Summer fishing is in full swing here in West Michigan even though it is not officially summer yet. These above average temperature’s we have been experiencing have river temps soaring on the Grand River near the 80 degree mark. The river level on the Grand is obviously low due to lack of rainfall and the water color looks good. There seems to be a tremendous amount of baitfish in the areas I have fished, more so than previous years. That might be because there were no floods this spring to wipe out some of the population, but who knows. Smallmouth bass fishing has been picking up, and we have been getting some healthy looking fish. Finesse tactics have worked best for us as of late. We are also catching a few Northern Pike, largemouth bass and the occasional freshwater drum.

The Muskegon River water temp has been on the rise as well approaching the upper 60’s to near 70 degree mark. Post spawn smallmouth are getting active along with other resident fish. The river is extremely low and very clear. Finesse tactics have been the most productive.

I have summer dates available if your looking to get out on the water. Warm-water trips are suitable for people of all skill levels and are typically high action trips. Also, I have been getting a lot of interest in the upcoming king salmon run this fall. Dates have been filling, so if your interested in a king salmon trip get ahold of me sooner than later. I can be reached at (616) 813-5989 and am always happy to talk about fishing or if your looking for an up to date report. My email is steel-header@live.com.

Spring steelhead fishing is in full swing here in West Michigan. We have been running our trips on the Muskegon River as of late. The fishing has been decent with some days fishing better then others. The river is very clear and running somewhat low for this time of year. There is quite a bit of spawning activity going on, along with a slow and steady push of new fish. We have been catching a mix of new and dropback steelhead and also some nice resident browns and rainbows. We have been targeting the darker water and having our best luck with beads under a bobber. I have also done some recent backbounce trips downstream of Newaygo and have had some luck finding chrome fish, although the bigger numbers of fish are upstream. I have a few April days left, give me a call to see whats available (616) 813-5989

Up to this point the Grand River steelhead run has been poor. We received a decent bump in water level and the conditions and timing were just right for bringing in a good push of fish, but it never seemed to happen. Besides some of the guys fishing at the face of the dam, most have really been working for fish. Even the guys fishing the dam boils are not putting up the numbers you would usually see. It is not a lost cause yet, we still could get a big push of fish and we have been getting some good steelhead, its just been tougher than what we had hoped for. The Muskegon River at this time is in good shape. The color and level are both good. The fish seem to be steadily coming in the river. Fishing has not been easy, but we have been putting some good fish in the boat. Bobber fishing with spawn bags and/or beads and backbouncing have been our productive tactics along with covering water. I some some spring dates available if your interested in getting out. Give me a call at 616 813-5989 if you’d like up to date information.