Waters · United States
Little Manistee River fishing report
Updated Wednesday, October 21, 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
The river Michigan takes its steelhead eggs from: the state weir near Stronach collects brood fish for hatcheries across the Great Lakes. A small, cold, spring-fed stream with a wild-strain run, fished hard from Nine Mile Bridge downstream.
Today's report: excellent (84/100)
Brown Trout is the most promising species on Little Manistee River today. Water temperature at the gauge is 49°F (9.6°C) and barometric pressure is falling. Gauge L MANISTEE R AT NINE MILE BRIDGE NR FREESOIL, MI shows the water level steady.
Little Manistee River water temperature and flow
- Water temperature: 49°F (9.6°C)
- Discharge: 131 cfs (3.7 m³/s) — down 1% over 24 hours
- Level trend: steady
Measured at gauge L MANISTEE R AT NINE MILE BRIDGE NR FREESOIL, MI · reading 29 min ago. Published by the national hydrological service, not estimated by us.
Best time to fish today
- 6:00 PM–8:00 PM local time — score 83/100
- 10:00 PM–12:00 AM local time — score 83/100
- 8:00 AM–10:00 AM local time — score 87/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Wednesday, Oct 21 | Thursday, Oct 22 | Friday, Oct 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steelhead | 73 — good | 74 — good | 70 — good |
| Chinook salmon | 80 — excellent | 80 — excellent | 79 — good |
| Brown Trout | 84 — excellent | 86 — excellent | 84 — excellent |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Little Manistee River rating:
- water temperature: helping (+1)
- pressure trend: helping (+1)
- light: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- precipitation: helping (+0.9)
- cloud cover: helping (+0.85)
Forecast computed Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:58:48 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge L MANISTEE R AT NINE MILE BRIDGE NR FREESOIL, MI · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Winter fishing on Little Manistee River
The Little Manistee holds steelhead through the winter, and as a spring-fed stream it stays a little warmer and runs clearer than many rivers nearby. Clear, cold water makes the fish wary, so light leaders and the deeper holes matter. Parts of the river near the state weir are closed to fishing, and special rules apply on some stretches, so check the current Michigan regulations before you go.
Seasons, closed sections and permits are set by the state and change. Check the current regulations before a winter trip, and never trust shelf ice or a forecast for your safety.
Wondering how this stacks up against the apps you already know? Cast & Scan vs Fishbrain vs BassForecast — an honest comparison, including where they beat us.
Read before you go
- Trout stream tactics, read through the forecast
- How river flow trend changes the bite
- Barometric pressure and fishing, explained
More steelhead waters
- Salmon River (Pulaski) — New York, USA
- American River (Fair Oaks) — California, USA
- Au Gres River — Michigan, USA
- Au Sable River (Foote Dam) — Michigan, USA
- Black River (Elyria) — Ohio, USA
Nearby waters
- Manistee River (Tippy Dam) — Michigan, USA (10 mi away)
- Pere Marquette River (Scottville) — Michigan, USA (18 mi away)
- Platte River (Honor) — Michigan, USA (35 mi away)
- White River (Whitehall) — Michigan, USA (49 mi away)
- Muskegon River (Croton) — Michigan, USA (55 mi away)
- Kewaunee River — Wisconsin, USA (75 mi away)