Manistique River Fishing Guides
A central Upper Peninsula river running to Lake Michigan, with strong salmon and steelhead runs below the Manistique dam and good resident walleye and pike above it.
Guides on the Manistique River
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About the Manistique River
The Manistique drains a large, low, heavily forested piece of the central Upper Peninsula, gathering water from a network of swamps, small lakes and spring-fed tributaries before running south to Lake Michigan at the city that shares its name. It is a tannin-stained river for much of its length, slow and winding through cedar and tamarack country, with few of the rapids that characterise the rivers further west. That character changes in the last few miles, where the river meets the dam at Manistique and then runs the short distance to the harbour and the lake.
The lower river is the draw. Chinook and coho salmon push up from Lake Michigan in late summer and autumn, steelhead follow them and run again in spring, and brown trout use the river through the colder months. The dam concentrates these fish in a short, accessible reach, which makes the lower Manistique one of the more dependable places in the Upper Peninsula to intercept a run without a boat. Above the dam the river is a resident fishery, with walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass and good numbers of rock bass and perch.
The upper and middle river is excellent canoe and kayak water, quiet and remote, with brook trout in the cooler feeder streams. Flow is worth checking because the river drains wetlands and holds water rather than flashing, meaning it can stay high for extended periods after a wet spell rather than dropping within a day. In autumn the run timing follows water temperature and lake conditions as much as river flow, so local information is worth more than a gauge alone. Local tackle shops in Manistique track the run day to day through autumn and spring, and a short conversation there is consistently more useful than any forecast for deciding whether to fish the dam reach or the harbour.
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Access
Manistique - the city at the river mouth, the base for the lower river, the harbour and the Lake Michigan fishery.
Manistique dam - the upstream limit for migrating salmon and steelhead, and the most concentrated fishing on the river.
Lower river below the dam - a short, highly accessible reach that carries most of the autumn and spring run fishing.
Schoolcraft County forest roads - the way into the quieter middle river for paddlers and resident-species anglers.
Seney National Wildlife Refuge - upstream in the watershed, shaping the flow regime and holding feeder-stream brook trout.
Lake Michigan harbour - the receiving water, and the source of the salmon, steelhead and brown trout.
Germfask - an upriver community used as a put-in for long, quiet float trips.
Seasons
Spring: the steelhead run below the dam is the main event, with high cold water and the most concentrated fishing of the year.
Summer: a resident fishery of walleye, pike and smallmouth, with the quiet middle river at its best for paddling and brook trout in the feeders.
Fall: chinook and coho push in from Lake Michigan and the lower river sees its heaviest pressure and its biggest fish.
Winter: cold and largely iced over, with limited open water below the dam and brown trout the realistic target on mild days.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Manistique River?
As of Nov 2, 4:45 am, the USGS gauge MANISTIQUE RIVER NEAR MANISTIQUE, MI reads 656 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Manistique River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead, Walleye, Yellow Perch on the Manistique River in Michigan.
Where can you access the Manistique River?
Manistique - the city at the river mouth, the base for the lower river, the harbour and the Lake Michigan fishery. Manistique dam - the upstream limit for migrating salmon and steelhead, and the most concentrated fishing on the river. Lower river below the dam - a short, highly accessible reach that carries most of the autumn and spring run fishing. Schoolcraft County forest roads - the way into the quieter middle river for paddlers and resident-species anglers. Seney National Wildlife Refuge - upstream in the watershed, shaping the flow regime and holding feeder-stream brook trout. Lake Michi...
When is the best time to fish the Manistique River?
Spring: the steelhead run below the dam is the main event, with high cold water and the most concentrated fishing of the year. Summer: a resident fishery of walleye, pike and smallmouth, with the quiet middle river at its best for paddling and brook trout in the feeders. Fall: chinook and coho push in from Lake Michigan and the lower river sees its heaviest pressure and its biggest fish. Winter: cold and largely iced over, with limited open water below the dam and brown trout the realistic target on mild days.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Manistique River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Michigan agency site: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing