The mad rush of salmon anglers and the early fall steelheaders have come and gone, but it’s not over, it’s far from over. November on the Manistee River is a time of the year you can be fishing the upper stretches of the river below Tippy Dam for brown trout, coho, and steelhead one day and be in the lower reaches solely searching for Mr. or Mrs. Chrome the next. The brown trout fishing below Tippy Dam can be pretty amazing in November; they are all fattened up from eating salmon spawn and are typically very aggressive. This is a nice time of the year to get the light tackle back out, whether it be spinning gear or fly gear with Rapalas or streamers and don’t be surprised if you pick up a steelhead or coho while doing it.
In November, the water and weather are starting to make major changes but there are no less fish. It’s time to put the enclosures on the boats, throw the heaters in, and get after it. While a lot of people are out chasing whitetails I would much prefer to be catching some steelhead. We still fish using some of the same techniques as we do in October, just fish a little different type of water.
Water temperatures cool into the lower 50’s to upper 40’s and as they cool the steelhead lie in slower currents (less work). When this is noticeable we switch over to techniques with a slower presentation such as float rods with centerpins, spinning gear with bobbers, and fly rods with floating lines and floats. Slower snaggier type water is where these fish like to live throughout the colder months, typically late November through March. The most common set up for this type of fishing is a 10 to 12 foot spinning rod rigged with 10 pound mainline, 8 pound leader a bobber so your depth can be adjusted to hang your bait of choice over the wood where these fish live while they are in the river. Bait can be anything from spawn, trout beads, jigs, egg flies to some sort of aquatic nymph pattern. Same tactics are used for the centerpin and fly anglers also. Slightly different riggings of course. This is a great time of the year to get out and enjoy a day of steelheading on the Manistee without the crowds and get a break from the hustle and bustle of normal life. Come on up and see what Northern Michigan has to offer, you will like it!
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