Manistee River

The Manistee River is one of Michigan's largest and most productive trout and salmon rivers, flowing over 190 miles through the forests of the northern Lower Peninsula before reaching Lake Michigan near the city of Manistee. The upper river above Tippy Dam offers outstanding wade fishing for resident brown trout in a setting of cedar swamps and hardwood forests, with the river's spring-fed tributaries maintaining cool temperatures even during the warmest summer months. The Manistee's broad, gentle current and sandy bottom make it an approachable river for anglers of all experience levels, yet its deeper pools and undercut banks harbor brown trout of genuinely impressive size.

Below Tippy Dam, the Manistee transforms into one of the Great Lakes' premier steelhead and salmon fisheries. Fall brings massive runs of Chinook salmon that stack up below the dam, followed by steelhead that enter the river from October through spring. The steelhead fishing below Tippy Dam draws anglers from across the Midwest, with fish averaging 8 to 12 pounds and occasional specimens exceeding 15 pounds providing fights that test both tackle and stamina. The river's Hex hatch on the upper sections in late June rivals the Au Sable's legendary emergence, and the diverse character of the Manistee, from intimate upper headwaters to powerful lower stretches, ensures that every type of fly angler can find water suited to their preferences and abilities.