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Muskegon River

Lake Michigan tributary · Gauge: Muskegon River at Newaygo, MI

Current Conditions
65°F
Water Temp · falling
1,620
Flow (cfs) · steady
5.38ft
Gage Height

Reading: 6/17/2026, 3:45:00 AM

Run status

Brown Trout
Confidence: 62%
FADING
Why this status?

Phase: ramp_down. Water 65.3°F (ideal 45-65), flow 1620 cfs (ideal 600-1500). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.55/0.97/0.92/0.17 → total 0.61.

Chinook Salmon
Confidence: 36%
NOT YET
Why this status?

Phase: before. Water 65.3°F (ideal 52-62), flow 1620 cfs (ideal 800-1800). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.00/0.67/1.00/0.17 → total 0.36.

Coho Salmon
Confidence: 26%
NOT YET
Why this status?

Phase: before. Water 65.3°F (ideal 50-58), flow 1620 cfs (ideal 800-1800). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.00/0.27/1.00/0.17 → total 0.26.

Steelhead
Confidence: 19%
DONE
Why this status?

Phase: after. Water 65.3°F (ideal 38-50), flow 1620 cfs (ideal 700-2000). 0 reports in last 24h (weighted 7d: 0.00, trust-adjusted). Window/Temp/Flow/Reports scores: 0.00/0.00/1.00/0.17 → total 0.19.

Recent reports

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Typical run windows

Brown Trout 04-01 → peak 05-30 → 10-31
Ideal: 45-65°F · 600-1,500 cfs

Tailwater browns are huge — fish 24"+ are realistic targets. Hex hatch mid-June.

Chinook Salmon 08-25 → peak 09-20 → 10-25
Ideal: 52-62°F · 800-1,800 cfs

Muskegon Chinook stage below Croton Dam. Strong run, less pressure than Manistee.

Coho Salmon 09-20 → peak 10-15 → 11-10
Ideal: 50-58°F · 800-1,800 cfs

Coho — solid numbers in the Newaygo to Croton stretch.

Steelhead 10-15 → peak 11-30 → 04-30
Ideal: 38-50°F · 700-2,000 cfs

Steelhead fishery is exceptional — Muskegon is one of the best winter steelhead rivers in MI.

Status is computed from real-time USGS gauge data, historical run windows, DNR reports, and crowdsourced angler reports. Always confirm conditions with the latest DNR rules before fishing.