Fishing Season: ALL SECTIONS OF THE UPPER Manistee River ARE OPEN

Upper Manistee River - MI

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

38

Streamside Michigan's Tip of the Week

UPPER MANISTEE RIVER UPSTREAM OF CO612 IS CLOSED TO FISHING UNTIL APRIL 30, 2022. DOWNSTREAM OF CO612 TO CCC BRIDGE IS OPEN WITH RESTRICTIONS. CHECK MICHIGAN DNR REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS. River is clear and cool. Warmer temps this week. Water temps are good levels are good, and water is clear. Streamer fishing mornings and late afternoon. Change streamer color every 20 minutes until you hit on a color fish can see best and want most. You can purchase your 2021 "All Species" license and print it out on your printer or save the PDF to your phone.... Go to the Department of Natural Resources website to purchase your new license. Go to: https://www.mdnr-elicense.com/

Directions open in app

Map of Upper Manistee River

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Hawkins Outfitters Streamside Orvis

5-Day Outlook as of 11/29/21

Wintery mix this week and colder water temps have made fishing difficult with icy guides and sluggish fish that are settling into their Winter holding water. Slow retrievals, swinging soft-hackle patterns, and Euro techniques will help reach fish that are hugging the bottom. Go to zip code 49684 for latest weather at your favorite weather site.

Techniques & Tips as of 11/29/21

It's time to move to Euro techniques. Slow eaters are waitin for the subtle, slow feed on nymphs presented on the bottom where currents are nill. Late afternoon streamer fishing if temps are well above freezing, changing color every 20 minutes until you hit an a color that is working.

Current Conditions as of 11/29/21

Wintery mix this week and colder water temps have made fishing difficult with icy guides and sluggish fish that are settling into their Winter holding water. Slow retrievals, swinging soft-hackle patterns, and Euro techniques will help reach fish that are hugging the bottom. Go to zip code 49684 for latest weather at your favorite weather site.

Local Species Available ALL SECTIONS OF THE UPPER Manistee River ARE OPEN

  • 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):
Blue Winged Olive N/A #18-22
Bead Head Woolly Bugger Streamer white, olive, black, #4-8
Blue Wing Olive Parachute N/A #18-22
Travis Hi-Vis BWO Para Emerger N/A #16-18
PMX olive #10-12
Rat black/brown #2
Bead Head Hare's Ear Nymph N/A #14-12
Gray Ghost Streamer N/A #8
Gartside Soft Hackle Streamer white, yellow, black #6
Mini D and D tan #6

Blue Winged Olive

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Streamside Michigan's Recommended Gear

Description: About Upper Manistee River

UPPER MANISTEE RIVER UPSTREAM OF CO612 IS CLOSED TO FISHING UNTIL APRIL 30, 2022. DOWNSTREAM OF CO612 TO CCC BRIDGE IS OPEN WITH RESTRICTIONS. CHECK MICHIGAN DNR REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS. 2021 MICHIGAN FISHING LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE. ALL SPECIES LICENSE IS NEEDED TO FISH FOR TROUT. GO TO: https://www.mdnr-elicense.com/ 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:

Baetis (pseudocleon anoka #20-24) when rainy or cloudy. Streamer bite is improving. Visit the STREAMSIDEORVIS.COM website for blogs, stream reports (http://www.streamsideorvis.com/blog), tips, photos... and more! Like us on Facebook too.

Best Time to Fish:

9am -3pm

Best Stretch:

Anywhere from M72 to CCC Bridge

Best Access:

Pearls on a necklace section above CCC Bridge.