Although it took longer than usual, summer finally arrived in West Michigan but will soon give way to early fall and the exciting changes in fishing the Muskegon River.
Warm water species such as smallmouth bass and northern pike are at their peak and will continue to feed heavily as cooler temperatures roll in, and the days become shorter. Early run chinook salmon are in the river, as well as some stray skamania steelhead, but the bulk of the salmon run wonât come in until late September. Resident rainbow and brown trout fishing is fair but will improve once our late summer caddis hatches begin. Until then, indicator nymphing with 4-6 weight fly rods and small nymphs will catch fish.
Techniques for chasing bass and pike include 7 and 8 weight fly rods, with both floating line for fishing topwater poppers, as well as sinking or sink tip lines for casting-retrieving crayfish and baitfish patterns. Spin fishing rigs include 7-9â medium action rods, reels spooled with 8-12# line, casting-retrieving spinners, spoons and âbody baits,â such as Rapalaâs or similar lures. Topwater poppers are also being used with spin fishing rigs. Bottom bouncing live crayfish will get the best bass out of runs, but finding deep runs to do so effectively is the key.
Early run salmon can be pursued with both fly and spin gear as well. Fly gear would be 8-10 weight rods, with sinking or sink tip lines, casting-retrieving larger streamers in bright pastel colors. Once fish move closer to spawning grounds, bottom bouncing (chuck-n-duck) will work better, but early run salmon will be in deeper pools and runs, which are fished better with streamers, mid water column.
Spin fishing early run salmon best done with 6-8â rods, in med-heavy action, with heavy mono or 30# braided line, casting-retrieving lures such as thundersticks, as well as larger spinners.
With a very odd summer here in Michigan, who knows exactly how fall will pan out. With air temperatures having officially not reached the 90-degree mark according to weather gauges at Ford Intâl airport in Grand Rapids, we may see cooler air and water temperatures return faster than normal. Since we havenât had the extreme heat we usually see in the last 1/3 of summer, we wonât have the typical cool down period ahead of us.
All things considered, less than stellar salmon fishing this summer in Lake Michigan. The cold water, fairly consistent rains up to the middle third of the summer season, and water levels have all been factors. In general though, we could see another big fall run of salmon, followed by steelhead.
Soon the trees will be changing colors as Mother Nature turns the page on another season in Michigan, be sure to include some river fishing in your early fall plans.
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