BirdTroutOpen the map When to fish the Little Manistee River, Michigan
May, June and July — those are the months with the most insects recorded from northern lower Michigan, 19 in May, 26 in June and 24 in July. The trout season on the Little Manistee River runs Last Saturday in April–September 30th. The Little Manistee River averages 66.1 °F in July across 1 gauged stretch, so the middle of summer is a morning-and-evening proposition rather than a bad month.
What's likely in September
25 insects peak in September in northern lower Michigan. By month, not week.
Start with these — the patterns that match most of what is out now:
Mayflies
Blue-Winged Olive #16–22, Isonychia / Slate Drake #10–14, Little Yellow May #16–18, Mahogany Dun #16–18, Trico #20–24
Tie onPheasant Tail Nymph nymph · Parachute Adams dry · RS2 emerger
Caddis
October Caddis #8–10, White Miller #14–18, Green Rock Worm / Green Weenie #10–14
Tie onElk Hair Caddis dry · Prince Nymph nymph · Stimulator dry
Terrestrials
Cinnamon Flying Ant #16–20, Cricket #10–14, Black Ant #14–20, Grasshopper #8–12, Leafhopper #18–22, and 1 more
Tie onFoam Beetle terrestrial · Black Foam Ant terrestrial · Parachute Ant terrestrial
Crayfish, scuds and baitfish
Crayfish #4–8, Minnows + Dace #2–10, Scud #12–18, Sculpin #2–8
Tie onZonker streamer · Woolly Bugger (Black) streamer · Woolly Bugger (Brown) streamer
Worms, leeches and the rest
Water Boatman #14–18, Cranefly #6–10, Aquatic Worm #10–16, Damselfly #10–14, Dragonfly #4–10, and 1 more
Tie onWoolly Bugger (Olive) streamer · Walt's Worm nymph · Woolly Bugger (Brown) streamer
The hatch calendar
Insects peaking each month. Midges, scuds and sculpins are left out: they peak every month, so counting them would flatten the bars.
Every insect recorded here, by month (53)
| Insect | Months | Hook | Active at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Eggs | October–January and April | #10–16 | 33–60 °F |
| Little Black Stonefly | January–April | #16–18 | 34–46 °F |
| Little Brown Stonefly | February–April | #12–16 | 38–50 °F |
| Blue-Winged Olive | March–May and September–November | #16–22 | 38–58 °F |
| Blackfly | April–June | #18–22 | 40–65 °F |
| Blue Quill | April–May | #16–18 | 44–56 °F |
| Cranefly | April–June and September–October | #6–10 | 40–65 °F |
| Grannom | April–May | #14–16 | 48–58 °F |
| Green Rock Worm / Green Weenie | April–June and September–October | #10–14 | 45–68 °F |
| Hendrickson | April–May | #12–14 | 45–58 °F |
| Little Black Caddis | April–May | #16–20 | 46–58 °F |
| Alderfly | May–June | #10–14 | 52–66 °F |
| Caterpillar | May–September | #8–14 | 55–75 °F |
| Crayfish | May–October | #4–8 | 55–78 °F |
| Giant Black Stonefly (Salmonfly) | May–June | #4–6 | 50–62 °F |
| Green Sedge | May–August | #12–16 | 48–64 °F |
| Inchworm | May–June | #12–16 | 50–68 °F |
| Light Cahill | May–July | #12–16 | 55–68 °F |
| Little Sulphur | May–July | #16–20 | 50–62 °F |
| March Brown | May–June | #10–12 | 50–62 °F |
| Spotted / Tan Caddis | May–August | #14–18 | 55–70 °F |
| Sulphur | May–July | #14–18 | 52–68 °F |
| Black Ant | June–September | #14–20 | 55–80 °F |
| Brown Drake | June | #10–12 | 55–65 °F |
| Golden Stonefly | June–July | #6–10 | 55–68 °F |
| Gray Drake | June–July | #10–12 | 55–68 °F |
| Hex | June–July | #6–8 | 60–72 °F |
| Isonychia / Slate Drake | June–September | #10–14 | 55–70 °F |
| June Bug / Beetle | June–July | #10–14 | 58–75 °F |
| Leafhopper | June–September | #18–22 | 58–75 °F |
| Little Sister Caddis | June–August | #16–20 | 60–74 °F |
| Little Yellow May | June–September | #16–18 | 58–70 °F |
| Little Yellow Sally | June–August | #14–16 | 55–68 °F |
| Yellow Drake | June–August | #10–12 | 58–70 °F |
| Annual Cicada | July–August | #6–10 | 60–78 °F |
| Golden Drake | July–August | #10–12 | 60–72 °F |
| Grasshopper | July–September | #8–12 | 60–80 °F |
| Japanese Beetle | July–August | #12–16 | 60–80 °F |
| Trico | July–September | #20–24 | 58–72 °F |
| White Miller | July–September | #14–18 | 60–74 °F |
| Cinnamon Flying Ant | August–September | #16–20 | 58–78 °F |
| Cricket | August–October | #10–14 | 55–75 °F |
| Mahogany Dun | September–October | #16–18 | 45–58 °F |
| October Caddis | September–October | #8–10 | 45–58 °F |
| Water Boatman | September–November | #14–18 | 45–65 °F |
| Aquatic Worm | all year | #10–16 | 35–70 °F |
| Damselfly | all year | #10–14 | 55–78 °F |
| Dragonfly | all year | #4–10 | 55–78 °F |
| Leech | all year | #2–10 | 35–75 °F |
| Midge | all year | #18–24 | 33–75 °F |
| Minnows + Dace | all year | #2–10 | 35–78 °F |
| Scud | all year | #12–18 | 33–70 °F |
| Sculpin | all year | #2–8 | 33–72 °F |
The season
- January 1st–December 31st
- Last Saturday in April–September 30th
As published for the designated types this river carries. Regulations by reach →
Water temperature through the year
July is the warmest month and the one this site measures: 1 gauged stretch average 66.1 °F . Everything either side of July is colder than that.
More about Little Manistee River
Little Manistee River — live water temperature, regulations and access
- Is the Little Manistee River good for brook trout?
- Is the Little Manistee River good for brown trout?
- Is the Little Manistee River good for rainbow trout?
- How to get to the Little Manistee River, Michigan
- Little Manistee River fishing report
- Little Manistee River fishing regulations