Muskegon River Fishing Report – January 4, 2023 – Newaygo, Michigan

Over the last week+, the Muskegon river has seen a lot of changes due to unseasonably warm weather, which melted most of the 20’ish inches of snow that fell between Croton and Rogers dam reservoirs the week prior. The river level and temperature did come up as a result, but this will likely be short lived and we’ll probably see levels drop back to near normal and temperatures return to the 33-34 degree range it was at prior to Christmas.

All that being said, there are both resident Brown and Rainbow trout, as well as some migratory steelhead that are “wintering over” in the river, that need to eat and are there to be caught.

With both fly fishing and conventional equipment, focusing on the most likely winter “lies”, will put you in the best position to hook fish during this time of winter. I have not heard any reports from friends or fellow guides about any new steelhead coming in from lake Michigan and although we may see a trickle of them here and there, we’ll most likely have to wait another couple months for the start of our spring steelhead run.

Should anyone be considering getting out for some walk in/wade fishing on west Michigan rivers such as the Rogue, White or Pere Marquette rivers and would like some suggestions on rigging and locations to get into some “fishy” water, don’t hesitate calling or sending me an email – 616-560-3195.

For now,

Jeff