Fishing Report: West Michigan Rivers
It’s hard to beat the views floating down the Kalamazoo River.
Summer is winding down but it’s still a phenomenal time to get out on the river. Typically, this time of year, our waters are running low and clear, however, this year it’s a bit different. The weather has been cooperating and raining every week for just enough time to keep the rivers running at a good level without making chocolate milk of the water.
Mike holding a beautiful smallmouth bass caught steamer fishing in mid-August.
The Kalamazoo and the tributaries of the Grand River are fishing really well with both topwater and streamer flies. Currently, you can pick your poison and feel confident that you’ll catch quality fish. The early mornings are still best for frogs and other large topwater flies and as the day progresses, I suggest you switch over to smaller poppers, boogle bugs, and twitch flies.
Yellow is an excellent color to help the angler track the fly and entice big smallmouth bass to attack.
With the rain and slightly off color water, steamers are a staple on my menu. Olive, yellow, and tan have been working well. As the baitfish in the water grow, you can start to offer larger flies. Experiment with different colors and be sure to let the fly pause between strips.
Topwater bites get the biggest smiles out of clients and guides.
The Scientific Anglers Bass Bug line has been our topwater workhorse and the Sonar Sink Clear 30 has been the go to for just about all my streamer fishing. Short strong leaders and tippet get the job done in stained water allowing you to pull fish in fast and get your fly out of the trees.
Smallmouth bass will hold in mid-river structure and take the current making the fight that much better.
Fishing super tight to structure as not as necessary in the higher stained water. Don’t be shy about exploring some of the mid-river structure. More water means more places for the fish to roam.
If you’d like to book a trip for September reach out here! As always, I hope ya’ll have a safe and great time on the water with family and friends.
Cheers,
Allen Campbell