The Muskegon
River

Wide and beautiful

Our home river is big and beautiful. It flows for over two hundred miles through north-central Michigan, from Houghton Lake all the way to the port of Muskegon, collecting tributaries and passing three hydroelectric dams along the way.

Below the final dam, Croton Dam, the river is often over 150 feet wide. This tailwater stretch has the best cool-water fishing thanks to good food sources, brown and rainbow trout in the main stem, and spawning gravel for migratory fish.

Lake-run fish

Steelhead, salmon and lake-run brown trout enter the river in September and provide sport through fall, winter and spring. Warmwater fish like smallmouth bass and northern pike thrive in the slower stretches and impoundments, and the smaller tributaries hold opportunities for the adventurous wading angler.

Insects and hatches

The amount of gravel and rock below Croton makes prime insect habitat. Mayflies, caddis and midges thrive, with noted hatches of gray drakes, sulphurs and Isonychia. Crayfish, scuds, sowbugs and a dazzling array of baitfish round out the food web.

Wildlife

Ospreys nest in Newaygo and at Croton Dam, bald eagles are common up and down the river, and you may see herons, mink, otters, foxes, deer and a rare golden eagle. Fall colors on the hardwoods make it all the more spectacular.

Protecting the river

We want to show stewardship for this great resource. A great organization that helps preserve the river system is the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly.