Not much has changed since the last report as we continue to experience lots of swings in the weather – from mild to distinct winter and then back again. This week’s 50 degree warm up came with a lot of rain and the river levels came up significantly. You will find the local rivers stained with increased turbidity as water temps hover in the mid-30s. Any shelf ice that developed the week before is long gone.
Look for this increase of water to simply “reset” everything. Some new, fresh steelhead should move into the rivers joining the winter steelhead already spread throughout the Lake Michigan tributaries. With the size and volume of the Manistee the recent rain and snow melt provided a bigger flux of water and is likely to significantly shuffle the fish around throughout the system. With water temps being as cold as they are, don’t expect fish to migrate or move as fast as they would if the water were warmer but rather seek out the deeper, slower holes well on the inside of the fast moving water where some fish will take advantage of the stained water and slide into the shallows to avoid the moving water.
Big, bright egg flies and nymphs like sparkle stones, leeches, big bright caddis and large hex nymphs with “triggers” tied in them would be a good approach to finding what the fish are in the mood for. With fish hanging around wood in the shallows, a big streamer swung can be effective. Then again, with the long-term forecast calling for a spell of cold weather, you might find that tying flies and filling up your fly boxes might be a better alternative; with the first of the salmon’s offspring starting to develop alevins and fry patterns should prove effective – tie some up.
Good luck,
Ted
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