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Manistee River - Tippy Dam to Bear Creek

Lake Michigan tributary · Gauge: Manistee River near Bear Creek, MI

Current Conditions
63°F
Water Temp · steady
1,490
Flow (cfs) · steady
8.68ft
Gage Height

Reading: 9/23/2026, 9:00:00 AM

Run status

Chinook Salmon
Confidence: 63%
STAGING
Why this status?

Phase: ramp_up. Water 62.8°F (ideal 52-62), flow 1490 cfs (ideal 1200-2400). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.60/0.92/1.00/0.17 → total 0.63.

Coho Salmon
Confidence: 53%
NOT YET
Why this status?

Phase: ramp_up. Water 62.8°F (ideal 50-58), flow 1490 cfs (ideal 1200-2400). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.60/0.52/1.00/0.17 → total 0.53.

Brown Trout
Confidence: 37%
DONE
Why this status?

Phase: after. Water 62.8°F (ideal 45-60), flow 1490 cfs (ideal 1000-2000). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.00/0.72/1.00/0.17 → total 0.37.

Atlantic Salmon
Confidence: 44%
DONE
Why this status?

Phase: after. Water 62.8°F (ideal 55-65), flow 1490 cfs (ideal 1000-2200). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.00/1.00/1.00/0.17 → total 0.44.

Steelhead
Confidence: 19%
DONE
Why this status?

Phase: after. Water 62.8°F (ideal 38-50), flow 1490 cfs (ideal 1000-2500). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.00/0.00/1.00/0.17 → total 0.19.

Recent reports

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Typical run windows

Brown Trout 04-01 → peak 05-30 → 06-30
Ideal: 45-60°F · 1,000-2,000 cfs

Brown trout active spring through fall — Hex hatch late May/early June is famous.

Chinook Salmon 08-25 → peak 09-25 → 10-31
Ideal: 52-62°F · 1,200-2,400 cfs

Tippy Dam Chinook — biggest run in MI. Stacks up below the dam late Aug through Oct.

Coho Salmon 09-20 → peak 10-15 → 11-15
Ideal: 50-58°F · 1,200-2,400 cfs

Coho push 2-3 weeks behind Chinook. Smaller fish, often overlooked, fight harder per pound.

Atlantic Salmon 06-15 → peak 07-15 → 08-15
Ideal: 55-65°F · 1,000-2,200 cfs

Manistee has a unique summer Atlantic salmon run. Skein/spawn bags + cured eggs near Tippy.

Steelhead 10-01 → peak 12-15 → 04-30
Ideal: 38-50°F · 1,000-2,500 cfs

Steelhead fishery is year-round below Tippy. Fall, winter holdover, and spring spawning runs all viable.

Status is computed from real-time USGS gauge data, historical run windows, DNR reports, and crowdsourced angler reports. Always confirm conditions with the latest DNR rules before fishing.