Sault Ste. Marie angler Bob Linsenman with a typical pink salmon from the St. Marys River Photo by Mike Gnatkowski.

Michigan sportsmen look forward with eager anticipation to fall. Come Labor Day, you'll find them practicing with their bows, painting decoys, hitting the fields for the early goose season and scouting and readying deer blinds. You can't blame them for getting excited about Michigan's great hunting opportunities, but you'd be making a big mistake if you forget about Michigan's great fall fishing, too. It's a tough decision. You can't really go wrong.

Here are some great fall fishing destinations that might help make the decision easier.

GRAND RIVER SALMONIDS
Steelhead and salmon on the Grand River have the ability to migrate all the way to Lansing if they want, but low water conditions often delay their run upstream in the fall. The fish provide a fall fishing bonanza as they stack up below the Sixth Street Dam in Grand Rapids. You have no idea what you're going to catch many days -- steelheads, coho and chinook salmon, lake-run brown trout and lake trout are common catches in the fall. It's an autumn potpourri. Look for kings to show up in September, cohos and browns in October and steelhead and lake trout in November.

The bottom of the Grand River below Sixth Street is a hodgepodge of rocks, gravel, broken concrete and snags, so the best tactic is to keep your offering just off bottom. Many anglers drift spawn under a bobber. Others use Slink-type drift sinkers to keep snags to a minimum. Spinners can be very productive in the Grand, and they appeal to a variety of trout and salmon species. Big No. 4 or 5 blades in gold or silver highlighted with fluorescent tape excel when retrieved through the dark pockets in the river. You can also get away with heavier line when using spinners so you can salvage many of your snagged lures.

Wading can be treacherous in the Grand River. Go prepared with neoprene waders, a wading staff and wading sandals if you dare. Many anglers just fish from shore on the east side of the river in the Quarry Hole. Others stroll the boardwalk while drifting bobbers. Below the bridge abutments and in isolated pockets downstream can be good, too. Many anglers launch at Johnson Park and run upstream and over the cofferdams using boats with jet props to fish the main river below the dam.

For information on lodging and accommodations in the area, contact the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 678-9859.

MUSKEGON RIVER STEELHEAD
The Muskegon River can be a zoo in the spring. The river is getting more and more crowded every year. However, fall is a different story. There are more diversions in the fall for sportsmen and the fish are not as concentrated. Steelhead take their time moving into the Muskegon in the fall and the best fishing is in the lower reaches of the river. It's usually November before there are good numbers of fish in the river, and by then, most guys are thinking deer hunting.

Deep runs and pools found near Old Women's Bend, Bridgeton, Maple Island and Mill Iron Road attract the bulk of fall steelies. The rainbows lollygag in the lower and middle portions of the river in Muskegon and Newaygo counties unless prompted by excessive fall rains to move upstream. The steelhead can be caught using a variety of techniques. Many anglers bottom-bounce with spawn bags. Others use chunks of skein spawn and back-bounce behind the boat. Trolling slowly upstream pulling deep-diving crankbaits is another tactic that is gaining popularity in the Muskegon. Steelhead up to 15 pounds are taken with regularity on the plugs. More, but smaller fish, seem to favor the bait. Limits are common.