Steelhead fishing in the Manistee River provides countless hours of angling excitement and enjoyment. This is one of Michigan’s favorite sport fish, and for good reason – they are feisty fighters and their meat tastes amazing no matter how you prepare it.
As a rule of thumb, all Great Lake tributaries offer strong Steelhead fisheries, but the Manistee area is one of the top ones. You’ll get the best action below Tippy Dam, which is where most of the fishing guides are based. This 25-mile long section is strategically the best position for fishing since it’s the main route for Steelhead migration.
In the summer, there’s an open-water Steelhead fishery in Lake Michigan, where you can catch this species as they head offshore. These trips usually require a full day commitment, especially if you’re also targeting Salmon, who seek out cold water. Steelhead start their upstream run in October. The streams and creeks are full of them until May, when they finish their spawning and move back to the lake. However, you can find them in the Manistee River year round.
You can catch Steelhead even if you don’t have any previous experience. Your fishing guide can easily adjust the technique you’ll be using, so even first-timers can have their moment of victory. In streams, you’ll mostly cast with live bait, while lake fishing usually means trolling. Water temperatures make Steelhead unstoppable in fall and winter and, if you really want to test your skills, try landing them on a fly.
It doesn’t matter what time of the year you book your trip – in the Manistee River Steelhead fishing is always a promising adventure!
