Slow Steelhead Fishing On The St. Joe River

[AMA732]

I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE SOME OF THE HARD RAIN WE GOT LAST SATURDAY WOULD BRING IN SOME FRESH SKAMANIAS, BUT I FLY FISHED THE MOUTH OF THE DOWAGIAC RIVER (ON THE ST. JOE) FOR A FEW HOURS SUNDAY MORNING, WITHOUT EVEN A STRIKE. I LANDED A NICE CHROME HEN SKAMANIA THERE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE RIGHT NOW THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH STILL HANGING OUT IN THE LAKE, WAITING FOR MORE RAIN AND COOLER WATER. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I FISHED THE MOUTH BY BOAT AND I WAS REALLY BUMBED OUT WHEN I SAW ALL THE SHALLOW SANDY AREA THAT EXTENDS ALMOST ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ST. JOE. I BELIEVE THAT "THOUSANDCASTS" TOLD ME THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN THE DAMN AT PUCKER STREET WAS DRAWN DOWN IMPROPERLY BY THE DNR, . IT IS NO WONDER THAT THE STEELHEAD AND SALMON FISHERY IN THE DOWAGIAC RIVER HAS SEEMED TO DECLINE, FROM BEFORE THE DRAWDOWN WAS DONE. IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE DNR CARED ENOUGH TO DREDGE SOME OF THE MOUTH DEEPER, SO MORE FISH WOULD GO INTO THE DOWAGIAC AGAIN. IT WOULD ALSO BE EVEN BETTER IF THE DNR WOULD DO SOME STOCKING IN THE DOWAGIAC. IT IS A NICE RIVER FOR FLYFISHING FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE CLOSE TO THE SOUTHWEST PART OF MICHIGAN AND IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET SOME DECENT SALMONID PLANTS, TO REALLY MAKE IT A NICE FISHERY. APPARENTLY, THE DNR DOESN'T FEEL THAT THERE IS ENOUGH FISHABLE TERRAIN TO SUPPORT THE FISHING PRESSURE THAT STOCKING WOULD BRING. THE KINGS SHOULD BE COMING IN SOON. GOOD LUCK TO ALL........

[MPsteelheader]

I dont know about you, but I've seen an increase in salmonid populations in the Dow since the drawdown. I'm friends with 2 of the DNR field biologists in the area and they both agree what happened w/ the draw down could have been done better. But on the upside, the siltation of the river isn't near as bad as it once was when the draw down first occured. Within a year the gravel in the runs and riffles were back to normal and most of the silted over holes were washed back to normal levels. Now maybe there is a ton of silt out at the mouth of the river, but salmon and steelhead dont spawn in slow stretches of river. Anyways I'll be up there this weekend...and i hope to find some of those skittish skam's that are there. It should be fun. I'll post if I do anything.

See ya on the river,

MPsteelheader

[AMA732]

I would agree with you about alot of the silt getting washed out of the Dowagiac. And you are also correct that they don't spawn in slow stretches of the river. Where the Dowagiac flows into the St. Joe, the current is fast, for aways out into the Joe, until they become one. I was able to wade around in water that was from about 6"-12" deep around a very wide section to the entrance of the river and that makes me believe that many fish will stay in the much deeper channel closer to the island (or run up the river on the other side of the island) and pass right on by. When you say that you have "seen" an increase in the salmonid population in the Dowagiac since the drawdown, what do you mean? That you have visually spotted more, or landed/hooked up with more fish? Personally, I used to have more hookups on the river about 5 years ago. However, I only fish the river about 6-8 times a year and I have also changed over from throwing spinners to flyfishing, which may also be why I am not hooking as many fish. I just wanted to pick your brain a little and see if I could get more opinions on the matter. Good luck when you do get to go!!

[MPsteelheader]

Both...Ever since the drawdown occured, I've spotted more fish, and hooked more fish. Before the drawdown, it was hard for me to even hook a fish out of there. But in regards to steelhead...the fishing was better as a whole, before the drawdown...so i will agree w/ you there.

MPsteelheader