Muskegon River Fishing Report – March 31, 2024 – Newaygo, Michigan

The Muskegon river spring steelhead run is in progress and it looks like we’ll FINALLY get more spring like weather over the next week+, after having ‘Ol Man Winter come back a couple of times over the last few weeks.

With warming river temperatures, we should see more steelhead come in from lake Michigan in groups -vs- the “trickle affect” we’ve seen over the last week or so. Despite well below average river levels, the adult steelhead will have to come in at some point, unlike the fall run where if conditions are favorable, they can simply stay in lake Michigan. The spring fish are coming up river on their annual spawning run and can only fend of their biological clocks for so long before they have to come in and complete their spawn.

We’re also catching resident Brown and Rainbow trout now, as they are keying in on the easy meals of loose steelhead eggs and nymphs/larva that are kicked up during the steelhead spawning process.

We had a great couple days of early dry fly action with a substantial stone fly hatch that had resident trout “looking up” on sunny days. This hatch happens every year, but we’re usually in colder river temperatures AND have more steelhead spawning, which makes it easy for the trout to simply wait on high protein eggs coming to them, instead of chasing down surface flies. So, it’s a great opportunity for the fly fisher to get in on some early spring dry fly fishing that doesn’t come along regularly.

With both fly fishing and conventional equipment, we’re able to pursue migratory steelhead and resident trout around spawning grounds and the deeper “tailouts” around most all of them, but when bugs are popping off, it’s 5 weights only !!!

Good fishing, touch base with any questions about fishing, rigging, locations, etc.. Know that for any looking to get out this spring, my schedule is full, but happy to talk about early summer trout, mid to late summer smallmouth/pike, as well as my rapidly filling fall salmon and steelhead fishing schedule.

For now,

Jeff

616-560-3195