REPORT
Muskegon River Fishing Report:
April 18, 2024:
Muskegon River Fishing Report:
The Muskegon is at a low level. After last year’s heavy salmon run, many fish are keying in on fry. Steelhead numbers have been continually light. Fry patterns are producing the most fish. Large numbers of fry exist this year due to the heavy salmon run last fall. Steamer fishing is a good option for trout. There is some stonefly activity, and stonefly dry flies remain a good thing to have on hand.
For a recently added fly pattern, and upcoming events, etc., please visit our blog pages. During the cold part of winter, our guides will be adding to these pages. To learn a little bit more about winter fishing on the Muskegon, please keep reading below…
Winter is Here!
We have had a mild fall, and water temps have been steady for quite a while. In January, expect the short days and cold temperatures to make fishing more challenging. January is a great time of the year to enjoy the solitude on the river. If daytime temperatures are cold, expect wildlife to come to the edges of the river where they have access to water. Fishing in January is always hit or miss. The steelhead have filled in some spots, though the run to this point has been less in numbers than last year. Steelhead have dropped into deeper, darker areas. The water is crystal clear, so even if they are available in shallower areas, those fish will be more difficult to approach.
Winter can hold some surprises, like this lake run brown trout.
As the water cools, many trout will congregate in slower water, and will be willing to take smaller food sources, whether that be smaller streamers or nymphs such as midges and scuds. The shallow areas do have some stonefly nymphs present, and they will become valuable as we get closer to spring. Large flies will still take large fish, though the presentation will need to be slower to make the magic happen.
Though it is a challenging time to fish, the heart of winter has a lot to offer. Whether it be chasing steelhead or trout, or seeing reclusive wildlife, there is still a lot happening on the Muskegon.
More Stuff:
For bookings, please contact us at info@feenstraguideservice.com. For books, DVDs, fly selections and more, visit http://swingabigfly.com.
To learn more about our guides, visit our guides page. For booking information, click here.
To see a previous program I did with Anchored Outdoors: visit https://anchoredoutdoors.com/live-with-kevin-feenstra-matching-baitfish-patterns-and-techniques/.
Kevin’s Book, Now Shipping!:
Several years ago, after the last DVD launch, I started working on a book project. The book is now complete, and is shipping. This book is about fishing baitfish patterns for migratory fish, steelhead and lake run browns. It contains a lot of information about the minnows, reading the water, fishing various types of structure, and some good fly patterns. It also features a lot of beautiful photography of our minnows and fish. The book is called “Matching Baitfish: Patterns and Techniques for Great Lakes Steelhead and Lake Run Browns“. To order through my retail site, go to matching-baitfish-by-kevin-feenstra. I am happy to sign each copy per your request.
I purchased the remaining inventory of my fly patterns, which were tied by Aqua Flies, from the Muskegon River Fly Shop. These are great, well tied flies and I am selling them individually. They can be purchased on this page http://www.swingabigfly.com/individual-flies. Because I carry an inventory of these, they will ship quickly when ordered and include free shipping.
Thanks for visiting the Muskegon River Fishing Report! Interested in seeing more photography? Check out Kevin’s instagram feed.
For bookings, please contact us at info@feenstraguideservice.com.