S pring is a great time to be on the Muskegon River. Migratory steelhead are making their way up river from Lake Michigan on their annual spawning run, and resident rainbow and brown trout are becoming very active after a couple of months of lethargic living in the chilly water during the winter months. With both flyfishing and light spin tackle gear, we fish steelhead and resident trout through most of May before the insect hatches begin. Such hatch activity marks the beginning of prime time dry fly fishing on the Muskegon River for resident trout, who will be “looking up” for the next month. They will be feeding on cinnamon caddis, suphurs, BWO’s, gray drakes and isonychia flies that are both emerging to take flight for the first time, as well as those bugs returning to the river during egg laying and “spinner falls”.
With several different setups available to both the fly fisher and conventional tackle angler, it’s a matter of personal preference, coupled with what’s best for present river conditions. Fly gear setups include 7 or 8 weight rods in the 9-10’ range for fishing both streamer on sinking or sink tip lines, as well as chuck and duck rigs for bottom bouncing. Tippet in the 8-10# range is ample line strength. When river levels are at or near normal flows, floating line, indicator setups work good as well when fishing around spawning areas. For those looking to “swing” flies to steelhead, that be done with both one and two handed rods, most often matched with the right sink tips, which can range from 10-20’ in length, with type 2-4 sink rates. Heavier tippet in the 15+# range for swung flies recommended. When a steelhead takes a swung fly, it’s usually with some authority!
The conventional anglers setups are most often either longer rods in the 11- 12’ length for fishing bait or flies under bobbers, as well as 9-10’ rods for bottom bouncing the same offering. Again, 8-10# tippet fine for present water conditions. As we progress through spring and into early summer late May – June, we’ll see the last of our spring steelhead in the Muskegon mid-to-late May. Following the steelhead are the resident and migratory suckers that come up to spawn and we’ll fish tiny sucker eggs behind them for trout sipping on these micro morsels. Around that time of late spring, we’ll also have some good streamer fishing before major hatches. Fishing mostly 6 & 7 weight rods with sinking or sink tip lines, we fish “on the move”, as I row down stream, and you fish likely trout holding “lies”. Not far off is the onset of our first, good insect hatches that can start as early as late May, but June is the better bet. This provides some great dry fly fishing to take us into the remainder of our summer where trout fishing will turn into chasing smallmouth bass and pike July and August.
Tight lines and feel free to call or email me with any questions or for current river conditions.