Steelhead
Fishing on the
Muskegon
River
Anglers love nothing better than to fight a
winter steelhead on
Michigan’s
Muskegon
River in Newaygo. These powerful fish are known as hot
chrome torpedoes and can weigh as much as 20 pounds. Just having one on your
line is the thrill of a lifetime and most of
Michigan’s
steelheads are wild steels.
The steelhead
migration season begins at the end of October, after the Chinook are finished
spawning. Peak months for fishing steelhead are November and December when the
fish being their spawning migration. These beauties end the migration near the
end of February and into early March.
The best place to fish for chrome
torpedoes, the
Muskegon
River in Newaygo is perfect for fly fishing in early
spring and late fall.
Floats and Spawns
If you’re looking
for a fast-paced steelhead fishing technique, try fishing floats and spawns.
This allows for many hook-ups and a large number of the steelheads will be
landed. It’s best to use a longer rod because it gives you a stronger hook-set
and a longer drift. Your reel should be a center pin reel that’s been wound with
10 pound test hi-vis line. This will allow for longer casts and smooth drag for
your fight with a large steelhead.
When using floats for steelhead
in the
Muskegon
River, they will vary greatly because of water conditions
and water levels. The best floats to use for
Muskegon
River steelheads are Thill orange and black steelhead
floats.
Winter Steelhead Fishing
For steelhead fishing in the
Muskegon
River during November and December, use either a 10’ 8wt
fly rod or a 9’6” 8wt fly rod. This allows you to recognize a steelhead pick-up
because of the longer drift. Also beneficial is the fact that these longer rods
allow for a better presentation, a better mending and they tend to keep your
line off of the water’s surface.
Steelhead Flies
The best steelhead flies for use
in the
Muskegon
River is a wide variety of small egg flies. Always use
natural colors such as cream,
Oregon
cheese, steelhead orange and golden.
Steelhead
feed in the
Muskegon
River in fall and are extremely aggressive. They eat
almost anything that passes near to them at this time of year. Wooly buggers and
egg patterns work best in fall and early winter, as well as wet flies and spey.
If you’re fishing on the
Muskegon
River in late winter and early spring, use small nymphs
and egg patterns with a light leader. This is the time when steelheads are less
aggressive. They don’t chase flies like they do in the fall.
In late spring, steelheads become
more aggressive, but are particular about what they hit. This is the time to use
light leaders and small nymphs. Steelheads enter the
Muskegon
River for the
coming spawn on the gravel runs.
The best way to fish for
steelhead on the
Muskegon
River is by boat. This allows you to reach runs and pools
that can’t be accessed by wading, though steelhead can be caught by this method.
A good place to wade for steelhead is at the
Thornapple
Avenue
launch in Newaygo, which
is not far below the Croton dam.
The mighty
Muskegon
River
provides a great opportunity for steelhead anglers because of the large runs of
steelhead found there. If you’re looking for a unique steelhead fishing
experience, head for the beautiful
Muskegon
River in Newaygo. You won’t be sorry.
For lodging in Newaygo,
Checkout Hess Lake Rentals (www.hesslakerentals.com) they offer
year round waterfront vacation rentals on
Hess
Lake and the
Muskegon
River
at hotel rates. Other
Newaygo accommodations, flights and car rentals can be found at
NewaygoHotels.com (www.newaygohotels.com)
If you are not familiar with the
Muskegon
River
, consider a river guide.
We recommend Riverside Outfitters LLC (www.riversideoutfittersllc.com) or
Betts Guide Service (www.bettsguideservice.com ) or Feenstra Guide Service (www.feenstraguideservice.com
)
By Brent Vanderstelt
Hess
Lake Rentals
