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Muskegon River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Muskegon River below Croton Dam: Michigan DNR stocks it with steelhead, Chinook salmon, walleye, brown and rainbow trout, and lists steelhead fishing from late October through June.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
1,250 cfs
Air / High
57 / 64 F
Wind
E 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04121970, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Muskegon River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 1,250 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings a mixed sky, wind E around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1027 hPa and a high of 64. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:17 AM-12:17 PM and 10:47 PM-12:47 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Brown troutExcellent

Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

SteelheadGood

Main tributary season: fish seams, pool heads and tails and structure with drifted eggs, beads, nymphs or streamers, and plan trips around rising or falling water.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Northern pikeGood

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Chinook salmonSlow

Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

Tomorrow: Similar at 66 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Michigan requires a fishing licence from age 17, from $26.00 for residents. What a Michigan licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing steelhead here? Check the size and bag limits with DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Michigan, read off the agency, are on the Michigan seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Muskegon River near Croton.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04121970.

1,1161,3501,5841,250 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 31 years of October 23

At 1,250 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 04121970 (Muskegon River near Croton) is at the 32nd percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 31 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 1,420 cfs; the highest was 3,010 cfs and the lowest 964 cfs.

p10 1,042median 1,420p90 2,500

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 04121970; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp57 F
High / Low64 / 45 F
WindE 5-6 mph
Pressure1027.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain57% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset08:06 / 18:46
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)61 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Muskegon River this week

The best day on Muskegon River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:17 AM-12:17 PM and 10:47 PM-12:47 AM
Minor period
4:40 AM-5:40 AM
Sun
08:06 to 18:46
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 6 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Great Lakes tributaries from fall through spring; West Coast rivers have both summer and winter runs

Steelhead are rainbow trout that migrate to the Pacific or the Great Lakes to grow, then return up rivers to spawn; unlike most Pacific salmon they can survive spawning and spawn again. Main tributary season: fish seams, pool heads and tails and structure with drifted eggs, beads, nymphs or streamers, and plan trips around rising or falling water.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Close to Vermont's 53-66°F optimum, browns feed more freely; in fall, pre-spawn fish move toward tributaries and gravel, so fish streamers and keep off the redds.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Chinook salmon illustration

Chinook salmon

Seasons follow the runs: spring, summer and fall runs on the West Coast, and late summer into fall in Great Lakes rivers

The largest Pacific salmon, caught by trolling and mooching at sea and by drifting and plunking in rivers as adults return to spawn; also stocked in the Great Lakes. Runs enter the rivers: drift roe or sand shrimp through travel lanes, plunk a wrapped plug, or float eggs in eddies and tidewater.

When to come: the Muskegon 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
Walleye
Northern pike
Rainbow trout
Chinook salmon
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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 Muskegon River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Brown trout led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 5 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Steelhead led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Steelhead led the card at excellent. High of 68 F, wind to 5 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

Michigan fishing license (all licenses cover all species). From Croton Dam down to M-120 the river is a Type 3 trout stream, open all year, with up to 5 rainbow trout in the daily limit, no more than 3 trout of 15 inches or more and no more than 1 rainbow of 20 inches or more; special artificial lure (hook-size) rules apply August 1 to November 15 (2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations).

Access

Besemer Park at Croton Dam; DNR Pine Street, 72nd Street, Thornapple Street and Croton Drive sites; Henning Park; Bridge Street and Riverfront Park in Newaygo; Felch Street, Warner Road and Maple Island boat accesses.

About this water

The Muskegon River from Croton Dam (Newaygo County) downstream toward Muskegon Lake, Michigan.

Fishing Muskegon River: the full guide

What the DNR says about the river

Michigan DNR's Central Lake Michigan Management Unit describes the Muskegon from Muskegon Lake up to Croton Dam as very good for Chinook salmon in September and October and excellent for steelhead from late October through June. Lake Michigan brown trout enter the lowest 10 miles or so, below Felch Street, in October and November. The DNR also notes some walleye fishing from spring to mid-summer, good smallmouth bass fishing throughout, moderate northern pike near Muskegon Lake, and suckers in spring.

Stocked trout below the dam

The DNR stocks this reach with steelhead, Chinook salmon, walleye, brown trout and rainbow trout, and says large numbers of rainbow and brown trout go in between Newaygo and Croton Dam, where fishing for them is good all year on any type of gear. The flow on this page is from USGS gauge 04121970, Muskegon River near Croton, just below the dam.

Two kinds of river

Between Muskegon Lake and Newaygo the river is relatively deep and best fished from a boat, and the DNR warns motorboaters about submerged wood. From Newaygo up to Croton Dam it is shallower, over sand, cobble and boulders, with good shore and wading fishing; the current is swift, wading is generally done along the edges, and drift boats or jet boats are the usual craft.

Access from Croton Dam down

At the dam, Charles Besemer Muskegon River Park (Consumers Energy and Croton Township) has a steep paved ramp, shore fishing on both sides of the Croton Drive bridge, an accessible path and platform just below the dam, a fishing pier on the south bank, and about three-quarters of a mile of public bank along the North Country Trail. Downstream the DNR lists Pine Street, 72nd Street, Thornapple Street (High Rollway), the Croton Drive walk-in below Bigelow Creek, Henning Park, Bridge Street and Newaygo Riverfront Park in Newaygo, then Felch Street (Anderson Flats), Warner Road and Maple Island.

Common questions

When is steelhead season on the Muskegon?

The reach below Croton Dam is open all year. Michigan DNR rates steelhead fishing excellent from late October through June, and Chinook salmon very good in September and October.

Can I wade the Muskegon below Croton Dam?

Yes, along the edges: the DNR says the Newaygo-to-Croton section is shallower with good shore and wading fishing, but the current is swift and calls for caution.

What gear rules apply in the fall?

From August 1 to November 15, special artificial lure rules restrict hook size on the Muskegon up to Croton Dam; see page 8 of the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations.

Is fishing good at Muskegon River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Grand River32 miLittle Manistee River43 miPere Marquette River47 miHamlin Lake57 miBig Manistee River61 miHoughton Lake77 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 04121970 — Muskegon River near Croton
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 16:30 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 43.4360, -85.6600 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.