Muskegon River Fishing Report – Newaygo, MI – July 30, 2015

Muskegon River Fishing Report – Newaygo, MI – July 30, 2015

Jack, from Spring Lake, MI with one of several very scrappy Smallmouth bass that he caught on father-son-grandpa outing on the Muskegon river.

The Muskegon river near Newaygo, MI is running a little below average for this time of summer, with water levels having slowly dropped over the last handful of days.  With dropping water and more typical summer air temperatures, the river has warmed up and is in prime smallmouth condition right now and will be for the next month !

We are fishing them with  fly fishing equipment and light spin tackle gear and getting them on both topwater poppers, as well as subsurface imitations of baitfish and crayfish.  The topwater “bite” has not been limited to low light hours of morning and evening, in fact we’re finding fish willing to come to the surface at all times of the day.

Fly rods being used are 6-8 weight rods, in 9 or 10′ lengths, with either bass taper floating lines, floating lines with sink tips or sinking lines such as Orvis Depth Charge or Rio Avid lines, in 200 & 250 grain weights. 

Dan, with son Jack, and a nice “Smally” taken on a topwater popper.

Light spin tackle setups are medium light action rods in 6-7′ lengths, with open face spinning reels spooled with Seaguar Kanzen braided line in 15# test and tipped with 3-5′ of 8 or 10# fluorocarbon. 

As August arrives and summer conditions continue, other stretches of the Muskegon river will be fished more and pending water quality conditions, the Grand river may come into play yet this summer.

Present water temperature in the low 70’s.