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Manistee River Tippy Dam South, Michigan
Walk-in access on the Manistee River — The manistee river in this area is designated a type 3 trout stream. Please refer to the inland trout and salmon stream regulations in the current michigan fishing guide.
Open in BirdTrout44.257, -85.94024 · Manistee County. Directions → Tap the map to open this water in the live app.
What is here
- Type
- Walk-in access
- Facilities
- The manistee river in this area is designated a type 3 trout stream. Please refer to the inland trout and salmon stream regulations in the current michigan fishing guide.
- Fee
- No fee
- Listed for
- Brown Trout, Steelhead
- Listed by
- Michigan DNR Trout Trail site
From Manistee travel east on M-55 for 19 miles, then turn left (north) on Tippy Dam Road. Proceed 2.2 miles and turn right (east) into the Tippy Dam parking lot. From the M-37 and M-55 intersection, take M-55 west for 7 miles, then turn right (north) onto Tippy Dam Road. Proceed 2.2 miles, then turn right into the Tippy Dam parking lot.
The Manistee River below Tippy Dam is one of the most popular fishing locations in Michigan. This site provides outstanding fishing opportunities year-round. The stocked brown trout grow very well here and can reach large sizes. However, the resident brown trout fishery is often overlooked, as anglers typically associate Tippy Dam with salmon and steelhead fishing. Fly fishing is a popular way to catch the brown trout, although bait fishing and tossing lures are also productive techniques. The Manistee River here is very wadeable, with large gravel riffles punctuated by pockets and deeper holes. From here, anglers can hike downstream for several miles, and can access other popular sites including Suicide Bend and the Tunk Hole (although parking is available near the Tunk Hole as well). Reaching the river from this access site requires descending (and then climbing to return) a long stairway of several hundred steps that drops several hundred feet into the river valley. The steps are not shoveled in the winter and can be covered in snow and ice, making them treacherous. This site is administered by Consumers Energy and provides parking for many vehicles, as well as rustic toilets.
The water you can reach
- Manistee River 0.12 mi · Cold transitional large river (MDNR VSEC) · typed Cold-transitional
Walk-in access. Small enough water to wade and cross in most conditions.
What the river reads now
| Gauge | Distance | Water temp |
|---|---|---|
| Manistee River near Wellston | 0.2 mi | 62.8 °F |
| Manistee River near Mesick | 9.4 mi | 62.4 °F |
| Pine River at High School Bridge Nr Hoxeyville | 9.5 mi | 51.8 °F |
Live from USGS. A gauge miles away is a gauge miles away — the distance column is there so you can discount it.
The river this is on
Other access nearby
- Tippy Dam State Recreation Area Lower 0.2 mi · boat launch · Manistee River
- Tippy Dam State Recreation Area Upper 0.3 mi · boat launch · Tippy Dam Pond - Manistee River
- Manistee River Tippy Dam State Recreation Area 0.8 mi · walk in
Straight-line distance, not driving distance.
Fly shops nearby
- Schmidt Outfitters 3.0 mi · Wellston
- Andy's Tackle Box 4.7 mi · Brethren
- Johnson's Pere Marquette Lodge 24.7 mi · Baldwin
- Ed's Sport Shop 25.1 mi · Baldwin