Another Michigan tailwater, the Manistee river runs over 200 miles through the northern lower peninsula through the
villages of Sharon, Smithville and others, eventually into lake Michigan at Manistee.
The upper stretches of the Manistee above Tippy Dam is relatively narrow compared to its same water cousin below the dam. The upper stretches are home to the famous “hex” hatch, amongst others and holds some of the largest brown trout in the state. Below Tippy, the river takes on a classic tailwater appearance the first few miles, before it transforms into a slower moving, moderate current speed river system that resident rainbow and brown trout call home. Being a “run of river” tributary to lake Michigan, it receives excellent migratory runs of fall Chinook and Coho salmon, fall Steelhead, fall and winter lake run Brown trout and spring Steelhead.
Flow data for Manistee river near Sherman, MI
Flow data for Manistee river near Wellston, MI
Map of Manistee River