Happy New Year!!
January 12th
Prayers for good health to you and your families and may you all have a Safe and Blessed 2026 Winter Steelhead season!!!! Welcome to the quiet time of the year! You can’t over look the winter months, it can be some of the most peaceful and beautiful times of the year to be catching Steelhead without the crowds. Looking for warming trends, steady weather patterns or if you just need a break from the winter blah’s it can be great time to be on the river! We will be fishing Steelhead from now until next May with a winter Brown Trout trip or two mixed in to change things up a bit! The Steelhead Fishing this past week was pretty good the few days we got out and some new fish showed up with the rising water to make it even better! We’ve also been doing some Winter Pheasant hunts out at Thundering Aspens and that’s always a good time. Come on up and give it a shot!!! The weather has been decent for the most part a few snowy days but we also had some warmer days and they are always nice to see this time of the year. It looks like we have a few nice days to start the week and then some colder temps are moving in for a bit so you can bet we are out taking advantage of it. We have been seeing a mixture of Steelhead lately some have been blushed up but most of them have been newer chrome fish so things are looking good as we start a New Year of Steelhead fishing. The flows on the Manistee are up for this time of the year, water temps have steadied out and the clarity is a bit stained which is nice to see! We have been out when we can and when we get a break in the weather and there are a fair number of Steelhead around but we have been covering quite a bit of water to find them. We have been finding Steelhead in all types of water but mostly in that 5-7 foot range and are definitely liking the slower woody winter stuff! The boys and I have covered the Manistee River from High Bridge to the Lake and there doesn’t seem to be anymore Steelhead in one section than the other. 8-10mm beads in natural and dead egg colors have been best float fishing with Center Pins or Bait Casters. It is the season to watch the floats Drop! There are still some Brown Trout fishing opportunities for those not wanting to fish for Steelhead and the Brown Trout fishing has been ok on the Manistee River above and below both Tippy and Hodenpyle Dams, but some sections are fishing better than others. The Pere Marquette River is fishing good for Steelhead and the occasional Brown Trout to play with as well. The Upper Manistee has been fishing fair for Brown Trout either Spin fishing or Fly fishing. Streamers, Nymphs and soft hackles will all help the fly angler bring some fish to hand and Jerk baits and Spinners will help the Spin fishing guys and gals. All is good, so no matter if your a Gear angler or Fly fisherman there is fun to be had! The weather forecast for the next 10 days is looking a bit like a roller coaster so look for the warmer days and come on up if you have a chance. The enclosures are on the boats and the heaters will be going and there are fish to be caught up here right now, so it’s time to get out and enjoy what we have been given!!! We are taking bookings for 2026 Winter Steelhead and Brown Trout trips at this time. We have Steelhead days for January and February open so keep us in mind when you are making your fishing plans and don’t miss out on the action. Thundering Aspens will be doing Pheasant hunts until mid January if you would like to mix it up a bit as well. We are Thankful to be doing what we Love and we will be at it everyday keeping up on what’s going on, so if you have a date or dates in mind and would like to get out for a full or half day on the Big Manistee, Pere Marquette or Upper Manistee please give us a shout. Real quick, I would like to put out a Big Thank You to all of you that fished with us in 2025 and looking forward to seeing you in 2026!!! Thank You Very Much and God Bless!!!!!!! Stay safe and healthy!!!! If you would like to view more pictures check us out on Facebook @ Premier Angling Guide Service. Tight Lines & High Fives!!!
Manistee River Below Tippy Dam
The flows below Tippy Dam are 2050 cfs and the water temps are in the 35-36 degrees. For the wade fisherman, the fishing above and below the coffer and down stream to the bottom of Suicide Bend has been good for Trout and Steelhead. Load your vest with all the tricks, Streamers, beads and various nymphs for the fly angler. Crank baits, spinners, beads and nymphs will help the gear anglers get it done. Think about the future of our fishery guys and gals if you don’t need them then put them back. Help protect the resource!! Have fun and be safe, Bent rods and tight lines!!!
To check flows and water temps on our local rivers, please click on the USGS links below:
Manistee River below Tippy Dam
Manistee River below Hodenpyle Dam
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