The Muskegon River “Mighty MO”

If we had to pick a “Home River” the Muskegon River is where we would call home. The Mighty Mo as it is often called is a tailwater fishery that is undoubtedly one of the best fish factories in the Mid West. You can ask anyone in the country that chases Salmon, Trout or Steelhead and more than likely they have heard of the great fishing the Muskegon River has to offer. The Muskegon River is a large river and is very wide in many spots which makes it perfectly suited for our 18’ Custom Jet Sleds with large jet outboard motors. If you are looking for a more traditional float we do also offer guided drift boat trips on this scenic river as well as the Manistee River, Pere Marquette River, White River and Betsie River.

Every year the Muskegon River receives huge returns of migratory Chinook “King” Salmon, Steelhead “Rainbow” Trout and Brown Trout from Lake Michigan. These fish return to the river to spawn and reproduce. Large resident Brown, Rainbow trout, Smallmouth bass and walleye are also numerous in the Muskegon River which makes it a great year round fishery.

We fish the Muskegon River starting just below Croton Dam, Which is just east of the city of Newaygo, MI all the way down to the mouth that dumps into Muskegon Lake at the city of Muskegon which is just over 30 miles.

The first two miles of river below Croton Dam is loaded with gravel bars along with some holding pockets and this is where the majority of the spawning is done in this river. This part of the river also very pressured during peak times and is crowded with hundreds of anglers as well as many local guides daily. As you continue downstream the river starts getting a bit deeper with less gravel but also has much deeper water that the migratory fish such as Salmon and Steelhead love to hold in. We like to stay away from the crowds and this is the section of the Muskegon River our guide service will normally target when conditions allow.

Please check out our Facebook or fishing report page for the lasted up to date Muskegon River fishing report.

Muskegon River

Fall Salmon Fishing

September 1-October. 20

Fall- Muskegon River Steelhead Fishing

October 20-November

The Great Lakes Steelhead start migrating into the Muskegon River as the leafs start to fall in mid October. The steelhead at this time are very aggressive and feed heavily on the loose eggs from the spawning Salmon are spawing. If you find spawning Salmon, you will find Steelhead  hot on their tail. With great weather, this is a favorite time for Muskegon River Steelhead fishing.

Winter – Muskegon River Steelhead Fishing

December 1-February

With cold temperatures setting in, steelhead that are in the rivers move to their winter holding areas. At this time steelhead fishing becomes more predictable as the steelhead pile into slower deep water. With less competition from other anglers, the river is less crowded and more enjoyable. Equipped with heaters on the boat, it a great time to do some Winter Steelhead Fishing. The weather may be cold but the fishing is HOT.

Spring Warmup – Muskegon River Steelhead Fishing

March1 -May 15

With the first warmups in late February, Steelhead begin to spawn on shallow gravel on the river bottom. Although we may be fishing in the area that the fish are spawning, our guide service does not target the spawning steelhead, instead we target the fish that are holding in the pools near by the spawning gravel. At this time floatfishing really shines to drift our offering to the awaiting steelhead. We do not SNAG fish off of their spawning beds!

Muskegon River Steelhead Fishing Methods

Float fishing with centerpin, Back Bouncing, Drop back plugs, Casting plugs & Fly fishing