West Michigan Guide Service

West Michigan Guide Service is located in Newaygo and offers to show you a memorable time in these waters. A day on the water with Capt. Nate starts early (the early bird gets the worm).  You will get on a nice 18’ Tracy’s Custom riverboat that can safely take up to 3 anglers and the captain will put a high-end rod and reel in your hand. His knowledge of the water will be shown immediately. He will teach you the proper techniques to maximize your fishing experience. You will have lots of laughs throughout your day, as rule number 1 is – have fun.

Capt. Nate offers 4 to 6-hour trips, mainly fishing for Brown Trout, Bass, Rainbow Trout, Salmon, and Walleye, depending on the season and conditions on the day. On these trips, you can expect to use techniques such as light tackle, fly fishing, drift fishing, and spinning.

Please make sure to buy a valid fishing license ahead of time. The crew will clean and fillet your catch for you to take home at the end of the trip. The boat will be supplied with snacks and drinks for your pleasure, be sure to let the captain know if you have any questions or want to bring your own.

By the end of your trip, you will be saying that the captain worked his tail off for you to put and keep you on fish. At West Michigan Guide Service, they have a borderline unhealthy passion for what they do and strive every day to be at their best.

Having been guiding for 20 years and fishing much longer than that, Capt. Nate looks forward to having you on the boat for a fun day catching fish.



Trip availability and prices

  • Private trip
    4 Hour Trip (AM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    Price for 2 persons
    US $400
    Enjoy a 4-hour morning fishing trip with Capt. Nate. He will take you aboard his comfortable and reliable riverboat to fish the beautiful Muskegon River. The trip price includes all the tackle needed for fishing. Keep in mind that the trip is for 2 people maximum.
  • Private trip
    4 Hour Trip (PM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 4:00 PM
    Price for 2 persons
    US $400
    Up to 3 anglers can come on this trip. You and Captain Nate will spend 4 beautiful afternoon hours on the Muskegon River fishing for Brown and Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Smallmouth bass, as well as Chinook Salmon. The trip begins at 4:00 p.m.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip (AM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    Price for 2 persons
    US $500
    Enjoy even more time on the river by picking this fun-packed 6-hour fishing adventure. You and Captain Nate will have a great time chasing many different species in the Muskegon River. All trips include the tackle needed for fishing as well as a hot snack cooked on the boat. Up to 2 guests can come on board.
There are 3 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 7 reviews
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (5)
Fall Steelhead trip
Great trip!
Great trip!
+2
Angler rating
7
0
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
100%
Appropriate for children
67%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
100%
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Showing:
5 of 7 reviews
Tom H.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great trip!

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip (PM) MAX 3 on October 15, 2023
I took my teenaged son salmon fishing for the first time with Capt. Joe.  He put us on a ton of fish, and my son landed this...
Tom H. recommends West Michigan Guide Service
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Tom H. recommends West Michigan Guide Service
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Tom H.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fall Steelhead trip

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip (AM) MAX 3 on October 23, 2023
I brought my son and nephew, who had never fish salmon or steelhead.  Although the steelhead weren’t hungry today, we had...
Tom H. recommends West Michigan Guide Service
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  Nate Wellman Captain replied

Bobby P.
Paoli, IN
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Trip with Captain Joe.

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip (AM) MAX 3 on September 14, 2023
Excellent fishing trip.Joe was a great guide. Loved the big river boats for comfort.
Bobby P. recommends West Michigan Guide Service
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You and 1 other person found this review helpful
  Nate Wellman Captain replied

Robert B.
Midland, MI
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

April fishing trip

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip (PM) MAX 3 on April 11, 2023
Robert B. recommends West Michigan Guide Service
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  Nate Wellman Captain replied

Tony M.
Jackson, MI
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

November fishing trip

VERIFIED   4 Hour Trip (AM) MAX 3 on November 14, 2022
Tony M. recommends West Michigan Guide Service
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  Nate Wellman Captain replied

FAQs about West Michigan Guide Service

West Michigan Guide Service offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $400 per group, additional US $150 per person after 2 guests - 4 Hour Trip (AM) MAX 3 (4 hours)
  • US $400 per group, additional US $150 per person after 2 guests - 4 Hour Trip (PM) MAX 3 (4 hours)
  • US $500 per group, additional US $150 per person after 2 guests - 6 Hour Trip (AM) MAX 3 (6 hours)

When you book a trip with West Michigan Guide Service, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Live Bait Well

Trips booked with West Michigan Guide Service include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Live Bait (We have all bait needed and ready when you get on the boat.)
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting (All fish cleaning is included also we bag them for you.)
  • Snacks (We traditionally have some waters and small snacks on the boats. We do encourage customers to bring what they want to eat and drink with them. Alcohol is allowed)
  • Drinks (We normally have water and possibly a few sodas on the boat. We encourage customers to bring what they want to drink. )
  • Fly Fishing Equipment

West Michigan Guide Service offers the following type of fishing:
  • River Fishing (We primarily guide on the Muskegon River but also bounce around to the Grand,Manistee,White and Pere Marquette rivers if we need to for better fishing.)

West Michigan Guide Service offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Spinning
  • Fly Fishing
  • Drift Fishing

Top targeted fish species with West Michigan Guide Service include:
  • Bass (Smallmouth)
  • Brown Trout
  • Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
  • Salmon (Chinook)
  • Walleye

Your captain

Nate Wellman
Newaygo, Michigan, United States
14 Customer reviews
Response time 10 hours
Member since March 2022
Capt. Nate Wellman grew up fishing with his dad every chance they could, that is where the captain's love for fishing started. He looked at his dad when he was 10 and told him he wants to fish every day for the rest of his life. Capt. Nate has never looked back from there.

The fish you can target

Bass (Smallmouth) Smallmouth Bass
Brown Trout Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Salmon (Chinook) Chinook Salmon

What the boat is like

Boat Image
Boat category
Skiffs and flats boats
Capacity
3 persons
Boat length
18 ft
Year built
2019
Boat manufacturer
Tracy's Custom Riverboats
Boat type
Aluminum fishing

Engine model
Yamaha
Powered by
1 x 150HP
Max cruising speed
20 knots

Which types of fishing are offered

River Fishing
We primarily guide on the Muskegon River but also bounce around to the Grand,Manistee,White and Pere Marquette rivers if we need to for better fishing.

Which fishing techniques you can try

Light Tackle
Spinning
Fly Fishing
Drift Fishing

Which amenities are available onboard

GPS
Fishfinder
Live Bait Well

What’s included in the trip price

Rods, reels & tackle
Live Bait
We have all bait needed and ready when you get on the boat.
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
All fish cleaning is included also we bag them for you.
Snacks
We traditionally have some waters and small snacks on the boats. We do encourage customers to bring what they want to eat and drink with them. Alcohol is allowed
Drinks
We normally have water and possibly a few sodas on the boat. We encourage customers to bring what they want to drink.
Fly Fishing Equipment

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 7 days prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 7 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

What the listing policies are

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
We absolutely love to have kids on the boat truly my favorite trips to take!!!
You Keep Catch
Catch and Release Allowed

How you can pay

Book with 15% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 15% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
PayPal
Checks
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 5% charge will apply.