Muskegon River Fishing Report – Newaygo, MI – May 17, 2015

Muskegon River

I finally got to catch one !!! A true “football” Muskegon river Brown trout.

The Muskegon rive near Newaygo, MI is running around average flows for mid May and overall, in great shape as we get into the last of our spring steelhead, followed by the onset of prime trout fishing for resident Rainbow and Brown trout.  Over the next week+, we will also have “dropback” steelhead to fish for, which are often caught while stripping streamers with sinking or sink tip lines for the fly fisher, as well as baitfish imitation lures for the conventional angler, casting and retrieving through deeper pools and runs close to spawning grounds.

The annual sucker spawn is getting going now as well, which will provide the fly fisher an opportunity at some nice trout, while indicator nymphing behind the spawning suckers.  Lighter fly rods – 4-6 weights – and tippet are in order here, as sucker egg imitations are often very small, tied on #18-22 hooks, which require 5-7x tippet.

On overcast days, streamer fishing can be productive as well.   We are fishing both small salmon fry patterns, as well as streamers imitating recently stocked trout and steelhead, fished on heavier rods – 6-8 weight – with sinking or sink tip lines and tippet up to #12.

With a moderate weather forecast over the next week+, we should not see any drastic changes to the river, more likely a moderate rise in water temperatures and presuming no heavy rains, a slow drop in levels through the end of the month.

Present water temperature is still hovering in the mid 50’s.