Great Lakes
Manistee River
Live Conditions
Manistee River — Manistee River near Wellston, MI
7-Day Flow
→ Stable
24-Hr Pressure
28.9 inHg · → High/stable
Voluntary Catch-and-Release Advisory
Water temperature is at or above 65°F. At these temperatures trout are physiologically stressed and have a higher post-release mortality rate. Consider waiting for cooler conditions — early morning or evening — or choosing a tailwater with regulated temperatures.
Local Weather
Tough conditions — fish deep
Today
🌫️Foggy
87° / 60°
Tomorrow
☁️Overcast
79° / 62°
Sun
☁️Overcast
81° / 58°
Mon
🌧️Rain showers
81° / 61°
0.17"
Cold front incoming — go deep with nymphs, surface activity likely slow.
Weather by Open-Meteo · No API key · Updated every 30 min
What should I fish today?
⚡ AIAI-powered recommendation using today's live flow, temperature, and hatch data.
2
Time of Day
Using: 1,830 CFS · 72.3°F · HEX HATCH at peak
What should I pack?
Rod, flies, tippet, and safety gear specific to today's Manistee River conditions.
🪰 Hatch Calendar
Manistee River · July · Summer
🟡 Approaching — within 5°F of trigger range
Select month
HEX HATCH at peak (size 4-6) overnight on the upper river. After Hex: Trico spinner falls early morning. Resident browns in technical summer flows.
🟢 Active · 🟡 Approaching · ⚪ Seasonal only
River Map
About Manistee River
The Manistee River is one of Michigan's premier steelhead and salmon rivers, with a strong trout fishery in its upper reaches. The Wellston area in Mason County offers classic freestone trout water with wild browns, while the lower river below Tippy Dam hosts some of the state's best fall salmon and steelhead runs. Coho and Chinook salmon enter from Lake Michigan in September and October.
Regulations
Gear Restricted sections in trout zone. Check Manistee County exceptions in current Michigan DNR guide. Steelhead bag limit rules apply. Michigan Fishing License required. Season opens last Saturday of April for trout; steelhead year-round on designated sections.
Learn More
Guides to help you fish Manistee River with more confidence.
Michigan Fly Fishing Regulations Guide
Michigan fishing license, the last-Saturday-in-April trout opener, Type 1/Type 2 Gear Restricted designations, the no-kill artificials-only Au Sable…
Trout Species of Michigan
Michigan's native Brook Trout (the state fish, dominant in UP rivers and cold headwaters), the introduced Brown Trout (first stocked in the U.S. in…
The Hex Hatch: Michigan's Greatest Night on the Water
The Hexagenia limbata hatch on the Au Sable Holy Water is the one event that brings the largest brown trout in Michigan rivers to the surface after…