A ugust is a great time for fly anglers to get into warm water fishing. Many of the areas rivers are at their highest temperatures of the season. The warmer waters provide fly and spin anglers a chance at bass and pike on many of the areas rivers like lower Platte, Betsie, Boardman, and Manistee. Anglers can land smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and pike on baitfish patterns like deceivers clousers, as well as a variety of leech and crawfish patterns. Topwater poppers and divers can also be effective and a lot of fun to fish as well.
Trout fishing is not over by any means but look to the early morning hours or after dark for the most productive fishing windows and these times will also be canoe and tube free. Morning terrestrial fishing can be real productive with a variety of ants, beetles, crickets and hoppers. I tend to believe more in the morning bite this time of year because the river is rested, and temperatures are the coolest. Evenings can be equally good. Night fishing for brown this time of year can be great as well patterns that imitate mice, frogs, small minnows even snakes can yield big results this time of year.
When fishing at night make sure you tell somebody where you will be, bring an extra light, know your put-ins and take-outs, and use basic wading sense. Kings and summer steels should also start to stray into the lower reaches of the Manistee, Betsie, Little Manistee, and PM. These conditions can provide some super hot bites and red hot fish especially when it comes to streamer fishing. Look for colder temperatures at the piers for a few kings to start the migration into the rivers. Most of all be safe, have fun, and good luck on the water.
