Manistee River
Michigan · Manistee
- County: Manistee
- Shoreline outline: not yet matched (basemap OSM)
The pin is approximate, near the middle of the water. The shoreline on the map comes from OpenStreetMap.
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Overview
The Manistee River flows through the northwest Lower Peninsula, partly within the Manistee National Forest. The reach from the DNR boat ramp below Tippy Dam to the M-55 bridge is a federal Wild and Scenic River, designated in 1992 in part for its fishery. Federal and state agencies describe a superior steelhead, Chinook and coho salmon fishery, based on natural reproduction and stocking, along with resident brown trout, smallmouth bass and walleye. Michigan DNR calls the river below Tippy Dam one of the state's most popular fishing spots. Steelhead are present year-round and peak in March and April, salmon run in fall, and large resident brown trout are often overlooked. The wadeable gravel riffles there are reached by a long stairway, which is not cleared in winter.
Regulations
Below Tippy Dam the river is a Type 3 trout stream with seasonal gear rules. See the current Michigan Fishing Regulations: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing
Stocking history
| Species | Qty | Size | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 7723 | 20.1 | 05-13-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 27327 | 19.71 | 05-12-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 2630 | 20.25 | 05-12-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 13331 | 17.9 | 05-06-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 26660 | 18.6 | 05-04-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 19064 | 18.8 | 05-01-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 34838 | 18.8 | 04-29-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 26490 | 19.02 | 04-28-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 13200 | 19.12, 18.78 | 04-27-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 5200 | 19.49 | 04-27-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 10395 | 19.61 | 04-09-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 22595 | 18.69, 18.75 | 04-09-2026 |
| Lake Trout | 34988 | 14.8 | 04-08-2026 |
| Coho Salmon | 62600 | 13.8 | 04-07-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 20100 | 15.49, 19.27 | 04-07-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 14100 | 15.65 | 04-06-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 33197 | 17.86 | 03-26-2026 |
| Brown Trout | 23197 | 17.82 | 03-25-2026 |
| Rainbow Trout | 59817 | 7.24 | 10-20-2025 |
| Brown Trout | 17013 | 10.87 | 09-27-2025 |
| Lake sturgeon | 664 | 20.1 | 09-06-2025 |
| Rainbow Trout | 26562 | 21.45 | 05-15-2025 |
| Brown Trout | 6527 | 19.65 | 05-14-2025 |
| Brown Trout | 15798 | 19.1 | 05-06-2025 |
| Rainbow Trout | 27696 | 18.1 | 05-01-2025 |
Michigan Department of Natural Resources; National Wild and Scenic Rivers System