TJ kicked his butt and put this guy in the net! Booh Ya! (4/24)


Allen landed this plump hen today. There was a great bite today. We had fish on all day. Big, bright flies have been the key to gettin’ bit on the Mighty Mo. (4/24 ) Morning trip.


Check out this shiny nice hen! Gravel fishing has been very good. Consistently producing lots of fish. (4/24)

Ed and Alyssa had a fantastic afternoon landing piles of fish today!! Steelhead fishing has been incredible the past several days. This is just the beginning of exceptional fishing. May should be amazing! (4/23)

Banner day on the Mighty Muskegon River. Water temperatures, Levels, and Clarity are all perfect for great fishing. Water temperatures are still relatively cold so we should have outstanding fishing well into late May! Fishing right now is really good! (4/23)

Finally, the Muskegon River is open for business and great Steelhead fishing!! Whoo Hoo! I’m excited to be back home and catching some chrome! After a brief hiatus fishing some other rivers up north, It feels great to home! I haven’t had much of a chance to look around to check the launches but I know the Croton launch, Pine st, and Thornapple all seem to be open. Henning Park should be as well. We also have openings for this week, mon, tues, and wed. If your interested in getting your fish fix!! Kodie and Alyssa are available to guide! It looks like some phenomenal fishing lies ahead. Great weather and Chrome fish!!

Hot Summertime Fishing – (231) 519-7348

Hatch Master Afternoon Guided Fly Fishing Trout Trips $250 for 2 anglers. (4.5 hrs)

(Guided Spinning Tackle Smallmouth Bass & Trout Trips also available)
Text to Book>>> (231) 519-7348

There’s lots of choices available for anglers during August. Trout fishing at the creek mouths can be excellent, offering shots at trophy Brown Trout and big resident Rainbows, or Caddis hatches in the evenings. Smallmouth Bass can be an outstanding choice for kids. Constant action and lots of bites on Smallmouth trips. We often catch lots of Rock Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, and an occasional Tiger Musky! These trips are an action packed, fun day on the river.

Trout fishing during the summer can be great if the weather is right. Lots of rain has made for decent trout fishing.

It’s finally summer in Michigan, with the hot weather comes some great fishing! Smallmouth Bass, Trout, Walleye, Northern Pike, and Musky on Michigan’s Muskegon River. As a guide, I have to change it up a bit. Smallmouth and warm water species make better fishing at this time. Guiding for Trout is always my personal favorite, however, hot summer weather and warm water temps are rough on the Trout fishing and sometimes Smallmouth is a better choice.

King Salmon should be a fishing option soon! Port areas like Ludington, Manistee, and Grand Haven are starting to see good numbers of salmon coming in along the lake shore. Strong North East winds push the cold water against the shoreline bringing with it, Salmon and Steelhead. We will begin salmon trips in late August on the lower Pere Marquette River.Salmon Flies for Michigan.

Fall Salmon Season on the Lower Pere Marquette, Big Manistee, and Muskegon River.

Fall Steelhead fishing on the Muskegon River. Float Fishing Destinations for Chrome Steelhead.

EP with a Master Angler Trophy Smallmouth Bass. Bass fishing has been excellent! Late Summer offers the best bass fishing of the year! (7/28)

West Michigan Salmon Fishing Reports

It seems that “Peak Week” should happen early new week on the Manistee River. Salmon are beginning to hit the gravel big time. Each morning there have been a bunch of new redds. Most of the Chinook salmon are in the pre-spawn mode but moving quickly to spawning.

We had a decent rain over the weekend. Water levels are up slightly, making for some good fishing. This should bring in more salmon, and a good number of Steelhead.

For those of you seeking chrome, new fish have been moving in daily. Decent numbers of Steelhead can be found in the mid section on the Manistee. Bear Creek to Rainbow Bend has been fishing well. Larger Steelhead should be coming soon as river conditons are perfect.

Chuck with a gorgeous Manistee River Steelhead.

The Muskegon River is just a bit behind. Salmon are just beginning to spawn around Thornapple up to Pine st. Both trout and salmon fishing has been good. Steelhead should show up in decent numbers in mid October.
We still have a few open dates left for Manistee River Salmon, and a handful of November dates for Steelhead.

Send us a text or an email if you’d like a date for some great Fall fishing. (231) 519-7348

Lou with a beast of a buck from the Manistee River. Salmon fishing has been greatly improved the last several days. Everything is much later this year making for outstanding fishing later in October for both salmon and Fall steelhead. (10/2)

Special Salmon Fishing Rates for the lower Pere Marquette River and Big Manistee River.

$350 for the full day. $250 afternoon specials (3:30 – dusk) for half day rates. Price includes jet Boat trips on the lower Pere Marquette and Big Manistee River. ALL gear, tackle, rods, reels provided with guided trips. Free fish cleaning also included. Send us a text today to book your trip! We look forward to netting your salmon!! Text us for your date! >>> (231) 519-7348


John with a gorgeous Manistee River Coho taken while casting a fire tiger thunder stick. Coho are a blast if you can find them! We’re catching fish and having fun on the water! (9/22)

Things are finally beginning to look up. The Pere Marquette and Manistee are both reporting some fish starting to show up. The Big Manistee has a fair amount of Kings in the middle section, Bear Creek – Rainbow Bend area. Thunder sticks and skein producing the most fish. By no means is this a phenominal run of salmon, there is a fishable, adequate number of fish so far, and certainly nothing like the incredible run of 2013.

Over the next few days, look for salmon beginning to make the transition from deep holding pools to polishing gravel. Recent rains and a water level bump are sure to shuffle the deck, move fish up the river, and get salmon in the mood to dig gravel.

Check expectation at the door! This is turning out to be nothing like the run last year where you could ‘Walk across the river on salmon”. This is a year you’re going to have to work for your fish, and do things right to get them in the net. Should separate the men from the boys, so to speak.

On the bright side, there should be enough salmon for everyone to have fun with. There’s also a few Coho on both rivers, especially the Manistee. Skamania numbers were up this year along with plenty of healthy resident trout. Fall Steelhead may also be abundant this fall since we’ve had a lot of rain, higher water levels this year.

We are mostly booked for September now but we have plenty of open dates for October salmon, and November Fall Steelhead. Send us an email or text to reserve a guide date today! (231) 519-7348


The Pere Marquette River has been producing a dew fish but nothing like years past. Expect big numbers early next week. More rain should get them moving. (9/15)

After a very bleak and dismal weekend on the Pere Marquette River, we decided something new was in order. The PM had been fishing well all week, come the weekend, salmon bites were scarce and nowhere to be found. The Pere Marquette had minimal fish over the weekend. Boat traffic or recent rains had the salmon either lock jawed or headed further up river. The end result was poor fishing over the week.

Today is a new day. We traveled north to the Big Manistee River. We were pleasantly surprised to see clear water and a fair number of King salmon behind each log jam. Casting fire tiger thundersticks had a bright hen in the net within the first few minutes. Several more followed in quick succession.
The Manistee seems to be producing much more action, and consistent fishing. Floating skein or casting crank baits all produced nice fish today. Things are looking up for salmon on the Middle to lower sections. Rainbow Bend down to the Manistee lake train trussle, all producing a decent number of fish. With higher lake levels, the Manistee has been getting great pushes the last several days. It seems a ghost town from High Bridge up to Tippy. The upper sections have been very slow lately with only a handful in the upper two miles. Tippy is slow right but expect it to be fishing great early next week. We had a decent amount of rain so that should get them moving from them middle sections, towards the dam, We’re sincerely looking forward to decent number!!

Chad displays a gorgeous hen from today! Was an amazing fishing today for sure. This girl absolutely crushed a fire tiger T-stick. Fishing behind log jams produced a lot of fish today. (9/15)

Wilson with a great looking buck. Starting to see the beginnings of the main run. Daily pushes of fish now each morning with new salmon entering the river daily. Should make for a great run in the next few weeks. (9/8)

Way cooler tempratures in the 50’s, perfect salmon weather!
The last several mornings have had decent action from casting thunder sticks, with new pushes of fish coming in from the lake, now daily with cooler nights. Salmon from all stages of the game, chromers, caramel, and darkies all headed towards the upper river.

Indian Bridge has had good numbers of fish pushing through and beginning to load holes. We are planning on guiding the Pere Marquette for another week or so, then headed to the Manistee to chase brighter fish all over again. Hopefully cooler nights and decent rain is going to get the main push moving in a big way. It definitely won’t be long now! The big three rivers are all now starting to have fishable numbers of salmon with an occasional Coho or Lake Run Brown Trout being caught. Casting crank baits is an equal opportunity fish catcher for sure. We are certainly looking forward to a great Fall!
Give us a call or text. >>> (231) 519-7348

King Salmon that devoured a Thunder stick!

Bill with a gorgeous hen from this morning. Starting to see more and more salmon throughout the Pere Marquette River system. The Manistee is also going strong. Casting Thunder sticks has been the key. (9/4)


Keith with a nice one from the Big Manistee River. Not big numbers of fish yet but steadily entering the rivers. Salmon fishing should be excellent right after the holiday weekend! (8/29)

Salmon fishing has been very good the past several days! Great numbers of fish in a pocket today, and gone the next. Pockets of salmon throughout the Manistee and Pere Marquette River. Casting Thunder sticks still remains the most productive method for now. Skein bite should turn on with some cooler temperatures.

There seems to be a fair number of salmon entering the rivers each morning. Numbers should increase with some rain and cooler nights. River levels are perfect for a good migration this year!

We now have 7 full time salmon guides available this fall for the Manistee & Pere Marquette River.

We will be returning to the Muskegon River for Fall Steelhead beginning October 20th.

Scott with a gorgeous bullet buck from this morning at first light. Casting brightly colored thunder sticks has been the key. There were a fair amount of salmon pushing up river this morning. (8/27)

Lower river salmon fishing has been good on both the Pere Marquette and Big Manistee Rivers. There are a fishable number of salmon on both of these rivers. Salmon fishing should improve and begin in earnest with the next cold snap of the Weather, or hard East wind. This usually takes place just before Labor Day, when the most big kings enter the river and head up river to spawning areas. (8/23)

Jerry with a bright, fresh King from today. Heavy rains last night brought salmon right into the harbors. More fish on the way into the Pere Marquette and Big Manistee River! (8/19)

Over the past few days, salmon fishing on the lower Pere Marquette River has been outstanding! Hard east winds have brought in a big early push of bright silver chromers into the river. All of the lower sections below Indian Bridge have been fishing well. Mornings have been exceptionally good.

Brian with another gorgeous King Salmon from Pere Marquette Lake. Casting lures and jigging spoons all producing fish. East winds should keep fishing moving in. (8/19)

It should become one of the best years on record for salmon. Fish seem healthy and in good numbers so far this year! Looking for plenty more to get it cranked up! Michigan Salmon Fishing Trips.

Selection of the best colors on Thunderstick crankbaits for early king salmon. Bright colors catch fish!

Casting Thunder sticks has been the name of the game. Casting lures in and around deep water log jams has been producing violent head shakes, and big tank Chinook salmon!! Whoo Hoo King season is upon us and salmon are a little earlier this season!

Colder than average summer temperatures have made for cooler river temperatures bringing in salmon early. This should bode for great fishing during the rest of the season. Higher water levels make for easier migration into the upper sections this year. Easier swimming makes for faster migration.

Salmon numbers are up this year along with larger sized fish. If you fished with us last year, hang on to your rods, and bust out the 9 or 10 weight fly rods or heavier spinning rods. Salmon are going to be BIG this year!!

Big chrome kings absolutely crush brightly colored deep junior thunder sticks! Heart stopping hits, huge head thrashing shakes, and BIG salmon in the net!

Spring Steelhead Fishing Report – (231) 519-7348

Dr. Bob lands and gorgeous buck on the Mighty Muskegon. Still a few fish around. (5/9)

Phil (82) landed this beast of a buck today – All on his own, I might add. His largest Steelhead to date. Congratulations Phil!! (5/9)

Steelhead numbers on the Muskegon River have lowered over the past few days. Small, isolated pockets of spawning steelhead still remain. Spring Steelhead season is mostly winding down, however, we’ve had some pretty great steelhead fishing the past two days! Pictured above is Dr. Bob (80) and Mr. Phil. (82) Landing some great steelhead, and some very nice trout! Text to book >>> (231) 519-7348

Stacey with a gorgeous buck from this morning. May should offer excellent Steelhead fishing. (5/1)

This guys finished our morning half day with double while floating back to the launch. Chrome drop back hens. (5/1)

Some of the best fly fishing of the year is going on right now for Muskegon River Steelhead. Sight fishing spawning steelhead on gravel is going big time! Lots of small groups on redds. Drop back hens in the dark pockets feeding on steelhead eggs. Trout fishing for larger trout has also been excellent! Stone flies on top! Water levels are dropping – Wading is now an option. Text to book >>> (231) 519-7348

There’s literally so many Steelhead spawning right now, we can’t even take a photo without the other clients hooking a fish!! (4/21)

Steelhead Fishing has been on fire the past few days!! Lots of new fishing spawning big time! (4/21)

Trees are in bloom, weather is nice, and fishing is great right now! I’m not sure words can describe how many steelhead are in the upper river. There are steelhead spawning everywhere in the upper Muskegon River right now. Super uber prime time now for the fly fishing gravel game! Double digets on eggs patterns, stones flies, pheasant tail nymphs, Stone flies, fry patterns, and getting fish in big numbers.

Water levels are normal, 3940 cfs, making for perfect gravel fishing for Muskegon River Steelhead. Clarity is very good, 6′ to 10′ visibility. River is in perfect fishing condition. Should remain excellent for the next several weeks.

Paige with her first steelhead. This girl can fish! She landed a bunch with her dad on and afternoon trip. (4/18)

Congratulations Brian, Epic day on Muskegon River Steelhead – Landing 11 big Steelhead, and two very respectable Brown Trout. Excellent fishing! (4/18)

Great News!! We still have another months of excellent steelhead fishing ahead of us!

Steelhead nirvana and double digit days should be the norm for the next several weeks. Steelhead fishing is definitely prime time right now. Recent rains have brought bright chrome Spring Steelhead.

Water is dropping! (4420 cfs) Water clarity is much more clear.
You can see redds with lots of Steelhead spawning on gravel big time. Water temps in the low 50’s, and the main push is here! Everything is Prime! Steelhead fishing should be excellent for the next 15 days!

Scott with a gorgeous hen, Fly fishing has been excellent! Big number days coming soon! (4/10)

Lots of fish moved up to the upper river. Toby with a stout buck this morning. (4/4)

Steve’s first steelhead. Home of the chrome. Bobbers down! (4/10)

Soggy morning of Spring Steelhead fishing. The constant action kept us warmed up! (4/4)

Today: Water levels area bit higher today but stable and now dropping. 6000 cfs.

Clarity is actually really good. 3′ – 5′. Stained but definitely not “Dirty” chocolate milk.
River temperature: 41 – 42 degrees.

Spring Steelhead are in faster runs and pocket water staging to jump on gravel and begin spawning heavily. We landed hens today in all three stages. tight skein, loose, and drop backs. (4/6)

Recent rains and perfect conditions have made for some great Steelhead fishing over the past three days. The bump in the water levels have brought a new shot of bright chrome fish into the upper sections of the Mighty Muskegon River.

Small chartreuse spawn sacks, trout beads in natural colors. stone flies, and jigs tipped with wax worms have been producing a lot of fish. Steelhead have moved from winter holding areas to faster spring runs and gravel areas. Fishing should be excellent for the next several weeks. Lots of fish throughout the system with many of them actively spawning. Here are our available dates for April Steelhead – Muskegon River.

Open Guide Dates:
April 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, etc..

Fished the Middle section of the Muskegon River and found the Boat House area to be on fire this afternoon! Toby Landed a monster hen that was getting ready to spawn. Beast Mode. (3/29)

Boat House area was good to us this afternoon. Lots of bright fish moving through that area. Jesse landed this beautiful hen behind the gravel. (3/29)

Things are right on track for steelhead fishing this Spring, maybe even a little ahead of schedule if you ask some anglers. Water levels are actually normal, lower than recent years. We are finding good numbers of Steelhead throughout the Muskegon River system, although, the past few days the fish have been beat on hard, making some days better than others. We’ve been catching a lot more fish during low light conditions the last few days. First light & Last light (which has been the best for me personally). Afternoon half day trips are producing a lot of fish with much less boat traffic. Water tempratures are in the mid to upper 30’s which will begin sending the Spring Steelhead spawning season into full effect here shortly. With some consistent temperatures during the day and temps above freezing at night along with some rain forecasted over the next three days we should be seeing another fresh push of chrome entering the river system. Each morning I am seeing a few active redds but most steelhead are still being found in the deeper holes. Text to Book >>> (231) 519-7348

This Could Be You! Paul with a GIANT Beastly Buck! This steelhead gave an awesome battle, was all over the river! Trophy Steelhead for sure!

The Boys from Ontario just butchering the fish!! Centerpin beat down on some steelhead – Epic afternoon. Who lands 15 steelhead in 3 hours? These guys!

Chris with a chrome bullet hen. Starting to see a lot bright fish, with many beginning to spawn.

Maggie and Allen with a beautiful hen. First time steelhead and absolutely pummeled the fish! Muskegon River is on fire! Fishing is going to be crazy good after this warm up. (3/19)

Pretty much all the local rivers are going strong right now. The Muskegon, White, Pere Marquette, Big Manistee, and Grand Rivers are all fishing very well. Grand River, Muskegon, and White River are really on fire! A lot of chrome fish showing up, and quite a few starting to hit gravel. We landed a drop back female (spawned out) today, so some steelhead are spawning in deep water runs.

Float fishing with spawn, beads, or jig and wax worms are all fishing well. We’ve also been doing great with those crazy pink worms from Raven Tackle, or Berkley Power Worms. Basically, we’re landing a lot of steelhead each day. Half day afternoon trips are also fishing very well.

Text to Book >>> (231) 519-7348

You can tell that steelhead are really moving around when you land chrome males. Dave with a really nice, high noon, Spring Steelhead. (3/16)

Afternoon half day trips are really fishing well. Toby displays a beautiful buck from his evening trip. Michigan Spring Steelhead. (3/16)

They’re Here! I’m happy to say that Jake and I both had our first double digit day of the spring. A good mix of bright chrome hens, and some hold over males. We had a phenomenal bite most of the day. Small chartreuse spawn sacks were the key (4 egg bags). We also landed two hens that were spilling eggs this morning. Starting to see some polished gravel with some of the winter steelhead beginning to spawn. Gravel fishing will definitely be going early this season with fish already starting to spawn this early. It’s going to be a great spring steelhead migration but, it’s going to be short and quick. I’m making the prediction that the Muskegon River Spring Steelhead run will be over by April 15th… We are seeing April numbers now already.

Text to Book >>> (231) 519-7348

Jonathan with a chrome bullet hen. Lots of bright fish starting to spawn early. More on the way. (3/14)

Steelhead fishing is great and just about to get a lot better. Bright Silver fish are here now! (3/14)

Would you like to catch more Michigan Spring Steelhead? With out question, the number one, best way to improve your fishing experience, learn new techniques, catch and land more Spring Steelhead, is to hire a fishing guide. All the gear, tackle, rods, reels, and premium gear is provided. We offer both spinning tackle options, center pinning, or fly fishing. Its a pretty good deal when you can just hop in the boat, jet to a new spot, and catch fish! We have full day, and half days available in March, April, and May. (231) 519-7348

Holy crap that’s a big buck!! Liam with a colorful buck Steelhead. New fish showing up daily.

Alex with a very beautiful. Each day these fish are getting closer and closer to spawning. Float Fishing for Spring Steelhead.

The pictures above tell exactly how we love to spend our March days with clients. Limits of bright chrome, spring steelhead, and fish in the net! Winter is over and spring has sprung! The Muskegon river is now full of these beauties! Steelhead fishing has been right on track so far this week with new fish entering the river daily. The past three days have offered some very good steelhead fishing. We are averaging one steelhead per hour in the net, and trout have also been plentiful. Water temperatures are about normal. (36 – 37 degrees.) The warm spell last week brought in a lot of new steelhead into the upper sections of the river. Water conditions are just about perfect with water levels, (3600 cfs) clarity, (3′ -5′) and temperatures. It will be very nice this season, not having snow melt flood conditions this year. It’s gravy time from this point forth.

Text to Book >>> (231) 519-7348

Chrome bullets showing up every day! New fish coming into the river to spawn. Float fishing center pin with beads and spawn has been excellent!

During the past few days we’ve been catching many bright chrome steelhead. Looking forward to good numbers of Spring Steelhead. Muskegon River Steelhead Guides for Michigan.

I’ve been posting fishing reports for over 15 years, and I’ve been trying all day to think of the best way to explain this so everyone is on the same page. Most clients read a fishing report and then will book a date three weeks after the post was originally made, and then wonder why they had a three fish day on a guided trip, instead of the double digit days they had seen me post about weeks prior…The best way to explain this particular fishing report, THERE IS A SHIT TON OF STEELHEAD IN THE RIVER… NOW!! As in, you should’ve booked two weeks ago and should be fishing NOW. The Muskegon, White, and the Grand Rivers are all loaded with chrome steelhead with hardly anyone fishing them. News Flash folks…The main Spring Steelhead run has been here for four days now. I’m not sure why people are waiting to fish, but this is me telling you to book your trip now, not two weeks from now, but NOW! They’re here, with a lot more coming.. Not Joking… Helen Keller could catch a limit of Steelhead right now…(231) 519-7348

Spring Steelhead on the way!

Steelhead fishing is absolutely in for swing! We are catching a lot of fish right now! Both float fishing and fly fishing are doing great! (4/7)

Chrome. Chrome. Chrome!! Jill with her first Steelhead ever! Congratulations! Light spinning tackle float fishing on the Muskegon River. (3/29)

Tom with a great looking Steelhead. The next ten days should be on fire! It’s game on right now! (4/7)

The girls were on fire today! Lots of silvers hens with some cuties holding them! Was wonderful to have long time friends from the college years today! (3/29)

Drum roll please!! The moment we’ve all been waiting for, when giant chrome bullet hens finally enter the river in fishable numbers!! Over the past three days, we’ve had double digit hooks ups, lots of fish on, and lots of steelhead brought to hand! Winter has (mostly) lost it’s grip on Michigan, and we can finally look forward to warmer temperatures and outstanding steelhead fishing! Water temperatures remain cold so spawning is several weeks away, however, the “Bobber” bite has been ridiculous! Floats and spawn have definitely been getting it going in a big way! Spawn, beads, and jigs with wax worms have all been fishing well.

The past four days have brought us great fishing and chrome steelhead! William with his fifth of the morning!! Plenty more to come! (3/24)

This absolutely does not look like a steelhead from May 7th. Long winter making for an even longer spring steelhead season!! Fishing has been phenomenal. (5/7)

Ben with gorgeous chrome bullet hen. Starting to see some good numbers of bright new fish! (3/20)

Every day fishing has been an improvement over the last. New and larger fish showing up daily. Fly fishing stone flies has been great! (3/23)

New chrome fish and an epic morning bite. Several very good days of steelhead fishing on the Muskegon River. (3/24)

First double digit day on the Might Muskegon River. Spring is here and so is a new batch of fish. (3/20)

Seems like everything is starting to bust loose and break open into actual Spring! Both the Muskegon River and the “Flies Only” section on the Pere Marquette and both beginning to fish well. We should start seeing numbers of fish in both rivers. Fishing forecast for this weekend, and next week looks great!

Jake, Kodie, and I are guiding the Muskegon River. Ryan White is available for float trips on the Pere Marquette River, “Flies Only” sections. BGS FaceBook Page for updates.

Larry with a beautiful Spring Steelhead. Starting to see more new chromers each day! (3/17)

Great day on the water! Weather is starting to break with bright fish entering the river. Things are getting going with plenty more to come! (3/14)

Dean with his first career steelhead! Congratulations buddy! Great Spring Steelhead Fishing yesterday! (3/9)

Mark with a beast of a buck from today!! Fishing has improved greatly over the past several days. (3/17)

Jessica & Chase with a stunning bright bullet hen. Fresh mint chromers finally starting to show up in the lower to mid sections of the Muskegon River. (3/15)

Pete landed this gorgeous wild steelhead yesterday on the Muskegon River! Ice flows are gone, the river is open! (3/9)

March, 9. Spring Steelhead are finally here along with some much needed, warmer weather! The Muskegon River is free from ice flow and open, well down to the lower section, Mystery Creek Campground area. The river ice flows in the lower river should open more each day. Croton Dam through the Newaygo area is ice free, and gin clear, flowing nicely. Steelhead run should begin in earnest, with lots of new fish entering from Lake Michigan.
The first three days of the Spring Steelhead 2015 have started out well to say the least! Temperatures are finally starting to warm up and the steelhead and trout have certainly begun to take notice! If things continue to keep going like this, we should have a phenomenal Spring run. I’m looking forward to this guide season!!

Feels fantastic to out on the water! Tom with a very nice buck from this morning! Steelhead fishing is improving. (3/2)

Andy with a gorgeous Muskegon River Steelhead buck caught on a jig tipped with a wax worm. (3/1)

Late Winter offers a chance at trophy Steelhead with few anglers on the water.

Thane with a beast of a hen from the Big Manistee River. Spring Steelhead are starting!

Croton Dam Fishing Report for the Muskegon River.

Steelhead & Trout tours near Newaygo, Michigan. Located very close to Grand Rapids, Mi. Fly Fish.

Tom putting on a clinic with jigs and wax worms today while float fishing! New fish entering the river! (3/2)

Best ticket for big fish has always been our tried and true, floats and spawn, drifted through the runs and deeper holding water. A close second has been fishing hand tied fly jigs tipped with wax worms.

Andy putting up another chrome buck. Fishing has been improving. Fish moving in. (2/1)

Gorgeous Steelhead brought to hand before the crowds of April swarm the river. Solitude in fishing the winter – early Spring.

Awesome Spring Steelhead Fishing! Molly with a big Steelhead from the Muskegon River.

No doubt that winter has had an awful grip on us lately, with cabin fever running high, everyone needs to get out of the house and do some fishing!! Expected temperatures should be on the rise for next week, with excellent fishing opportunities in store for us coming up.

Late February and March offer anglers some of the best Steelhead and Trout fishing of the year. During the winter months, angling pressure is minimal and the fish get a rest, usually food is limited this time of year so trout and steelhead are on the feed during the warmest parts of the day.

Trout fishing is also phenomenal during this time of year! Many, very large trout are caught during this time of year!

BIG Fish for the grin and grip! Winter can’t last forever, now is a great time to get out of the house and chase some chrome!

During early Spring we land some of the largest Steelhead, and trophy brown trout of the year! Less anglers offers better chances at some big fish. As fishing guides, we welcome the solitude of March on the river with great fishing before the crowds of April bring hordes of people and boat traffic. Its definitely refreshing to have the river to yourself while catching lots of fish on light tackle.BGS FaceBook Page for updates.