This Pere Marquette Guide Report is provided by the guides of Indigo Guide Service, Indigo is the perfect choice for your next Michigan fly fishing, casting or center pin trip.

For other West Michigan fishing reports visit the Indigo Guide Service fishing report page for a summary of other Michigan Rivers.

Click here for a great looking single page pdf of this west Michigan fishing report… perfect for a counter top or bulletin board.

Water Conditions — Temps in the 40’s, water levels and conditions are perfect.

Fishing Conditions — Still some king and coho salmon around but steelhead will be the main story from here out.  Steelhead numbers are probably average for this time of the year.  Reports have ranged from a few people getting into a nice push of fresh steelhead and then nothing in the same area the next day… typical for early fall steelhead.  If you average all of the reports out I would say that a good angler should expect a couple steelhead on any given day.  Good news, like the West Michigan salmon run this year the fall steelhead are a little bigger than average.

All methods have been producing fish.  Fresh fall steelhead are usually pretty eager but I would say spawn and egg flies have produced worst… there are so many spawning salmon in the river it is probably spawn sent overload, there are also tons on leaves and junk floating making it hard for a dead drifted presentation to stand out.  Kevin Morlock

An average fall Pere Marquette River steelhead but to call one of these great fish average is a big understatement.

Fall steelhead are the best... when they roll into West Michigan it is time to hit the river. But please remember that the Pm River is not stocked with steelhead and to maintain this great fishery we have to let them go.

Fall West Michigan Steelhead Tool Kit

Pictured:  Storm Hot’N Tot, Storm Thunderstick, Steelhead Streamers, Center Pin Rod and Reel, Feather-Craft Leader Material and Big Bright Beads.

Just A Note:  Steve Martinez and I (Kevin Morlock) will be attending the FlyMasters of Indianapolis, twenty-year open house party this weekend.  The Open house is Saturday, October 24 and will include free food with many fly fishing reps. and pros. on hand to answer questions… among them will be Randy Fridlund of Amabilis Bamboo Rods, Trip Banks from Mustad, John Shaner of Hardy, Davin Ebanks of Grand Caymen, Sean O’Grady from Crossroad Vintners and the new Freedom 14 kayak.

Remember to check out past reports for (November 13th, 2008 — Storm Hot’N Tot and November PM Steelhead) tips, fly patterns and possibly an outlook of future fishing.

Barothy Lodge is the perfect place to spend your next Michigan fly fishing vacation, located in a great section of the legendary Pere Marquette River.  Barothy Lodge is also centrally located between the Manistee River and Muskegon River.

Ludington Michigan has much to offer any visitor, especially in the fall with the beautiful fall colors and great salmon and steelhead fishing.  Visit the Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (Ludington CVB) web site to learn more about our area.