River Conditions

Fishing Report - March 10 2008

The fresh spring fish are in the river and spreading out fairly quickly. Recent cold nights and bright sunny days have made the bite a little slower that we would like,not to mention falling water levels due to dam controled waters. Look for most West Michigan rivers to gain activity this week with air temps finally warming into the 40's for a few days. The PM and Grand are both set to get a solid push this week,to put them on schedual with past years.

Flies... Egg paterns in small natural shades,small PT nymphs,green caddis  and tiny stonefly patters will get bit. As will small fry patterns to imitate the fresh hatch of salmon fry.

We have spring dates avail.

Call or email for more info. 231.250.9745 or jkolehouse@sbcglobal.net

Fishing Report - March 6 2008

Well as you can see there are some very bright fresh spring fish entering the system. Look for the freshies in the lower river to be a little dumber than the well educated winter fish in the upper river. Egg paterns and small nymphs would be the flies of choice. Salmon fry are going to be hatching very very soon. As usual plenty of winter black stoneflies are happening now.

We have spring dates avail. March 10,12,15,16,19,26,31

April dates also available.

Call or email for more info.

Fishing Report - March 2 2008

Finally a new month. Spring is getting a little closer each day now. THe fishing has improved this week and new silver fish are on their way now ! Good sized chrome females are making their way into the river as we speak. There are good numbers of winter stoneflies hatching and making an impact on the fly bite. Do not be afraid of fishing very small nymphs for these big eating fish.Natural egg paterns also getting looked at. It look like the spring run will be right on time for all local rivers. The Pere Marquette river will see the earliest fish hitting gravel in the next week or so if we get a warm up. The Muskegon is running a very cool 32-33 degrees.

 Get on the river now before the crowds ! Very light pressure durring the weekdays

We have openings for individuals or large groups. We guide both on the Muskegon and Pere Marquette rivers. We also offer the technique of your choice. Fly,spin....or plug fishing? Or combo trips. Instructionals are also available.

Call or email for openings,I'm sure we can get you on the water and into steel!

231.250.9745 for more info.

We will be offering our ever popular 1/2 day evening trips once daylight savings time kicks in. Call for dates. 250.00

Fishing Report - Feb 25 2008

Well after several days of sunny weather the bite slowed big time. And water temps barely moved due to below zero overnight temps. It looks like it will be a normal spring compared to the last few. Due to the extreme amount of snow this year we will most likely have higher flows and cooler temps till later in the run,most likely forcing the run to be more drawn out ! This is a good thing for anglers and will allow the fish to spawn for a longer period and fishing pressure to spread out more evenly.

We have openings for individuals or large groups. We guide both on the Muskegon and Pere Marquette rivers. We also offer the technique of your choice. Fly,spin....or plug fishing? Or combo trips. Instructionals are also available.

Call or email for openings,I'm sure we can get you on the water and into steel!

231.250.9745 for more info.

We will be offering our ever popular 1/2 day evening trips once daylight savings time kicks in. Call for dates. 250.00

Fishing Report - Feb 21 2008

Sorry for the lapse,I havent been on the river for a few days due to very cold or icy conditions.The good news is that I was out today and we found several fish to play with.Floats/spawn did the trick. Morning temps were a chilly -4 degrees at 9 am afternoon temps were a balmy 23 degrees. I will be on the river fairly regular now that march is almost here.

Many of the ramps are in bad shape, I recomend a 4x4 for launching your boat.

Still open dates, call or email for availability.

Fishing Report - Feb 12 2008

As you can see the river looks very frosty ! I will be on the river later this week and will hopefully have new pics of nice winter steel! Plenty of ice at the ramps,packed snow and slippery conditions will make launching difficult for sure. Also note that the river dropped about 7 inches today and there will be alot of shelf ice busting loose. Look for more fishing info in a day or two.

Spring dates are filling up! Call or email soon to get on the river with us. We can accomodate large multi boat trips.

Winter 1/2 day $200.00

Fishing Report - Feb 8 2008

With currently rising waters one would expect the fish activity to pick up.... but the last few days out that hasn't been the case. The fishing this week was a little slower than expected. We are getting into fish everyday, just not as many as I feel we should. Possibly its just the changing water levels or the major storm fronts coming through this week. The truth is ...if you fish you will catch them, just be prepared to work through a few pools. Look for slower pools for the best luck. Spring is on the way.....

1/2 day trips $200.00

Fishing Report - Feb 5 2008

Fished with Mike S today, just a quick morning half day trip (before he had to go to work) we put a few in the boat and lost one along with several river trout. The fishing for the rest of the winter will be great. We have finally gotten our fish numbers to where they should be and things look on track for the rest of the season. Why wait till spring to go fishing??? Or maybe you like to fish in a crowd ?

Why not join us on the river for a day or two and see for yourself how many of the "old wives tales" you can break ! The world of steelheading is full of myths ! How about becoming a myth buster with us? We would love to show you a wonderful time on the river. Hot grilled lunches on all full day trips and heated jet boats. We have multiple boats available if you have a large group.

Fish with the guide service that runs more trips and spends more time on the water than any other....Let us show you why ? We catch fish ! Since 1992

1/2 day trips also available. $200.00 Full day $325.00 with hot grilled lunch

Fishing Report - Feb 2 2008

Finally back on the water after another major cold snap. We had a good 1/2 day trip once again with several fresh steelies to the boat and a few misses as well.....cant get em all ! The river looked great with a little flow once again bringing the river to normal levels once again. Plenty of ice floating down from the traffic. As expected bigger and brighter doing the best.....although I know these fish are munching bugs, I just cant seem to find the right bug to fool them as well as eggs. Look for this weeks mild temps to get things really going.Fish are scattered from Croton dam to the lake. Things look great for late winter chrome !

1/2 day trips 200.00 A great way to get on the water and catch a few steelies.

Spring dates also available.

Fishing Report - Jan 29 2008

Fished a 1/2 day trip on the morning of the 28 th. Had a great day with Larry E. We managed several to the net and lost a few. Alot less pressure today as expected. The water is rising as we speak and has alot of ice flows. I am sure the shelf ice will form again today and through the night. The weather will be back to normal and We will resume fishing Friday. Brighter and larger eggs will most likely be the call for the next several days... Spring is on its way.

Please contact us to take advantage of the $200 1/2 day winter special. We would love to get your pic on the site. Plenty of days open.

Fishing Report - Jan 27

I did make it on the river yesterday and Saturday,Saturday started with lots of shoveling and ice chopping to get the boat in, after about an hour we were on our way.The fishing was much slower than we had anticipated probably due to the extreme cold temps from friday and 20 plus hours of ice flows. We got into several fish and put a few in the net, but worked very hard for each bite. Sunday very similar results with a few very nice healthy fish. The river was very crowded today....saw over 20 boats. Most boats seemed to have a tough go of it. Still catching most of the fish on eggs,but very small natural nymphs have fooled a few fish.

Fishing Report - January 25

Tried to fish with a good friend today, his boat was sitting in a big ice cube docked in front of his house. Lots of shelf ice and lots of flow ice on the river today and even into late in the afternoon. Shelf ice was pushing out quite aways in the slower waters. Look for this coming week warm up to break things loose and get the bite going strong again..hopefully !

Spring is coming if you are interested in a day or two please call or email..plenty of winter steelhead yet to be caught.

Fishing Report - January 24th

8am morning temp 12 degrees.........A perfect day to fish for steelhead ?? Of course it is !!! Never a bad day to fish for steelhead in my book....well,single digits might push that theory but I have launched my boat many days in temps well below zero. After having been in the business of fishing for winter steelhead for 16 years (well over 25 years total)I have pretty much fished in all types of weather. And very very cold days are always the most memorable ! Why you ask...I must be crazy..NO !! its because These fish bite in the very cold weather. The fish in the system got a slight break from the pressure and it showed. I fished with a good friend and we had a great day. Very little pressure as expected and a few happy fish to go with the winter scenery. Temp at the end of the day 18 degrees...Sure its chilly but if you dress for it its just fine, our boats have heaters available ! Fish hard and stay warm !

We would love to get you into some of these beautiful winter fish !! Just give us a call or shoot us an email.

Please also notice the current river conditions on the top right side of this page, this will give you a great deal of information including weather forecasts and stream flow data.

Big Thanks goes out to my Webmaster for keeping my site current and giving you more information to help with your fishing !

Fishing Report - January 19th

Things on the river are looking more like normal...average water levels finally,nice chunky resident trout and a good push of fresh winter chrome ! Recent high waters brought in a much needed new run of winter steelhead on the Muskegon River. I was out all week and had good to great days with some very nice sized fish, several pushing 10-11 lbs....very nice ! This weekends cold snap will give the fish a chance to settle in and get acclimated to their new environment and the fishing should be great this coming week.

Get rid of those winter blues with a day on the water !!!

Half day trips for $200

Spring dates are booking up, call or email now for open dates.

Fishing Report - January 12th

I hit the river with a couple friends today, first day since Wed. The river has crested and fallen a few inches with decent visibility from Newaygo to the Dam. We had a decent day landing several but still working for everyone. This has been a year where you must stay focused and concentrate on every drift or you might miss your chance. The fish seem to be pretty happy with the new conditions and fought very scrappy for the cool winter temps. Slow water with good bottom cover has been the key the last two times out. We did see a few brighter fish, this could be a good sign. Bigger,brighter has been the key...clowns and chartreuse did the job this week.

Plenty of days open for this winter, also getting calls for spring. Don't wait book now before its too late.

Fishing Report - January 8th

Just a quick update.....

As expected the river did come up big time ! We finally have the much needed water and this should start bringing up a few new fish. Congrats goes out to Mike Craig of Ft. Smith Montana for landing an awesome buck today !! A great wild fish pushing just over 12 lbs ! We had a great am but the rising water quickly caught up with us shutting the fish down right around noon. Look for the upper river to clear first maybe a day or two.. Finally we can up our tippet and fly size .

I will keep you posted on the river conditions.

Fishing Report - January 4th

Happy New Year !!!

Well the start of the new year looks very similar to the end of 2007....cold snowy and low water.

I did fish the Muskegon on Jan. 1 2008... there were no New Years Steelies to be landed that day, we hooked a fish or two but landed none... I did put a good hurting on some nice gills this week and have a few dinners worth... I will be back on the Muskegon and will hopefully get a few steelies to kick off the count for the new year. We are for casted to get a decent warm up early next week and this should spike the water again and shuffle the deck a bit. Look for small stones and nymphs to start producing a little better with the passing months. Also don't be afraid to try bigger brighter patterns from time to time to catch the eye of a passive fish. Fish slow and with confidence in your flies and location.... they are there....just be patient. Big numbers this winter are a rarity....the norm has been a few hookups a day rather than a few hookups per run. It will get better....But a day on the river no matter how slow still beats doing just about anything else...

See you on the water !

I am now offering 1/2 day winter instructional's on the water.... the where's,when's and why's....for winter steelies. Fly selection,technique (flies,floats,plugging) your choice and water reading ....putting the emphasis on the learing rather than the catching. 2 ppl $200.00 4 hours.

Fishing Report - December 30th

Here comes the new year!
And it looks as if there are a few new fish on the way! Recently the river spiked and that has pulled a few more fish up. By no means has the fishing gotten easy....or even close to the numbers we have had in the past couple winters. But there are fish here to be caught. All you need to do in to adjust your expectations, fish hard and you will be rewarded. Egg patterns both real and fake still fooling the majority of the fish...clowns,Oregon cheese,pale pinks and oranges doing the best. As for nymphs...stones,pheasants and caddis. We guide all winter and would love to get you on the water.

Happy New Year !

Now is the time to book up your prime time spring dates.

Fishing Report - December 22nd

We are in full winter mode now. Clear and cold...fish slow and thoroughly. Don't be afraid of switching patterns. There are fish in the rivers to be caught but they have been making you work for them most days...others...they seem to come a little easier. The mornings have been better in my boat and after the sun gets high it has been a tough go. Due to the extremely low clear water the sunny days have been VERY tough. We are getting a good snow melt right now and I am sure that the water will spike in the next day or two. Look for fish from the lower stretches to move up and those in the upper sections to let their guard down a bit. The honest truth is that there are a fair number of fish but with the conditions they have been very weary. Be ready to work for your fish and make the most of every hook up. Eggs flies in naturals have been the best recently,along with very small caddis and stone flies. Get rid of those holiday blues and away from all the in-laws...book a trip between the holidays....Full and 1/2 days available.

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas !

Thanks to all for making it another great year for Riversbend Guide Service. I hope to see everyone in 2008 !

Fishing Report - December 13th

Things are looking a little better..... We finally got a good dose of fresh snow and the river looks like a true " Winter Wonderland" This should give us a much needed dose of water. The extended forecast shows above normal precip and temps for the rest of the month. The Muskegon got a slight bump in water the other day and when this happens the fish seem a little happier. Eggs still getting it done mostly, but small Pt's,hares ears, and caddis also getting some play.Although the fish numbers are still low. We are in winter mode now and offering 1/2 day trips for only $200.00 and full days are $325.00. Everything included.

Book a trip with Riversbend Guide Service....The premier guide service on the Muskegon from the Dam to the Lake ! Since 1992

Guided trips make great gifts for that special family member !!! Contact us for details

Fishing Report - December 10th

Well I haven't updated in a while and it is about time....Still things are about the same..most days a fish or two..or three...then you get a day where you get into a few pools with several. Due to the clear water small nymphs are finally producing....tiny trout size stuff on light small hooks,and natural egg patterns. I have been exploring a few other rivers and have found very similar conditions....good one day....tough the next. We are still getting into fish everyday..but still has been a work in progress... Look for similar fishing thru the winter unless we get a good dose of water. Visibility on the upper Muskegon is well over 15'..

Guide trips make great gifts...contact us for that special unique gift...

Fishing Report - November 29th

Brrrrrr........ Winter has arrived. The fishing remains about the same....one day great the next....slowwwwwwwwwwww...The river continues to drop and clear making the fishing a little tougher. Most of the fish that remain in the upper to middle sections all have phd's in tackle identification. With the lower river only holding a few new fish it doesn't make the numbers any easier. Still fishing mostly eggs, both real and yarn. Look for the bite to possibly get a little better with the cooler temps taking some of the pressure off the fish.

Gift certificates ???? Make great Christmas gifts.

1/2 day specials are now available. $200.00

Fishing Report - November 22nd

Big News!!! The fishing this week has defiantly improved, we did see another small push of fish this week and they are hungry ! Cooler temps and less people and a slight increase in flow is to blame. We generally see a good push sometime between deer opener and the first of December so it looks as if they are right on time. Eggs still getting it done with the real thing kicking the butt outta the fake stuff. The leaves are almost fully down, so those wanting to pull plugs will soon be able to do it with ease.

Still a few open dates this month and plenty in December, please contact us if you are interested. Also I will offer a 1/2 day special for 200.00 from now through the end of February. This is about 4-5 hours on the water with hot Coffee and snacks in a heated jet boat.

Guide trips also make great gifts! Gift Certificates available.

Fishing Report - November 13th

Currently the fishing has been a roller coaster.....One day fairly good...next surprisingly slow ! (Although we are catching several each day) This has mostly been due to changing weather patterns and small groups of fish moving through the river , without a huge overlap of fish as they move upstream. Also the aggressiveness of these fish adds to the slower fishing , meaning the biters are getting picked off very quickly. making it all that much more important to be first. Without the normal wet,cold,windy weather we are seeing an increasing amount of fishing pressure.

Eggs still seem to be the favored fare....with nymphs slowly getting noticed as natural eggs disappear from the drift.

Still a couple openings around the up coming holiday weekend ! And into December...

Fishing Report - November 5th

Just a quick update...

As you can see we are catching some very nice steelies, however the fishing hasn't been easy by any means. In fact it has been rather tough most days. The super bright sunshine and vodka clear waters have made it very important to downsize everything. Most of the action has been in the early am and then about 11 am.....its like a switch..the bite is off.We need alot of rain to get this run back on track. Pray for rain !!!



Still catching most of the fish on egg patterns but nymphs have also played a role as of late...small dark and natural.

Still have a couple days open in November and plenty in December.