Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass fishing around Manistee offers a great alternative to the more popular salmon and trout runs. While the Manistee River holds some smallmouth, focus your efforts on Manistee Lake and Portage Lake for consistent action. These lakes provide rocky structure, docks, and weed edges that smallmouth love. The best time to target smallies is from late spring through fall, with the pre-spawn and post-spawn periods being particularly productive. Look for them in areas with current or near rocky points. Tube baits, crankbaits, and topwater lures are all effective. A local tip is to explore the areas around the bridge pilings on US-31 in Manistee Lake; these structures often hold smallmouth. Also, be aware that the wind can pick up quickly on these larger lakes, so check the forecast before heading out. The smallmouth population in these lakes is generally healthy, with good numbers of fish in the 1-3 pound range, and the occasional larger specimen.