Michigan Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Fishing For Salmon Trout Steelhead Smallmouth Bass

Muskegon River Guided Fishing

The Muskegon River is a tributary to Lake Michigan. It is well known for its tremendous runs of steelhead and salmon. It is also recently famous for its population of resident brown trout and rainbow trout along with its prolific hatches due to the re-licensing of Croton Dam, and the fact that it is a tail water fishery.

The Muskegon flows out of Houghton Lake over 200 miles away from Lake Michigan. It’s not the upper 100 plus miles of water that it is famous for but the mileage below Croton Dam. With the help of Croton Dam and its cold, stable water, the river harbors tremendous numbers of resident brown and rainbow trout coupled with prolific runs of steelhead and salmon. The Muskegon is also a growing “bug factory” ever getting better with “run of the river”, the new release schedule agreed upon by Consumers Power Company (CMS Energy) which is the operator of Croton Dam, and runs flows close to that of a natural dam free river. The new program came about in July of 1994 and is responsible for managing more consistent flows which have stabilized the fishery.

Croton Dam (Newaygo area) to Lake Michigan is the most popular and productive. The river is very large, with many sections wider than 300 feet. The river bottom consists of gravel, sand, and aquatic grasses, and the biomass is rich. It is not uncommon to find good amounts of spawning fish in the section from Croton dam to Newaygo, and to find many areas where trout work on secondary hatches during most of the day. Riffles, pools, and long deep runs make this river a great fishery.

Steelhead can be found in the river anytime from fall through spring, and the river is known for its great winter steelhead fishing. In the fall, Steelhead enter the river to feed on salmon roe and can be extremely aggressive, and makes them one of the best fish that Michigan has to offer on a fly rod. Egg patterns and streamers are the most popular in the fall and early winter along with streamers and nymphs. Late winter and early spring is spawning time for steelhead. The fish at this time are a little less aggressive, but the numbers are larger, but so is the fishing pressure! Heavy runs of steelhead enter in the spring in preparation to spawn on the river’s many gravel runs. Salmon enter the river in late September and can be in the river till mid November. Fishing behind spawning salmon can produce great results!

Hatches on the Muskegon include a variety of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddis. Some of the Muskegon’s mayflies include Gray Drakes, Blue-winged Olives, Isonycias, and sulphurs, many caddis species and sizes. Little blacks are the predominant species of stoneflies and hatch strong in the late spring.

The best way to fish this big river is by boat. This will enable you to get to the pools and runs inaccessible to wade fishing, and help to get away from fishing pressure. Good access areas can be found along the way down the river, a couple of which are found at Thornapple on the south side of the river and at Pine St. on the north side, both a short distance below the dam where access is also good. Henning Park, as well as Newaygo are also good areas.

With tremendous runs of steelhead and salmon along with its great population of trout and good to great hatches of insects, this fishery has become one of the best in the Midwest. Only its neighbors, the Pere Marquette, AuSable and the Manistee, have equal diversity.

Although the access and wade fishing is good on this river, the use of a guide will always provide a safe, exciting educational experience, and put you on the best fishing the river has to offer at that time of year.

Special Regulations, Muskegon River

Muskegon River from Croton Dam downstream to Thornapple Boat Launch: Type 4

· Open season - All year

· Possession Season - Last Saturday In April - September

· Tackle - All

· Daily Harvest Limit - 5/3* * 5 fish, with no more than 3 fish 15 inches or larger, and no more than 1 Atlantic salmon.
All grayling must be released immediately.

· Brook Trout 8", Brown Trout 10", Rainbow Trout 10", Splake 10", Lake Trout 24", Coho, Chinook, & Pink Salmon 10", Atlantic Salmon 15"
Muskegon River from Thornapple Boat Launch downstream to M-120: Type 3

· Open season - All year

· Possession season - All year.

· Tackle - All

· Daily Harvest Limit - 5/3* * 5 fish, with no more than 3 fish 15 inches or larger, and no more than 1 Atlantic salmon.
All grayling must be released immediately.

· Brook Trout 15", Brown Trout 15", Rainbow Trout 15", Splake 15", Lake Trout 24", Coho, Chinook, & Pink Salmon 10", Atlantic Salmon 15"
Muskegon R., from Roger's Dam downstream to below the south-bound lane of US-131 is closed to fishing Mar.16-Friday before last Sat. in April.

Note: All stretches of water not listed are Type 1 Regulations

· Open Season - Last Saturday In April - September 30th

· Possession Season - Last Saturday In April - September 30th

· Tackle - All

· Daily Harvest limit - 5/3* * 5 fish, with no more than 3 fish 15 inches or larger, and no more than 1 Atlantic salmon.
All grayling must be released immediately.

· Brook Trout - 8" Lower Peninsula 7" Upper Peninsula

· Brown Trout - 8" Lower Peninsula 7" Upper Peninsula

· Rainbow Trout - 10"

· Splake - 8"

· Lake Trout - 24"

· Coho, Chinook, & Pink Salmon -10"

· Atlantic Salmon - 15"