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Manistee River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Michigan's salmon-and-steel artery: Tippy Dam's runs and the Big Manistee's fly water.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
75 / 76 F
Wind
S 5 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Manistee River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 76. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutExcellent

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 75 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low76 / 68 F
WindS 5-8 mph
Pressure1012.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 87%
Sunrise / Sunset07:12 / 20:16
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Storms, 76/68 F, wind 10 mph, rain 87%

Slow. High rain chance; fish the front edge before it arrives.

Species guide

The species that matter on Manistee River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Manistee River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Manistee River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 21 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Michigan requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Seasonal gear/bait rules by stretch (flies-only zones marked); steelhead/salmon stamps. Confirm with MDNR.

Access

Tippy Dam access (crowded, productive); High Bridge, Bear Creek launches; upper-river canoe liveries.

About this water

Two-personality river, Manistee County, MI: blue-ribbon trout above, Great Lakes runs below Tippy.

Fishing Manistee River: the full guide

Two rivers in one

Above Tippy Dam the Manistee runs trout-quiet; below it, the river carries Lake Michigan's muscle: fall king salmon by the thousand, steelhead October through April, and a fly-only culture on the gravel below the dam. It is Michigan's anadromous heartbeat, with the Little Manistee's wild steel next door.

Below Tippy, by season

September: kings by the thousand: chuck-and-duck or skein under floats. October-November: fresh steelhead behind them eating eggs. December-March: the patient winter game in the holding pools. April: dropback steel plus the first trout hatches above. One access, five fisheries.

The upper river's other life

Above the reservoirs, the Manistee is a blue-ribbon trout stream: hex hatches in June, brookies in the cedar shade, canoe traffic as the summer tax. The Deward's fly-only stretch preserves the headwaters experience Michigan anglers grow up on.

The Tippy tailwater seasons

Below Tippy Dam, the Big Manistee compresses Michigan's anadromous year into a few famous miles: kings stacked in September gravel, steelhead arriving October and holding all winter (the tailwater never locks), and a spring drop-back bite that fills drift boats. Resident browns and walleye fill summer. The Tippy access stairs see more fish caught than most whole rivers: crowded, yes: productive beyond argument.

Common questions

How crowded is Tippy Dam?

September-October weekends: shoulder to shoulder: it is a social fishery and the fish come anyway. Winter weekdays return it to the herons and the committed.

How cold does the Tippy tailwater run?

Cold enough to hold steelhead comfortably all winter but rarely freezing: the dam's draw keeps the river open when inland Michigan locks. Ice in the guides, fish in the run: dress for it.

Is fishing good at Manistee River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Big Manistee River10 miHamlin Lake14 miPere Marquette River21 miBetsie River27 miLittle Manistee River28 miPlatte River33 mi
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