Manistee – Light numbers of salmon and steelhead have been caught in waters 50 to 150 feet deep however the better steelhead action was out in waters 300 to 400 feet deep. Try the top 40 feet with orange or red spoons. Pier fishing was slow with only an occasional steelhead taken.

Manistee River – Salmon fishing is in full swing with fish actively spawning on the gravel. Light numbers of steelhead have been caught in the lower stretches. No word on pier fishing or surfcasting although that action should begin soon.

Ludington – Boat anglers were still catching a few salmon and steelhead in waters 100 to 200 feet deep.

Captain Ed Stowe from Stowaway Charters Ludington reports:

This past week we took as many steelhead as we did salmon. With the warm calm days of the past week the steelhead are on the temp breaks from the 5100s up to the 0700s and from the 3100s out to the 3800s. Three cores, 5 Cores, and 7 cores are all taking fish on the breaks, as are the high divers turned to 3 1/2, from 70′ out to 150′. We are using Dreamweavers in the Greasy Chicken, Double Orange Crush, and Mixed Veggis in Super Slims patterns. Yecks “Pats” bait and Fireballs are on my three cores and five cores every trip. Still not many fish at the pierheads or in the Little Lake and Pere Marquette river, although some fish are showing up at the Sauble at the state park. There are some fish in the PM river and they are catching them at the Twin Bridges and at Scotville, Custer and Indian Bridge using stick baits and spawn. Good Fishin……..Capt Ed

Captain Ed Stowe of Stowaway Charters in Ludington reports:

We are taking fish in the skinny water early, from the brinewell up to the o6oo#s and then going out after the early bite is over. The bait of choice is J-Plug type baits, spoons, and Moonshines. With the warm calm days of the past week the steelhead are on the temp breaks from the 5100s up to the 0700s and from the 3100s out to the 3800s. Three cores, 5 Cores, and 7 cores are all taking fish on the breaks, as are the high divers turned to 3 1/2, from 70′ out to 150′. We are using Dreamweavers in the Greasy Chicken, Double Orange Crush, and Mac n Cheese in Super Slims patterns. Yecks “Pats” bait and Fireballs

Captain Gary from Troutscout Charters – Manistee, Michigan reports:

The fishing still remains good, we are catching adult kings in the 15# class range and young kings up to 10# class and some nice sized steelhead.

The Manistee river fishing has been good for kings and it should be a great for steelhead this fall.

Captain George Freeman of Free Style Charters reports from Ludington, Michigan

We fished south of Ludington today. My last few trips I’ve gone north hoping to catch some big four year old Kings. We have caught some, but not as many as we would like. The shallow water (40 – 50 feet) is holding a lot of fish, but the water is warm and the fish are biting for a very short period of time right at daybreak and at dark. If you don’t get them then it can be a long day.

Manistee area resident Tom Healy caught the 41-pound, 7.25 ounce monster on a crankbait while fishing the Manistee River. It is the new record hold for Michigan. Upon the second weighing with the scales leveled, the weight was determined to be 1 pound, .75 ounces heavier than originally determined. The fish was 43.75 inches long.

The fish is 1 pound, 3.25 ounces heavier than the reigning world record German brown trout, a 40-pound, 4-ounce fish caught in Arkansas in 1992 by Howard “Rip” Collins who used an ultralight rod and 4-pound test line to catch that fish. Healy will have to apply for certification to be declared the world record holder.
The state record German brown trout until today weighed 36.81 pounds and was caught in Lake Michigan in Benzie County in 2007. The next three places in the state record books were held by Lake Michigan browns caught in Manistee.