As we get deeper into October we are finding that the salmon are mostly done on the local rivers. A few fresh fish slip in but for the most part the salmon are dark, beat up and trying to get through their spawning ritual.  In review, this year’s run of salmon was far better than the previous two years which was welcomed. It’s hoped that with natural reproduction, a limited number of stocked King/Chinook salmon, and a slight recovery in alewife/baitfish populations – Lake Michigan and its tributaries will return to a healthy, sustainable fishery going forward.

With all of the salmon in the river spawning, their eggs help convince fall steelhead to swim upstream, proving opportunity at what some consider the best freshwater species we get to pursue. The water temperatures are warmer than normal for this time of year so fish numbers are a little behind but there is typically no mistaking when a steelhead is on – most of the hooked steelhead have been rambunctious this fall making them hard to land. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

With fall steelhead fishing, key in on gravel beds with salmon still spawning and fish tandem egg patterns behind them in the darker holes and runs for fish eating their eggs. With all of the leaves in the water (the leaf drop, too, is behind this year) I prefer to fish a large egg pattern with a very realistic size and color egg below it. Water clarity on both the Betsie and Big Manistee below Tippy Dam is running clear so fluorocarbon is recommended. Although we have received some periodic rains, we could use some more of them to keep pushes of fish moving upstream – with the weather this fall, look for an extended fall run of fish

On water still open to trout fishing, anglers are finding most of the brown trout done spawning and in a post-spawn mode. If you come across beds of spawning fish, please leave them alone as most of the rivers rely solely on natural reproduction. This is the time of year to put the dry fly rods away and cover some water with sink-tips and streamers. As salmon numbers decline below Tippy Dam, so do salmon anglers, making it a good place to target trout that become aggressive after a month of a steady salmon egg diet.

Good luck.

Ted

Trout – Target post-spawn browns with streamers on the upper Manistee or Below Tippy Dam.
Fall Steelhead – Warm weather is making for comfortable steelhead fishing. Oxymoron, isn’t it?
Late Fall Trout – After gorging on salmon eggs, streamer fishing below Tippy Dam can be outstanding.