# Big Manistee, Michigan, location help



## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

The reason for this post is to look for some friendly insight on locations. I've been to this river before and I'm fairly familiar with the sites along the river (Sawdust hole, Suicide Bend, etc.). However, seeing that this river is generally pumping at around 900-1100 cfs, it's tough to really pin point certain holes you'd like to fish especially without a boat. My point is, has anybody fished these smaller feeder creeks and streams that branch off this river? Or does anyone know some slower water that may be easier to wade and move around in? I'm sure these creeks hold fish, it's just finding a decent one that would minimize my time searching. I've done some homework and searched on the map, read a couple forums and what not but I'd like to hear some opinions from any Ohioans who can relate to what we are used to like the Rock or Chagrin or any other smaller rivers. I'm making a weekend in trip in November and would like to spend more time fishing than driving/walking. I would appreciate any input or suggestions. :G:B


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

I can't provide much help on the Manistee, but I am familiar with the Pere Marquette, Au Sable, and the Betsie. All 3 very good steel rivers and work the trip. The Pere Marquette has alot of wading water.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

mdogs444 said:


> I can't provide much help on the Manistee, but I am familiar with the Pere Marquette, Au Sable, and the Betsie. All 3 very good steel rivers and work the trip. The Pere Marquette has alot of wading water.


Thanks mdogs, that may be a possibility leading up to departure date if I don't get more insight. Appreciate the input.


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## lowhole4trowt (Feb 1, 2014)

I fished it in August, but only hit spots you mentioned on the main river which you're already familiar with. I can say 2 things. 1 A fish you hook in the main flow will not be one you soon forget and 2. If Manistee is your starting point you are within an hour n a half (max) drive from pm or north to betsie. We were able to fish platte in the am, man until about 5 and pm at night without too much lost time.


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

lowhole4trowt said:


> I fished it in August, but only hit spots you mentioned on the main river which you're already familiar with. I can say 2 things. 1 A fish you hook in the main flow will not be one you soon forget and 2. If Manistee is your starting point you are within an hour n a half (max) drive from pm or north to betsie. We were able to fish platte in the am, man until about 5 and pm at night without too much lost time.


Thanks lowhole, I hooked into a pretty healthy steelhead last year and yeah you aren't kidding. Fighting that fish in the main flow was ridiculous especially dodging the other people around. I never did land that fish but I knew it would be a challenge in that flow and yes I will never forget that one! I've had a lot of people telling me Betsie or PM too. Seems like these rivers are shallower and have a slower flow, probably easier to wade I'm assuming.


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

Betsie is extremely easy to wade. Good flow rate but it's a fairly narrow river stained but not too bad, lots of bank access off the trails from homestead dam. A lot of sand and wood on the bottom. I lost a nice coho last year on a tree just down from the dam, took my fly and took off down stream like a freight train right under a downed tree. I didn't stand a chance. Unfortunately we were too early for steelhead and too late for most of the salmon.


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## MadMax1 (Aug 27, 2012)

Did a canoe trip (leisure) down the Platte a few weeks back. Coho were just coming in, saw a few pods. Looked like easy wading the first few miles up from the mouth 


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

MadMax1 said:


> Did a canoe trip (leisure) down the Platte a few weeks back. Coho were just coming in, saw a few pods. Looked like easy wading the first few miles up from the mouth
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Those looks are deceiving. One wrong step and you're butt deep in sand and muck and hopefully not underwater. A lot of the bank just past the mouth is or at least was restricted last time we checked it out and the footing in a lot of the river is like quick sand. Near the parking areas seemed to be ok but the fish move through that whole area quickly with no real cover or holding areas. I caught a nice 32" steelhead below the weir a couple of years ago but again not a lot of places to stand on the north side of the river and you need to get there early for spots on the other side. One of the guys I was with caught a big king on the north side and landing it he ended up butt deep in muck. The river is crystal clear and deceptively deep. When we picked spots we pretty much stayed within 100 ft or so all day, couldn't go much up or down the river because of the muck and depth. I'd still recommend it just don't plan on wading around a lot. If you have a kayak or canoe it's a perfect river.


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## lowhole4trowt (Feb 1, 2014)

1MoreKast said:


> Thanks lowhole, I hooked into a pretty healthy steelhead last year and yeah you aren't kidding. Fighting that fish in the main flow was ridiculous especially dodging the other people around. I never did land that fish but I knew it would be a challenge in that flow and yes I will never forget that one! I've had a lot of people telling me Betsie or PM too. Seems like these rivers are shallower and have a slower flow, probably easier to wade I'm assuming.


The Lower Betsie was a challenge. A lot of nice staging water but very difficult to get around we worked our butts off hiking through and around the bogs but it was well worth it for early kings. Mostly sand and timber on that river and for such a small stream it can be difficult to cross in places. We didn't explore the upper pm where i believe some of the easier wading water is but the lower has some excellent deep runs with boulders. Basically you can't go wrong but personally I'd like to go back to pm/big man for chrome.


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## MadMax1 (Aug 27, 2012)

ejsell said:


> Those looks are deceiving. One wrong step and you're butt deep in sand and muck and hopefully not underwater. A lot of the bank just past the mouth is or at least was restricted last time we checked it out and the footing in a lot of the river is like quick sand. Near the parking areas seemed to be ok but the fish move through that whole area quickly with no real cover or holding areas. I caught a nice 32" steelhead below the weir a couple of years ago but again not a lot of places to stand on the north side of the river and you need to get there early for spots on the other side. One of the guys I was with caught a big king on the north side and landing it he ended up butt deep in muck. The river is crystal clear and deceptively deep. When we picked spots we pretty much stayed within 100 ft or so all day, couldn't go much up or down the river because of the muck and depth. I'd still recommend it just don't plan on wading around a lot. If you have a kayak or canoe it's a perfect river.




I got out a good handful of times to help other folks in our party that rolled their canoes. Honestly, I'd rather deal w the the terrain (which I did not find to be that challenging) than shoulder to shoulder folks trying to land 20# fish



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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

Whats worse is going to PA in October on Elk or Walnut watching people shoulder to shoulder all trying to catch the same fish, then get tangled up when it hits, the fish gets off, and everyone yelling at each other trying to get untangled.

But then again, I find it funny.



MadMax1 said:


> I got out a good handful of times to help other folks in our party that rolled their canoes. Honestly, I'd rather deal w the the terrain (which I did not find to be that challenging) than shoulder to shoulder folks trying to land 20# fish
> 
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

mdogs444 said:


> Whats worse is going to PA in October on Elk or Walnut watching people shoulder to shoulder all trying to catch the same fish, then get tangled up when it hits, the fish gets off, and everyone yelling at each other trying to get untangled.
> 
> But then again, I find it funny.


That's my trip this October We do have a week to explore so hopefully we can get away from the crowds otherwise I'm just taking pictures. 

I did like the Platte the two weeks we fished it and there were very few people just not a lot of places to stand in areas where the fish were staging. About 4 people were able to stand comfortably on the south side before you felt crowded and a few more than that on the north side. Further down by the houses was easy wading but the steelhead moved through there quickly without hanging around. The locals and guides all seemed to gravitate towards the weir or fishing the sand bank off the mouth. Several guys kayaked up from the parking area to fish near the weir.


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

ejsell said:


> That's my trip this October We do have a week to explore so hopefully we can get away from the crowds otherwise I'm just taking pictures.


You can for sure. In fact, and just my $.02, that if you're heading east to PA in October, that you'd be better served driving an extra 45 minutes to the Cattaraugus if the flows are <600cfs. If you don't want to venture that far past Erie, then check out 16 mile and 20 mile creeks. While not as long as Walnut or Elk, they take in a good amount of fish and the crowds are relatively nonexistent in comparison.

If you stay on the Elk, then venture further upstream from the mouth to the Park Drive access point in Lake City - about 5-10 min away.


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## MadMax1 (Aug 27, 2012)

mdogs444 said:


> Whats worse is going to PA in October on Elk or Walnut watching people shoulder to shoulder all trying to catch the same fish, then get tangled up when it hits, the fish gets off, and everyone yelling at each other trying to get untangled.
> 
> 
> 
> But then again, I find it funny.


Totally agree! For real - Last time I was at Elk a few yrs back, a young girl next to me caught one on a pink Barbie rod or something, fish ran all over the place! I was hilarious seeing her catching it on a kids rod and it running over everyone!
It was a bummer because we got there really early, then a million folks showed up. We caught a bunch but wanted to go to another spot by the mouth. That was also shoulder to shoulder , so we left.







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## lowhole4trowt (Feb 1, 2014)

mdogs444 said:


> If you stay on the Elk, then venture further upstream from the mouth to the Park Drive access point in Lake City - about 5-10 min away.


Some days there's no avoiding the masses but more times than not I have been pleasantly surprised how putting only a few miles between yourself and the mouth can result in fairly crowd-free fishing. PA guys don't seem to embrace the mud as much as Ohio guys. A lot of the best days in the worst conditions last year all we saw were Ohio plates and chromeys coming to shore left and right. 

However, the lower is an excellent spot for a half hour of quality entertainment.

Also 1Kast, the michigan-sportsman forum (northwest streams and rivers thread) is a pretty decent site with a not-so-bad mix of good sticks and the usual glory posts of the online fishing world at least in the manistee posts anyway. Seems pretty common that the bigger the water the better the posts on any of these sights. Just my take anyway. Maybe take a gander there.


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## flyphisherman (Jul 7, 2009)

"Embrace the mud"......that's def. the crowd cutter


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

lowhole4trowt said:


> Some days there's no avoiding the masses but more times than not I have been pleasantly surprised how putting only a few miles between yourself and the mouth can result in fairly crowd-free fishing. PA guys don't seem to embrace the mud as much as Ohio guys. A lot of the best days in the worst conditions last year all we saw were Ohio plates and chromeys coming to shore left and right.
> 
> However, the lower is an excellent spot for a half hour of quality entertainment.
> 
> Also 1Kast, the michigan-sportsman forum (northwest streams and rivers thread) is a pretty decent site with a not-so-bad mix of good sticks and the usual glory posts of the online fishing world at least in the manistee posts anyway. Seems pretty common that the bigger the water the better the posts on any of these sights. Just my take anyway. Maybe take a gander there.


Thanks again lowhole, hey I appreciate the input here gentlemen. Honestly it really narrows down my searching. Searching is half the fun really and I wish I could afford more than 3 days out there but it is what it is. The michigan sportsman forum is quite helpful. Just have to dig around a bit and play with google maps and it's not too tough to pin point a few locations. Haha I actually like that "embrace the mud". Good quote!!


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## 1MoreKast (Mar 15, 2008)

I did notice the popularity in these north western Michigan rivers are a magnet for sure with crowds. Last time I was there I ended up in a group with a local, a Ukranian and a Korean gentleman...kinda sounds like the beginning of a joke lol....but anyways I would rather be in solitude or with a couple friends so just the extra time in searching for smaller creeks with maybe fewer fish is worth the time if it means peace and quiet haha. I'm not a fan of the parking lot fishing either to add to the comments on Elk and Walnut. 


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