It’s a fishing day

Manistee River fishing conditions · Michigan

Now until 8 pmChinook salmon

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 53°, close to the 50° chinook salmon like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 100 for chinook salmon, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Chinook salmon, hour by hour

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.

  1. 1004 pm
  2. 100
  3. 100
  4. 1007 pm
  5. 86
  6. 86
  7. 8610 pm
  8. 86
  9. 86Sun
  10. 861 am
  11. 86
  12. 86
  13. 864 am
  14. 86
  15. 86
  16. 867 am
  17. 86
  18. 86
  19. 8610 am
  20. 86
  21. 86
  22. 861 pm
  23. 86
  24. 86
  25. 864 pm
  26. 86
  27. 86
  28. 867 pm
  29. 86
  30. 86
  31. 8610 pm
  32. 86
  33. 86Mon
  34. 861 am
  35. 86
  36. 86
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
53°F

Chinook salmon range 42–58°

Wind
5 mph

From the southwest

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:26 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
45°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Falling

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

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.

Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

100GoNow until 8 pm

Water

53°
32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°

Why

Right in chinook salmon's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 15–150 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 10" minimum; open all year, 5 trout and salmon a day with no more than 3 trout 15" or longer and only 1 rainbow trout (steelhead); special artificial-lure rules Aug 1–Nov 15.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Manistee River, Tippy Dam to the railroad bridge below M-55 (Type 3)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

Coho Salmon

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

100GoNow until 8 pm

Water

53°
34°44–58° · ideal 53°68°

Why

Right in coho salmon's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 10" minimum; open all year, 5 trout and salmon a day with no more than 3 trout 15" or longer and only 1 rainbow trout (steelhead); special artificial-lure rules Aug 1–Nov 15.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Manistee River, Tippy Dam to the railroad bridge below M-55 (Type 3)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

Brown Trout

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

100GoNow until 8 pm

Water

53°
35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Right in brown trout's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 15" minimum; open all year, 5 trout and salmon a day with no more than 3 trout 15" or longer and only 1 rainbow trout (steelhead); special artificial-lure rules Aug 1–Nov 15.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Manistee River, Tippy Dam to the railroad bridge below M-55 (Type 3)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on brown trout

Steelhead

Steelhead

Oncorhynchus mykiss

88GoNow until 8 pm

Water

53°
30°40–55° · ideal 48°65°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside steelhead's active range. Holds 2–60 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 10" minimum; open all year, 5 trout and salmon a day with no more than 3 trout 15" or longer and only 1 rainbow trout (steelhead); special artificial-lure rules Aug 1–Nov 15.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Manistee River, Tippy Dam to the railroad bridge below M-55 (Type 3)

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Oct–Apr. More on steelhead

The water

  • Water temperature53°F
  • Barometer30.07 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:26 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow7:30 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:50 pm–4:50 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:40 pm–12:40 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 6:40 am–7:40 am

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

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

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

About this spot

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.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Pere Marquette River27 mi · MichiganBest now until 8 pm
84Worth the trip
Ludington State Park32 mi · MichiganBest now until 8 pm
90Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Manistee River?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Manistee River?

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.

When is the best time to fish at Manistee River?

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.

What kind of access does Manistee River have?

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.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Manistee River?

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.

Is Manistee River tidal water?

No. Manistee River is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.