Today, 9 am–10 pmCoho salmon
The bite peaks at 86. Water is 55°, close to the 53° coho salmon like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Coho salmon range 44–58°
From the north
Sunrise 8:12 am
7% chance of rain
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Michigan regulations for these waters.
Right in coho salmon's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–120 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Michigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Salmon 10" minimum.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Michigan
Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon
Right in brown trout's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Brown trout feeds less actively under bright moon. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Michigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Brown trout 8" minimum.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Michigan
Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on brown trout
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside steelhead's active range. Holds 2–60 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Michigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Steelhead are rainbow trout under Michigan rules: 10" minimum. Type 3 runs such as the lower Manistee and Pere Marquette allow only 1 a day.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Michigan
Season here: Oct–Apr. More on steelhead
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside chinook salmon's active range. Holds 15–150 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Michigan Type 1 trout streams: open the last Saturday in April through Sep 30; 5 trout and salmon a day, no more than 3 of them 15" or longer. Salmon 10" minimum.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Michigan
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Michigan DNR publishes a report for the state.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory
A premier Michigan salmon and steelhead river — the big-water reach below Tippy Dam draws huge fall king runs and winter/spring steelhead, with resident trout upstream. One of the Great Lakes' most famous tributary fisheries. Live USGS flow near Manistee.
Tippy Dam to the railroad bridge below M-55 is a Type 3 stream: open all year, 5 trout and salmon a day with no more than 3 trout 15" or longer and only 1 steelhead or rainbow. Browns 15", salmon and steelhead 10". Special artificial-lure rules apply Aug 1–Nov 15.
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Manistee River you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Manistee River is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Manistee River against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Manistee River has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Tippy Dam to the railroad bridge below M-55 is a Type 3 stream: open all year, 5 trout and salmon a day with no more than 3 trout 15" or longer and only 1 steelhead or rainbow. Browns 15", salmon and steelhead 10". Special artificial-lure rules apply Aug 1–Nov 15.
state agency regulations apply at Manistee River. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Manistee River is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
