Muskegon River Spring and Fall Steelhead Fishing

Muskegon river spring steelhead fishing is the best in the world! This statement might be true, if you’re a fisherman in Michigan. The Muskegon River is a great steelhead river, and should be ranked as one of the best. With some of the largest amounts of spawning gravel on any river in the Midwest, large numbers of spring steelhead spawn on the Muskegon River and return to Lake Michigan. This spawning run provides anglers with thousands of migratory rainbows called steelhead. These steelhead provide great fishing opportunities for anglers willing to travel.

The spring run of steelhead on Michigan’s Muskegon River starts in late February, and will see very large shots of fresh fish in March and April based on the weather. Spring steelhead fishing peaks the last couple weeks of April, and can continue well into May.

The fall run of steelhead from Lake Michigan is smaller, but very impressive compared to other rivers in the Midwest. Fall run steelhead start to enter the river in October and in even larger numbers in November. Water temps on the Muskegon stay warmer due to the dams / tail waters controlled environment, providing good to great fall steelhead fishing on the Muskegon River well into December. Fall steelhead are the most aggressive of the steelhead, and are the strongest and hardest to land compared to spring steelhead. The main reason steelhead enter the Muskegon river is to feed on the roe or fish eggs left over from the annual salmon spawn of thousands of Chinook salmon that entered the river in late September and early October. Days of hooking fish in every good hole is not unheard of in the fall during the peak season.

Streamer fishing tells the story. Few rivers in the Midwest can boast double digit steelhead days swinging streamers. The Muskegon River draws so many fall steelhead, that swinging streamers has become a regular practice in the Midwest rather then just drift fishing. The use of spawn and hardware is also very productive in the fall for Muskegon river steelhead.

The Muskegon River does have good access to good steelhead water, but is a better boat fishery. Miles of undeveloped land exits along the banks of the Muskegon River. The pools and runs along the Muskegon are better accessed by boat, and even finding these pools and runs can be difficult at times. The use of a guide for steelhead fishing can be an exciting and educational way to steelhead fish. With the proper guidance and some effort, anglers of all skill levels can enjoy this great river system and the great steelhead that make annual migrations into the Muskegon River, and provide vast opportunities at great fishing.

Muskegon River Map 

Jon Kestner

5421 E. Main St.

South Boardman, MI 49680