Waters · United States
Manistee River (Tippy Dam) fishing report
Updated Tuesday, 25 August 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
The tailwater below Tippy Dam is Michigan's most crowded and most productive steelhead water, with kings stacking into the same holes from late August. Water temperature below the dam lags the air by weeks.
Today's report: fair (53/100)
Chinook salmon is the most promising species on Manistee River (Tippy Dam) today. Water temperature at the gauge is 20.0°C (68°F) and barometric pressure is stable. Gauge MANISTEE RIVER NEAR WELLSTON, MI shows the water level rising (1 cm/24h).
Manistee River (Tippy Dam) water temperature and flow
- Water temperature: 20.0°C (68°F)
- Discharge: 45.6 m³/s (1,610 cfs) — up 3% over 24 hours
- Level trend: rising (1 cm/24h)
Measured at gauge MANISTEE RIVER NEAR WELLSTON, MI · reading 22 min ago. Published by the national hydrological service, not estimated by us.
Best time to fish today
- 08:00–10:00 local time — score 50/100
- 03:00–05:00 local time — score 43/100
- 07:00–09:00 local time — score 45/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Tuesday 25 Aug | Wednesday 26 Aug | Thursday 27 Aug |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steelhead | 28 — poor | 22 — poor | 23 — poor |
| Chinook salmon | 53 — fair | 46 — fair | 45 — fair |
| Coho salmon | 46 — fair | 37 — poor | 39 — poor |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Manistee River (Tippy Dam) rating:
- water temperature: helping (+1)
- cloud cover: helping (+0.95)
- precipitation: helping (+0.9)
- wind: helping (+0.75)
- pressure trend: helping (+0.7)
- season: helping (+0.7)
Forecast computed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:06:36 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge MANISTEE RIVER NEAR WELLSTON, MI · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
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This page rates a representative point on Manistee River (Tippy Dam). Bays, river mouths and depth changes can fish very differently — open the scanner, drop a pin on your exact swim and get a spot-specific forecast with tactics. Free, in the browser, no signup.
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Nearby waters
- White River (Whitehall) — Michigan, USA (91 km away)
- Muskegon River (Croton) — Michigan, USA (94 km away)
- Grand River (Lower) — Michigan, USA (138 km away)
- Au Sable River (Mio) — Michigan, USA (150 km away)