Muskegon River Fishing Report – Newaygo, MI – August 24, 2015

Muskegon River Fishing Report – Newaygo, MI – August 24, 2015

John L, from SE Michigan, with a DANDY smally taken on his “home water” of the AuSable river…thanks for sharing Johnny !!

The Muskegon river near Newaygo, MI is currently running near average flows for the end of August.

We are still pursuing smallmouth bass with both fly fishing and light spin tackle equipment, fishing several stretches of river, including stretches down stream from Newaygo and other water above an upriver impoundment. 

Fishing has been fair – very good, it has simply been a matter of getting your “offering” in front of fish that aren’t full.  Once July arrived and brought some warmer water temperatures, many baitfish arrived and those, along with resident crayfish, have provided fish with plenty of food to choose from.

Top water action with poppers and “waking” flies has been good when we’re getting casts into tight quarters of known fish holding areas.  Subsurface fishing with crayfish and baitfish imitations is also producing fish on a regular basis.

We’re not far from seeing water conditions conducive to bringing migratory salmon up the river on their annual spawning run.  The first rivers to get such migratory fish are the Pere Marquette, followed by the Manistee and then the southern most river with a significant salmon run, the Muskegon. 

The next few weeks will find me on the lower reaches of the Pere Marquette river, where we’ll be fishing both conventional, as well as fly fishing gear for early run Chinook salmon.  If you have not fished for these before, consider it !!!  They are, hands down, the toughest toe-to-toe battle one can have with a fresh water big game fish, in a small river like the “PM”.  Shortly after the bulk of the salmon arrive on the Muskegon river – early to mid October – so to will come fall steelhead, which will be fished right up to Christmas.

Present water temperature on the Muskegon river is in the low 70’s.