# Manistee river in MI?



## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Has anyone tried fishing up there? To look at it on the map it seems to run through a convenient national forest, and people are always blabbing that it's full of huge browns and currently summer run steelhead, so it seems like a good choice  the national forest, unless I'm wrong, should be free to camp in, which might offset the crippling blow that the bazillion miles of driving will do to my gas budget.

Any thoughts overall on this? has anyone done it? What should I take? Unless someone at MRO is super generous and trusting and loans me a 6 weight, the biggest weapon I have is a 5 wt, and I also have a 4 weight. Sinking and floating lines abound, and a healthy selection of buggy and fishy looking fuzzballs


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

I'm traveling up there today! Call me on my cell phone 513-646-6522 after 9pm! I dont have a bug rod for you, but I got a bunch of information!..lol...


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Have a good one 007! 
Beside I heard you be better off taking a bigger rod like an 8wt. or short spey.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I looked on the map and found the little manistee which I might fish and camp on instead  it's like 30-50 feet wide in most places and then as you go downstream gets larger. Seems like the perfect river  the manistee is ridiculously big compared to what I expected  i saw some pics of people wading it, and... ahh.... No. Heck no haha.

But yeah, I'm going to michigan and I'm gonna catch fish, that's my goal. I'd love to get my first steelhead too! But we'll see.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

What happened to WV? Got tired of the dumb mouthbreathers in this so fine state? HeHe!!


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

well mayyybeee  jk. I got tired of driving south and I wanna see the manistee in Michigan. It's a big river, and has big fish  and steelhead. And it's just pretty, haha. I really like fishing new waters, and west virginia's trying to dry up right now lol.


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## polecat (Mar 25, 2007)

hay fly guy....some friends and i do the manistee every october 1st. we go up for the salmon run but mainley just to get away and we have a blast.we stay at camp mana pine for what i think is a very reasonable fee.we stay for 3-4 nights and split the cost which comes out to about 70.00 apice for the trip.doesnt count the gas/food/beer bill .hell you cant get a hotel room for that price.do a little homework. we go to fish,some catch and release or we buy the fish we want to take home but the fish are there.you wont go wrong w/this trip.casino/good sights etc.from cleve. it takes bout 7-71/2 hrsbut all good highway.hope this helps your decision a tad. have fun polecat


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

That's a fairly high bill, I don't intend to pay one red cent for my camping, since I'll do dispersed camping in the manistee forest, and just hike back to the weir parking area to keep from having to deal with packing out.... waste. lol.


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

Be mind full of lil furry creatures! I have seen them eating fish..lol...


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

mm, I'll be releasing almost everything, and what little food I bring with me will be hung in a tree far far away from me, with a few trail-tape markers to help me find it  lol.

Is it salmon time yet? I know it's steelhead time


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## BlueDun (Feb 21, 2007)

The Manistee is a great place to fish. Bear Creek and the Pine are also right there. Of the 3, I like the Pine the best as a trout fishery. 

If camping or parking in one of the parks, make sure that you obtain the proper permits - required for certain parks and you WILL be fined if you don't have one. You can get them from the canoe liveries, the park offices (if you can find someone there), and Schmidt's Outfitters, the local fly shop in Wellston.

I have fished a 5 wt on the Manistee - it will be perfect for trout in that river. Doubt you'll really need a sinking line unless you go out on the Hodenpyle Dam or Tippy (but you would need a boat for them). At this time of the year, you won't see much in the way of steelhead or salmon, but a few will still be there. That river system also has smallmouth and northern pike.

Stop in at Schmidt's Outfitters. They are very knowledgeable and really nice people. They will let you know what flies are working on the various rivers and can give you some places to fish.

All of the above assumes you are heading to the western side of Michigan. The Upper part of the Manistee (near Grayling) is also a beautiful river and excellent fishery (and tons of places to camp).


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Will the salmon start in the next couple of weeks or am I just barking up the wrong tree with that idea? I looked on the DNR website and they claimed I'd need precisely nothing to wander out there with a pack and a tent and camp, as long as I stayed x dist from the water and and all that.

I'm also thinking of the little manistee now, since it's slightly less regulated than the big one, and the little manistee is inside the national forest ALL THE WAY to its headwaters, or so it seems. Lot of river to hike and explore. I'm thinking of spending a week or so up there.

And yep, western side of Michigan. I was kinda hoping to get a big steelie or salmon on my 5 weight, just because it seemed awesome and I KNOW that a TFO would be up to it.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Sounds like a very good trip indeed!


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

It up and wet right now and the brookies near my house have had their feed bags on! Throwing #8 stimilator type flies has been wonders!!


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Down in WV? Awesome :-D Love those brookies. I'm hoping to get in to a few of those in the less drought-stricken north haha. I'm OFFICIALLY going up on August 1st now, and staying until I run out of food or don't wanna fish anymore haha. I still need to get a tent and water filter and a stove, which is gonna cost a fair penny, but for my big trip of the year it's not too terribly expensive 

It'll be the last money I spend on stuff like this though, the green stuff is running a little thin. At least until I sell my boat haha.

And really? A #8 stimi? For brookies?! Wow, eyes bigger than their bellies haha.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

I'm leaving tuesday for a week or so on the au sable. I may or may not head up into the UP. I know a couple of rivers there...

I was planning on heading up last week, but family obligations had postponed my trip a coupe of weeks. 

have you dcided where your going just yet?

edit: the upper manistee is a good place to fish.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Have you ever camped on the manistee / little manistee?


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## BlueDun (Feb 21, 2007)

Hard to say if there will be many salmon starting their run in early August. Everything is several weeks behind this year because of the cold, wet summer. I was still seeing hex on the upper Man last week. I would call Schmidt's Outfitters in Wellston and ask what to expect from the salmon and steelhead in early August. They also might be able to help you with advice on camping spots along the Little Man - including permits. There is a difference b/w the state park and national forest requirements (and their web sites) and you can find both in stretches along the various rivers (although you are probably correct about the nat'l forest running along the Little Man). There have also been some changes in requirements for leaving your car in certain parking lots over the past few years on which I am not up to date.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

no, never camped on the lower/manistee, little manistee. unless its the salmon or steelhead run is in full swing, I never heard that it was worth the drive. the upper manistee yes.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Hmm, should I go to the manistee river state forest campground and just belly up and pay that fee? haha.

I want to catch a lot of fish, and some of them should be big lol. How does it compare to the elk down in WV? The little Manistee can't be as bad as the Mad here in Ohio can it?


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

clayton, if you want steelhead and salmon in july and august, you need to head west my friend!!! got a salmon on the fly last week! (if I told you the hour to bite ratio it wouldnt sound as fun though)

I dont know much about the river, but if they have summer steelhead in it go up in early august and fish cold creek mouths, oh and a 6wt is suicide
they dont need deep water, 2-6ft, decent current for O2, and cover. saw some last week on dives, 8lb fish in 12in of water under brush, right below a creek. summer fish are hot! so I would try it. if they are anything like the wild fish they are spook and will destroy you on the hook up, if you can hook up.


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## Salmon Killer (Apr 28, 2007)

ive fished the little manistee and the big manistee for 19 years and love it!!!camp every year on the little manistee tons of salmon every time. tippy dam has some big ones,only bad thing if you go during the weekend its packed shoulder to shoulder like the maumee walleye run. but i would recomend a trip there to anyone


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