Manistee River Fishing Report for Midwinter (January, 2026)

The last few weeks’ warmup/rain cycles have added some much needed flow to the Manistee.  After peaking on January 11th, it is dropping and is in great shape. These bumps in flow should bring us more pushes of fish. Fishing has been pretty darn good the past couple of weeks with fish spread nicely throughout the river system. Water temps have been in the mid 30’s and fish have been holding in the typical winter water. Look for slower woody runs and you’ll find fish.

Indicator fishing is our go-to method this time of year. Eggs have been the top producer with larger sizes getting the job done. Colors have been a bit all over the board with yellows, chartreuse, and peachy/pink all finding fish.

It’s shaping up to be a good winter and we should find spring with a good number of fish in the river. If you’re looking to get out, watch for a warmup and give us a shout. Spring dates are starting to fill, but we still have plenty of openings. Give us a call at 231-228-7135 before it’s too late or click here to book online.

Thanks again for all of your business in 2025.  We look forward to seeing you again this year!

The Hawkins Crew

Chris Butz

Chris Butz

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