Tailwater · Sand Gravel · Michigan

Big Manistee River

The Manistee River curving through dense forest with a grassy bank, Michigan.
Poor · Brown Trout
Hexagenia Dun · 4-8
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level2.71 mLast reading 13h ago
  • Water temp22.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
HD
Hexagenia Dun4-8
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
2.71 m
Last reading 13h ago
Water temp22.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather25°C
WindNW 22 km/h
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.3 mm
Rain · ahead9.3 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
22.1°Cideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 22.1°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
SulphurHatch
2
3
2
Trico (Eastern)Hatch
2
3
3
2
Eastern Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Eastern Summer BWO (Drunella)Hatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Michigan licence
  • Flow tracks the Tippy Dam release
  • Verify MI DNR reach rules
  • Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here at 22.1°C. Nothing cooler within range.
Gallery · 2
  1. The Manistee River curving through dense forest with a grassy bank, Michigan.
    Manistee River
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 12 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature6 × 28%1.7
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time85 × 13%11.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity62 × 12%7.4
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.1°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 61
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
Related guides
Booking & contacts