Manistee River Steelhead Fishing Report for 10.16.25

 

The Manistee River below Tippy Dam is running very low and clear right now with the unseasonably warm weather and lack of rain. The salmon run has been a bit behind schedule with the warmer temps, but this past week most fish have jumped on gravel and are spawning.

We have switched over to steelhead and it feels like there is a good number of fish scattered throughout the system. Most are sitting behind spawning salmon, but we are finding travelers in the sand as well. Eggs have been the name of the game with top colors being yellows, peaches, and muted oranges. Brighter colors in the morning and then duller tones as the day brightens up. I’ve had a few fish eat buggers as well in the sand. It looks like we have a cool down and some rain in the forecast next week which should set us up nicely for the rest of the Fall.

UPDATE:  we got a fair amount of nice steady rain over the weekend, which should not only raise up river levels, but also bring in some new fish.

We still ahve some openings but they are filling fast.  Please either call the office at 231-218-7135 or click here to book online!

Thanks for your business!

The Hawkins Crew

Chris Butz

Chris Butz

hawkins-little-rascal

Hawkins Little Rascal

Last spring, I was fishing below Tippy Dam throwing streamers for trout. There were lots of bank anglers fishing spawn sacks and a lot of heavy pressure from boat anglers....
streamer-stripping-helpful-tips

Streamer Stripping Helpful Tips

How many times have you heard the phrase “don’t stop moving your streamer”, when streamer fishing?  It’s an interesting phrase and there is it a lot of truth to it...
3-fly-lines-for-spring-fishing

3 Lines for Spring Fishing

One of the most important parts of your fly fishing gear is the fly line. Having the correct fly line for spring fishing conditions is not only important to catching...
garden-river-fly-fishing

2015 Garden River Fly Fishing Recap

Garden River fly fishing for King and Pink salmon in Sault St Marie, Canada is some of the best in the Midwest Region. Garden River fly Fishing for Salmon on...