The winter fishing forecast for February is good for the Muskegon. For those looking to pursue winter steelhead. Target the slower moving pools and runs, with depths in the 6+’ range and near some form of cover, such as boulder runs and pockets, seams off log jams, and inside bends with decent depth and large rocks. Natural offerings such as caddis, pheasant tail, midge, small wiggle nymph, and black stoneflies will get the attention of fish when presented correctly. Fish bait, such as spawn and wax worms, fished under floats/bobbers will also produce. The fly angler pursuing steelhead will use a longer rod, with lighter tippet, for indicator nymph fishing. A common setup would be a 10+’ rod, in the 6-8 weight range, with floating line, tapered leader and small nymphs tied on line as light as 4# test.The spin angler will be floating their flies or bait in a similar fashion, but able to cover more water because of very long drifts that are possible with spin gear setups. Baitcaster rigs work well in cold weather for several reasons, the most obvious being real long drifts, very little line maintenance/mending and easy hook sets with the turn of the reel handle and lifting of rod to set the hook.
Resident rainbow and brown trout can be concentrated in certain runs this time of year and once identified, can be easy to catch after getting intricacies of presentation worked out. Long, natural drifts are key to the fly angler in pursuit of trout in such conditions and water temperatures. A lighter tippet may become necessary as well. Don’t be afraid to drop down to 2-3# test line. Small nymphs, in #18-22, are going to get more looks than larger, beefier fly patterns as these small insects are most prevalent in winter. For the spin anglers, it’s either light line with bait under bobbers or small spinners, fished in the same slower-moving water, with a slow-medium speed retrieve.
Getting to good water in the winter can be a challenge. The county maintained roads off Pine St, Thornapple, Henning County Park and Newbridge access sites all have good water within walking distance. Before you head out it’s a good idea to check the river’s water levels because of the inherent dangers associated with wade fishing Michigan rivers in the winter. A quick internet search using words like USGS water levels for Muskegon River will get you information about current water levels and temperatures.
Target the warmest part of the day while pursuing both trout and steelhead on the Muskegon River. Sunny days are good too because of the radiant heat the sun provides. The sun may not warm up the water much, but it warms the river bottom and in turn, gets the insects a bit more active. Winter specials are available for anglers looking to get out for a special half-day outing, please contact me for additional details.
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