The Little Manistee River is a beautiful little river only 40 miles long and often overlooked because of the larger Manistee River which is over 200 miles long. Both the Little Manistee and the Manistee flow into Lake Michigan. The Little Manistee starts in the swamps near the town of Luther remaining small and even flowing as it passes through clumps of alders and bushes until it reaches Bass Lake Road. Then the Little Manistee picks up its pace as it continues through low hills. The bottom is primarily sand and gravel with occasional pockets of silt to sustain some burrowing mayflies like the Hex which hatches in late June.
Fly Fishing the Little Manistee:
Seldom does one stream offer the diversity of species as does the Little Manistee River. When fly fishing the Little Manistee you need to decide what species you are seeking. For example, the upper regions near the town of Luther, brook trout prevail with an occasional brown. Light tackle and dry flies are the order of the day. The 10 to 15 mile section below Rt 37 Bridge contains several large pools where large browns can be found along with an occasional rainbow. Between Six Mile Bridge and Nine Mile Bridge the Little Manistee offers good trout fishing and below the Six Mile Bridge, it offers good steelhead fishing. Salmon spawn in the Little Manistee twice a year in both the spring and the fall and the steelhead also enter the river twice a year. The seven mile section from Spenser Bridge to Johnson Bridge is fly fishing only, however most of it is controlled by a fishing club.
At Old Stronach Bridge the
Be sure to see our Little Manistee River Hatch Chart.
Spring:
The Little Manistee opens up for fishing in March 31 and it is good to start with the Little Winter Stoneflies and Midges. Later, the Blue Winged Olives will be a good choice as they start to hatch in early April followed by the Hendricksons. Steelhead fishing will be good also in the spring. We recommend the best flies to imitate the natural insects and they are "Perfect Flies" available at Trout University.
Summer:
July and August will be the best time for steelhead fishing. Also, for trout the Hex hatch will be occurring along with the Slate Drakes, The Great Olive Winged Drakes, and the Light Cahills to name a few.
Fall:
The Little Manistee will be closed for fishing from Sept 1 until November 14 however, steelhead fishing will be very good during late November and December.
Access is very good on the Little Manistee. Some anglers prefer to park at the Old Glade Campground near Luther and walk the stream. However access is good through most of the stream except the seven mile section from Spenser Bridge to Johnson where most of it is controlled by a fishing club. To access this portion, enter the stream and walk through this section since it is not trespassing when in the water.
Due to a suitable pH, the hatches on the Little Manistee are very plentiful making it a fly fishermans paradise. The BWOs are bi-brooded with the first hatch starting around April fools day and last through the month of July. The sceond hatch will occur in August and continue through September. This hatch is followed by the Hendricksons around the middle of April, then Mahogany Duns and the American March Browns,around May 1. The Sulphers start in the middle of May followed by the Hex hatch and the Light Cahills.
Caddis fly hatches are plentiful starting around June first and continue through the middle of August. The Little Green Rock Worm larva are available for most of the year as well. Stoneflies are hatching starting in April and terrestrials are good all summer due to the overhanging trees. For cold weather when the hatching activity slows down Midge imitations of the adults, larva and pupae will work, but they can be used during other seasons as well.
Streamer imitations of sculpins and bait fish will be effective in the larger pools for steelhead especially at dusk or other low light situations. For salmon, imitations of egg patterns will work. Other insect imitations will be effective in the larger hook sizes.
View Little Manistee River Michigan in a larger map