Muskegon River Fishing Report – Newaygo, MI – September 28, 2016

Muskegon River Fishing Report – Newaygo, MI – September 28, 2016

The Muskegon river fishing report for the Newaygo, MI area is now shifting to our prized Great Lakes big game fish….Chinook salmon and Steelhead !

Thom, from CO, with a hefty Pere Marquette river salmon caught while fishing with his son Elliott.

With the cooler nights over the past week, water temperatures have dropped 5 degrees in the last 5 days, which is significant for a very large river such as the Muskegon.  Some of the salmon that had been “staging” in the lower river, have made their way to the Newaygo area and will once again “stage” there before finding spawning grounds.

Elliott with a nice Pere Marquette river salmon…his first great lakes big game fish !!

Not far behind the salmon will be the highly sought after fall steelhead.  This is arguably the fastest fresh water fish on the planet, with blazing runs and epic jumps that bring them out of the water 6 feet or more.  Fall steelhead fishing on the Muskegon river goes MUCH longer than any other river in Michigan, or the Midwest for that matter.  Starting in October once we have spawning salmon, the fall/early winter steelhead season goes right up to Christmas most years.  We’ll still have steelhead in the river well past Christmas, but at that point it becomes a matter of water temperature and if temps stay closer to 45 than 40, quality fishing can be had into the new year.

Not to be forgotten are the resident Brown and Rainbow trout that will be posting up behind the spawning salmon, taking advantage of easy meals in the form of loose eggs and insects that get kicked up during the salmon spawn.  Some of the largest trout of the year are caught behind spawning migratory fish.

Shortly after the steelhead arrive, we’ll see some lake run Brown trout come into the river from lake Michigan and they’ll provide an outside chance at a great lakes Grand Slam……Salmon, Steelhead and lake run Brown trout.

With both fly fishing and light spin tackle, we’ll be pursuing all species of fish this fall and hope you have a chance to get out.

Present water temperature of the Muskegon river near Newaygo is in the 66 degree range.