Pere Marquette River Fishing Report

Last week we finally saw a break from winter’s grip. One day my truck even read 60 degrees — what a blessing. Not only were we happy about those temperatures, but the fish were too, especially after being stuck under a thick layer of ice for the past couple of weeks.

Our first day back on the water was special. We were the first boat to float through that section of river since the ice thawed. No matter how the fish were going to behave that day, it was already shaping up to be a peaceful and memorable time on the water. Throughout the weekend we started running into fresh pushes of steelhead entering the river. They were bright chrome and absolute fighters. There was no doubt when one hit that it was a fresh fish. With that came a lower landing ratio, as a few of them managed to wrap us up in logs and branches. Still, you have to enjoy the fight for as long as it lasts.

The final guide trip of the warm spell was with a father and his 10-year-old son. We had fished together the previous spring and had an incredible day. Whenever there’s a kid in the boat, it’s always extra rewarding to have a great day of fishing. You know it’s a core memory they’ll carry forever — and who knows, maybe he’ll be a guide someday.

The night before the trip, and after talking with the father, I was debating whether to fish one river or another — a common debate for me. I’d love to be in two places at once. One option is great for kids since it’s much wider and most drifts are easy to manage right behind the jet boat. The other never disappoints when it comes to scenery and peacefulness, plus there’s always the chance at a trophy brown trout. We chose the second option, and we were glad we did. We ended up being the only boat on that section of river that day, which always helps. After a slow start, we began finding steelhead in the middle section of the river in transitional water — about 3–4 feet deep, mostly sand with a few sticks and logs mixed in. From there, it was game on. The bite stayed strong the rest of the day, and we ended up hooking into 15–20 steelhead. It was a very special day on the water.

This is a great sign for the season to come, after the warm temperatures and rain this week bringing in a large group of fish there will be no shortage for the rest of the season. We still have some open dates for this spring steelhead season, but they’re filling quickly.

Give Lucas a text or call at (616) 328-9508 to set up a trip!