Fishing Michigan Steelhead on a Fly

Fly Fishing Michigan Steelhead

Michigan is blessed with many great rivers that steelhead call home. The Great lakes region and the "Gold coast area of Michigan" located on Michigan’s western shoreline, and including rivers such as the Manistee River, Little Manistee River, Pere Marquette River, White River, Muskegon River, and the Grand River are recognized as some of the best destinations in the Midwest as well as the United States for fly fishing anglers to pursue the sport of Steelhead fishing on a fly. Steelhead are considered by many to be one of the greatest fresh water sport fish in the world, steelhead are known to challenge the fly fishers patience, tackle and angling skills.

A few of these rivers stand alone as great fresh water fisheries for Trout, Salmon, and Steelhead, as well as good fisheries for Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike.  Each river has its own distinct appearance, flow, terrain and what seems like personality.  More importantly though, each has its place in the livelihood of Michigan’s steelhead fishery as a significant percentage of these great game fish are naturally reproduced, thus are the backbone of Great Lakes Steelhead survival.

Steelhead come into Michigan’s Gold Cost Rivers and follow the annual salmon spawning migration to feed on salmon roe (eggs) in the fall (October & November) and are the hottest fish to try and land, water temps are perfect and these silver bullets are in the air as much as in the water . The steelhead that do come into the rivers in the fall and move up the rivers in search of salmon roe, stay in the rivers thus providing an opportunity for winter fly fishing for steelhead. The winter steelhead population is joined by the main spring spawning run of steelhead starting in March and lasting into early May. Many of the holdover fall fish that stay in the rivers throughout the winter are typically the first to spawn in the spring. June brings a smaller number of steelhead into many of Michigan’s Gold Coast rivers, but what summer run fish that do come in can be fantastic on a fly rod! 

Steelhead Fishing in Michigan on a fly is some of the best fresh water fishing on a fly rod to be found. Finding these steelhead that are located in Hundreds of miles of river, not to mention multiple numbers of rivers can be the larger task at hand. A good guide will help in the pursuit of Michigan steelhead on a fly! A good guide service will put you into the best fishing the river has to offer at the time your on the river. Finding a Michigan Fly Fishing Guide with the years of knowledge and the water craft used for smaller rivers (drift boat) and for larger rivers (jet sled) can be the difference between a great day, and a boat ride!

A bonus to Michigan anglers specific to steelhead is that, contrary to their big game cousin the salmon, not all steelhead die after spawning and they provide great “drop back fishing” while they navigate their way back to lake Michigan after successfully spawning. Since this is a great resource that is self sustaining, catch and release is practiced by many anglers, and by most outfitters and guides.

Jon’s Guide Service has over 25 years experience chasing Michigan Steelhead on a fly, and understands what it takes to produce great steelhead fishing on a fly day in and day out. The use of multiple watercraft and techniques produce an experience not soon forgotten.

Jon’s Guide service can teach you how to pursue this great fish at the front end of their migration, when they are still “staging”, during the spawn where we’ll target aggressive males and when they drop back in preparation for their return to the Great Lakes. Providing year round steelhead opportunities including, spring, summer, and fall run Steelhead fishing on a fly in Michigan.

Jon Kestner

5421 E. Main St.

South Boardman, MI 49680