Fishing Season: Upper Manistee is fully open. Catch and Release M72-CCC

Upper Manistee River - MI

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

69

Streamside Michigan's Tip of the Week

UPPER MANISTEE RIVER IS NOW FULLY OPEN. M72 TO CCC BRIDGE IS OPEN FLIES-ONLY. CHECK MICHIGAN DNR REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC GEAR RESTRICTIONS. 2025 All species flishing license is now required. https://www.mdnr-elicense.com Seasonally warm temps this week with just a chance of some rain later in the week. Streamer fishing early mornings has been good. Low light is still the key. Light Cahills are coming downstream late afternoons and evenings. Streamer fish or fish attractors like a Patriot or Oh-So-Iso until early evening. Midday terrestrial fishing with hoppers, beetles, and attractors like rubber-legged patterns are now the strategy for the next month. Remember to change to a beetle when wading through shaded, cedar swamp areas. Then change back to hoppers when the sun returns to the grassy banks. Late night mousing after dark is also starting to show good results. Trout season is now open statewide. Check your Michigan DNR regs. DON'T FORGET YOUR 2025 ALL SPECIES FISHING LICENSE IS NEEDED NOW. Go to: https://www.mdnr-elicense.com

Directions open in app

Map of Upper Manistee River

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Hawkins Outfitters
Streamside Orvis

5-Day Outlook as of 7/21/25

Air temps in the upper 70's into the 90's will continue this week. Terrestrial patterns and rubber-legged attractors are the ticket. Streamer fishing will continue to be good mornings. Some Light Cahill activity evenings and perhaps baetis when cooling, clouds and some rain show up mid-week. Go to zip code 49684 for latest weather at your favorite weather site.

Techniques & Tips as of 7/21/25

Streamer fishing will be the choice to start the day. Fish attractors and terrestrials mid-afternoons. When streamer fishing, change color every 20 minutes. Late evenings is mouse time.

Local Species Available Upper Manistee is fully open. Catch and Release M72-CCC

  • Fish Icon

    Brown and brook trout

Streamside Michigan's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Dave's Oh-So-Iso N/A #12-14
Light Cahill N/A #12-14
Quick-Sight™ Beetle N/A #14
Schroeder's Parachute Hopper N/A #12
Gartside Hopper gray #10
Patriot N/A #12
Blue Wing Olive Parachute N/A #18
Adams Parachute Dry Fly N/A #12-14
Betsie Special N/A #10
Ron's Yellow Skunk N/A #12

Dave's Oh-So-Iso

This Slate Drake fly is the ultimate Iso imitation.

3.49

Item #26X9

Buy Now

Streamside Michigan's Recommended Gear

Description: About Upper Manistee River

UPPER MANISTEE RIVER IS NOW OPEN CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY FROM CO612 TO M72 AND CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY AND FLIES ONLY M72 TO CCC BRIDGE. CHECK MICHIGAN DNR REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC GEAR RESTRICTIONS. Traditional statewide trout season reopens April 26, 2025. Special extended season regulations began October 1, 2024 and continue this week. Check Michigan DNR regs for details. 2023 MICHIGAN FISHING LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE. ALL SPECIES LICENSE IS NEEDED TO FISH FOR TROUT. GO TO: https://https://www.mdnr-elicense.com/?utm_source=migovt&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=fishing21 The Upper Manistee is perhaps Michigan’s finest self-sustaining trout stream. More than 60 miles of wadeable water from its headwaters to the “flies-only” section downstream, make it truly Michigan’s most accessible fly angling water. The river is approximately thirty to sixty feet across in most stretches with an easy gradient and sand and gravel bottom. Extended season sections from M72 downstream to CCC Bridge provide tight-line techniques and streamer fishing all winter as access provides until Spring arrives. April and May offers good hatches of black caddis, Hendricksons and early black stoneflies. Self-sustaining populations of brook and brown trout feed on these early hatches once waters warm into the low 50’s. May brings good numbers of Hendricksons, caddis, and sulfur mayflies. June begins with sulfurs that hatch early evenings and ends with isonychia, brown drakes and the famous "Hex" hatch that comes off at dark. These hatches can move fish as large as 30 inches! July begins with the "Hex" (hexagenia limbata) and finishes with the start of terrestrial season. Hoppers, beetles, ants, dominate the trout’s diet for the next month and a half. In September, we turn our attention to streamer fishing and tiny blue wing olive mayflies. Guides are available daily for float trips. https://streamsideorvis.com/guided-trips/book-guided-trips/

Nearest Airport:

Cherry Capital (TVC)

Hatches:

Light Cahills #12-14, Baetis #18 when overcast or rain Visit the STREAMSIDEORVIS.COM website for tips, stream reports tips, photos... and more! Like us on Facebook too.

Best Time to Fish:

noon to 5pm

Best Stretch:

Airport to CCC Bridge

Best Access:

3 Mile Access