Muskegon River

Starting in Houghton Lake, the Mighty-Mo, as it is often referred to, flows over 200 miles southwest where the waters enter Lake Michigan in the City of Muskegon.  Along the way, the river encounters two large hydroelectric plants, the Hardy and the Croton.  With the help of these two structures, the lower sections of the river have very stable flows of consistent cold water providing the trophy brown trout and rainbow trout fishery that this river has to offer.  The river is also known for its tremendous runs of salmon and steelhead, offering great fishing year-round.

The Muskegon flows directly beside the campus of Ferris State University making this our home river.  There are great trout and smallmouth opportunities only minutes from campus.

Due to the large size of the river, often over 200 feet across and in some spots up to 300 feet across, the best way to access most of the watershed is by boat.  Some of the best fishing is found directly below Croton dam downstream to Newaygo. 

The Pine River is also a very important watershed to us, as our parent chapter has taken its name from this fishery.  The Pine is the coldest, highest gradient river in Michigan’s lower peninsula.  This river supports only wild strains of brook, brown and rainbow trout.  Due to special regulations and seasonal fishing, the DNR does not plant this river with hatchery trout, providing a truly wild fishery. 

Downstream, the river flows into the Manistee River just upstream from Tippy dam, offering this fishery harborage from great lakes salmon and steelhead.  Due to the trout having no competition with the great lakes species and the river offering limited access, the Pine is truly a gem for any fly angler to enjoy.  The Pine is a designated ‘National Wild and Scenic River by the US Forest Service and as a ‘Natural River’ by the State of Michigan.

Also within the designated classes that the Pine belongs to, the Pere Marquette is truly a historic watershed.  The PM, as it is called, was the first river in the country to be stocked with brown trout from Germany, the brown trout that we fish to this day.  This river has some true giants that will put a bend in your rod.  However, the PM is also known for its migrations of salmon and steelhead making this a year round fishery.  Many individuals hold this river is as much esteem as the Manistee and Au Sable rivers, making this one of those destinations for the ‘religious’ fly fisher.