Muskegon River Fishing Report – February 3, 2018 – Newaygo, Michigan

Muskegon River Fishing Report – February 3, 2018 – Newaygo, Michigan

Some new streamers to taunt Muskegon river trout with !

The Muskegon river fishing report for February 3, 2108 for the Newaygo, Michigan area is about the return of “winter” conditions, after an unseasonably warm run of weather for several days over the last week or so.

With the warm weather and some rain, we saw river levels come up as the result of snow melt and related runoff, but levels have since dropped and the river is running near normal flows for early February.

The two most common approaches to fishing the Muskegon river this time of winter is light line, indicator nypmhing for resident Brown and Rainbow trout, or bulking up gear slightly and going after winter steelhead.

Trout rigs are often with 5 or 6 weight fly rods, long leaders tapered down to 5 and 6 x tippet and using nymph patterns in sizes #16-20, including caddis, PT’s, scuds and midge larva just to name a few.  

Steelhead setups are with either 7 or 8 weight fly rods for heavier line indicator rigs or for “chuck and duck” fishing deeper  pools and runs.   The use of longer spinning rod setups for floating similar offerings under bobbers is also a very common method is quite user friendly for general “winter” fishing.

Both trout and steelhead fishing can be pretty good, on any given day….it’s a matter of getting just a bit of cooperation from Mother Nature to make handling equipment feasible during colder winter weather.

Present water temperature in the 34-35 degree range.