Muskegon River Fishing Report – November 6, 2023 – Newaygo, Michigan

Father – Daughter Steelhead outing in west Michigan…..Katrina came back from sunny AZ to tangle with some Michigan “chrome”………Craig found some fish to play with as well !

The Muskegon river is at the onset of the fall/early winter steelhead season and it will run through December, maybe a little longer depending on river conditions.

We’re not seeing as many steelhead in any rivers in Michigan this fall and that comes as no surprise, we’re on a bit of a down “tick” with our Great Lakes steelhead population. That being said, there are some really nice migratory steelhead to pursue and I will be doing so as long as conditions and a few cooperative fish allow for it.

Using both fly fishing and conventional equipment, we’re using setups rigged to catch not only steelhead, but also resident Brown and Rainbow trout. With river levels low and the water running very clear, it’s a combination of a stealthy approach and many years of experience, to find some fish to bend the rod and bring to net. Despite the pretty consistent rains over the last few weeks, we’re running below “average” flows on most all Michigan rivers that get migratory fish from lake Michigan.

As long as ‘Ol Man Winter doesn’t show up and put us into a big chill like last year mid November, we should see fish-able conditions through the holidays and possibly into the new year.

Looking for a report or some local knowledge on where to walk into for a few hours of wade fishing on the Rogue, White or Pere Marquette rivers, feel free to call or email me and I’d be happy to help out – jrbacon@ameritech.net – 616-560-3195

For now..

Jeff