Michigan Fly Fishing Reports

Betts Guide Service (231) 519-7348 - Since 1996, Betts Guide Service, in Newaygo, Michigan has provided anglers with the best in Muskegon River Fly Fishing. With an excellent team of professional fly fishing guides, our staff pride themselves in offering the very best in guided Steelhead fishing, lodging and hospitality. Our river guides are knowledgeable, courteous and professional.

Muskegon River Steelhead - The crown jewel of Great Lakes Steelhead- Fall Chrome is the most sought after and Jump like no other! We will be offering floats and spawn, and fly fishing trips for Fall Steelhead on the lower Muskegon River. These fish are chrome and we average well over a fish per hour!

Spring Steelhead - In late February, Steelhead move up river and begin their migration to their spawning areas. Steelhead feed heavily on stone flies, caddis larvae, and Chinook fry. During March, April and May, Steelhead begin to polish gravel and begin to spawn.

Fall Steelhead- Steelhead ascend the Muskegon River in late October and November. Acrobatic and chrome! Muskegon River Fall Steelhead are the finest gamefishing found in the Great Lakes Region!

Muskegon River Smallmouth Bass -Smallies with be available in good numbers during June, July, and August. We have several locations with private water with larger than average Smallmouth. These Fish are great fun and fight like crazy. Smallmouth also take a fly well. We offer both light tackle spinning with soft plastics, and fly tackle.

Muskegon River Chinook Salmon - We will begin guiding Salmon on the Pere Marquette and Manistee River around August 25th. King Salmon begin staging off the river mouths during mid- August preparing for the Fall spawning migrations.
Early in the season, we will be casting crankbaits for big chrome Kings. Later in the season, we will be fly fishing for Chinook and Coho Salmon. Many hook-ups and many fish landed are the norm for the Big Manistee River!

Muskegon River Trout - There are lots of suckers spawning and encouraging the bigger browns and rainbows to feed on nymphs behind sucker redds. Excellent numbers of cinnamon caddis seen in the last couple of days, mostly during the afternoon period. Many of stocked Trout targeting dry fly Caddis with an occasional big fish on the surface. As water temperatures increase, larger Trout will come up. Sulpher emergence is soon to come. Streamer stripping with salmon fry patterns has been working well for larger Trout - We need warmer water to get the big boys to chase streamers.

Muskegon River Fishing Reports - Our fishing reports are updated to the best of our ability from our experiences on the water that day. We post primarily on the Muskegon River but also guide on the Mansitee River and Pere Marquette Rivers. Our fishing reports are updated daily.