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Fishing Manistee River (Upper): what the data says
Cedar-lined wild-trout water from the M-72 crossing down to Smithville. The river tops out around 7 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Brown Trout fishing at Manistee River (Upper)
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 1 to 7 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 7 ft. The spot to know is Current seam (mile 8.7), a current seam in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 7 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 7 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Brook Trout fishing at Manistee River (Upper)
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 1 to 7 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 7 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 8.7): a current seam around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 7 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Notable structure
- Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 7.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 12.0): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Eddy pocket (mile 2.0): eddy pocket, around 5 ft
- Inside bend (mile 10.9): point, around 5 ft
- Channel swing (mile 4.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
- Current seam (mile 8.7): current seam, around 5 ft
- Eddy pocket (mile 6.5): eddy pocket, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Manistee River (Upper)?
Manistee River (Upper) is about 7 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Manistee River (Upper)?
Anglers target brown trout, brook trout on Manistee River (Upper).
Where is the best fishing spot on Manistee River (Upper)?
Current seam (mile 8.7) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Manistee River (Upper)?
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Bear Lake · Margrethe, Lake · Grass Lake · Twin Lake · Crawford Lake · Starvation Lake
See how Manistee River (Upper) stacks up: best brown trout lakes in Michigan · best brook trout lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.