After a long, cold winter we are finally starting to see some signs of spring. Rain and snowmelt earlier in the week have bumped up the flows on the Manistee and given the river a great green color. There is already an impressive number of steelhead in the river and this increase in flows should give us another shot of fish to add to the mix.
Water temps are still cold, but are starting to slowly creep up. Most fish are still in the slow, woody water, but we did pick up a few fish in slightly quicker water. Eggs have still been the number one producer. Muted orange was the ticket the other day, but keep changing colors until you find what they want. There are also some stoneflies hatching now, so make sure to carry a selection of those as well. The extended forecast looks great and should get our spring steelhead fishing really rolling.
We still have some dates available, so give us a call at 231-228-7135 or click here to get on the calendar.
The Hawkins Team
Manistee River Steelhead Fishing Report – April 11, 2026
