Fishing West Michigan

West Michigan is a great place for sport fish for several reasons . With several main river systems relatively close together there are good numbers of fish throughout the area. The Muskegon river system has such a good run of Walleye the DNR use this as their main source for milking fish for their planting programs though out the state. Some of the largest recorded Walleye taken in Michigan continue to be taken out of the Muskegon river and Muskegon lake system. Night Walleye fishing is the preferred approach for taking large Walleye’s . The White river has a good number of Walleye that migrate as well. In the Spring when the Walleye’s are spawning you can walk along the banks early in the morning and see them rolling and spawning for miles though out the upper parts of the river. The Grand river is a waterway that is completely under fished. Fishing in the right locations at the right time can be very productive. Because of the challenges with navigating the river system. The only people you tend to find fishing the river are the locals that have learned how good the fishing is. Spring Walleye fishing around May 1st shows just how plentiful the Walleye’s are in the lower river. The upper river near Grand Rapids comes to life with people fishing in boats ,off the tall walls and bridges. Once you see some of the fishing technics used you know that the fishing must be good for fisherman to go to such lengths to fish effectively.
The Steelhead fishing is also great in all three rivers due to the number of fish available. Steelhead fishing is often done at several points through out the different systems. Surf fishing the break walls and along the lake Michigan beaches can be very productive. Steelhead do migrate toward and along the shore to the different rivers. Steelhead can be found just about anywhere along the beach in the early spring. Many fish congregate in the lower stretches of the river beginning in the fall just after the Salmon run is ending. Steelhead this time of the year are targeting spawning Salmon to feed on the loose eggs as they wash down stream. Believe it or not the Steelhead also feed on the loose chunks of Salmon flesh as the Salmon decay. It’s very common when fly fishing for Steelhead in the late fall to use large bulky flies that represent narrow pieces of Salmon flesh. As the Steelhead migration continues the fish can be found and fished though out the entire systems. While fishing fully seasoned Steelhead in the upper stretches of the Muskegon River to receive fishing reports of new runs of fish just entering the lower stretch of the river is not uncommon. You can find man option for Steelhead fishing charters through out the West Michigan area for several months .The multiple locations that will produce good numbers of fish creates the perfect situation for fishing guides and charter captains.
The Salmon are one of the areas prized sport fish. All summer the charter boats target these fish well offshore while the water is still warm. As August arrives the fish begin to stage near and around the harbor entrances. Finding fish within 2 miles of shore between Grand Haven, Muskegon and Whitehall is very predictable. August presents a good glimpse of the pure numbers of mature fish that will continue up each river. Salmon position themselves in the lower rivers for a brief time. Avid local fisherman who are paying attention to fishing reports do catch fresh fish for a short time in the lower sections of each rivers. The main areas to target fish once they are in the rivers are Grand Rapids on the Grand River. Newaygo on the upper Muskegon and Hesperia on the White River. The upper sections of each river is where the habitat is just right for these fish to lay their eggs. Fly fishing is one of the most popular ways to target these fish . The water is usually shallow enough you can see the fish.. Fly fishing allows fisherman to target the fish without spooking them. The added bonus when fishing on many of the local rivers for Salmon or Steelhead is the numbers of resident trout. Muskegon River has one of the largest population of trout I’ve seen. Even when I’m not fishing . I love to stop near croton Dam just to watch the trout rise to the surface to feed.

Ernest Miller
Last Cast Charters
Muskegon Michigan
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