# 2016 Fall Grand River Ladder Updates



## wilsonm

We opened Webber and Portland ladders last Thursday. We had to wait at Grand Ledge as the city has to close the gates on the far side of the river to get the level back to normal. They had opened them up to repair the boat launch upstream. 

Mike Wilson
DNR Fisheries 
Plainwell


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## slowpaya

thank you mike .... let them come


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## wilsonm

We opened up Grand Ledge Ladder today. We also cleaned Webber and 6th Street. We didn't see any coho yet at Webber, but most years there are some that start showing up around the 10th so it shouldn't be to long.


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## slowpaya

thank you for keeping us posted,the grand could use a bit more water up here.


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## Fishndude

wilsonm said:


> We opened up Grand Ledge Ladder today. _*We also cleaned Webber and 6th Street*_. We didn't see any coho yet at Webber, but most years there are some that start showing up around the 10th so it shouldn't be to long.


Didn't see any at *Webber*, eh?


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## meatfishhunter

Fishndude said:


> Didn't see any at *Webber*, eh?


Don't be getting me in fish mode pre maturely now darn it lmao.


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## slowpaya

Fishndude said:


> Didn't see any at *Webber*, eh?


 some sneakin around down belowhmmmm


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## MickL

wilsonm said:


> .......We didn't see any coho yet at Webber.....


Thanks for the ladder reports.
It seems to me that water flow out of the Webber coffer would tend to draw some fish away from the ladder and into the coffer pond. In my view, the collapsed section of that coffer wall is not a good thing for fish migration.


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## slowpaya

they used to get trapped in that pool


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## MickL

slowpaya said:


> they used to get trapped in that pool


Ok, well, if now they can swim back out maybe it's not a bad thing....... let the games begin.


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## wilsonm

We checked ladders to on the Grand. There weren't any cohos in Webber ladder when we shut it and cleaned it today. 1 large coho had passed the viewing chamber in the previous 4 hours after checking the camera. There may be a few fish up there, but they may be attracted to the other side of the river as Consumers is still spilling water out the flood gates as work is finishing up at the powerhouse. There have been a few coho passing 6th Street the last couple days. Nearshore waters of Lake Michigan continue to be in high 60's to 70 degrees until we get a good east wind to lower temps and bring in larger numbers of fish. Good luck this weekend.


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## TK81

Stopped by the ladder with my 7 yr old on Sunday, hoping to show him a salmon or three. He was not disappointed. There must have been a dozen pushing the 20 lb range with bunch more in the 8 to 12 pound class. Only thing was that I didn't recognize this strain. Definitely not Kings and for sure not Cohos.


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## slowpaya

hahaha .


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## Mr Burgundy

Anything going on at webber yet


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## Mr Burgundy

wilsonm said:


> We checked ladders to on the Grand. There weren't any cohos in Webber ladder when we shut it and cleaned it today. 1 large coho had passed the viewing chamber in the previous 4 hours after checking the camera. There may be a few fish up there, but they may be attracted to the other side of the river as Consumers is still spilling water out the flood gates as work is finishing up at the powerhouse. There have been a few coho passing 6th Street the last couple days. Nearshore waters of Lake Michigan continue to be in high 60's to 70 degrees until we get a good east wind to lower temps and bring in larger numbers of fish. Good luck this weekend.


Any new updates on fish in the ladders? Tnks for all ur hard work and keeping us updated 

Burgundy


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## wilsonm

We are planning on checking ladders on Monday.


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## Mr Burgundy

Awesome thanks


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## sfw1960

Thank you for your efforts Mike!

RAS


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## Mr Burgundy

Anyone been out anywhere on the grand? Looking for some ho porn. I'm stuck for another 2 weeks

Burgundy


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## [email protected]

Went to Webber on Friday and caught a handful of eyes but no silver! Didn't bring the skein tho.


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## Trout King

How many eggs do you put in a bag? 

Does lake trout spawn work?


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## wilsonm

We checked and cleaned ladders today. The debris boom is back and attached at Grand Ledge after the riverboat broke it loose a few days ago. We did see a couple coho's porpoising above the ladder, but that was about it. Not much activity at Portland. Webber only had 1 coho in the ladder when we were there around noon, but there were a few coho and even some steelhead trickling through the previous 12 hours. Things seemed pretty slow at 6th Street. The Ionia Sentinel did a article on Webber and we gave them some video footage of fish passage sometime on October 4th of 2016. They edited it down some. The fish passage data in the article is old (2008). Many years are grouped together before a official report is written.


http://www.sentinel-standard.com/news/20161019/observation-window-at-webber-dam-fish-ladder


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## Trout King

wilsonm said:


> We checked and cleaned ladders today. The debris boom is back and attached at Grand Ledge after the riverboat broke it loose a few days ago. We did see a couple coho's porpoising above the ladder, but that was about it. Not much activity at Portland. Webber only had 1 coho in the ladder when we were there around noon, but there were a few coho and even some steelhead trickling through the previous 12 hours. Things seemed pretty slow at 6th Street. The Ionia Sentinel did a article on Webber and we gave them some video footage of fish passage sometime on October 4th of 2016. They edited it down some. The fish passage data in the article is old (2008). Many years are grouped together before a official report is written.
> 
> 
> http://www.sentinel-standard.com/news/20161019/observation-window-at-webber-dam-fish-ladder


Thanks for the update. I live in the area and have noticed the coho numbers seem a bit down compared to the last couple years.

Do you know if there are plans to rebuild the washout of thr coffer at Webber or if anything has been proposed to divert the fish from going above that coffer and just hanging in the inaccessible water? It would be nice to make those fish a bit more available instead of hanging out there the entire season.


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## wilsonm

Trout King said:


> Thanks for the update. I live in the area and have noticed the coho numbers seem a bit down compared to the last couple years.
> 
> Do you know if there are plans to rebuild the washout of thr coffer at Webber or if anything has been proposed to divert the fish from going above that coffer and just hanging in the inaccessible water? It would be nice to make those fish a bit more available instead of hanging out there the entire season.


Consumers has been aware of it and are planning to repair it. I don't have a time frame yet.


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## JB85

Sometimes we will get a good late coho run. We absolutely hammered them in the Grand a couple of years from late November to mid December. It was 7-8 cohos to 1 steel. They were around one of the years until early Jan in decent numbers. Not holding my breath this year but you can always hope.


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## Oldgrandman

Went 1-2 today and saw another hooked but lost. Tiger hot-n-tot. Don't get out like I used to, nice to hit fish on my first time out, on the way home from work Friday bonus! Perfect smoker...



Trout King said:


> Does lake trout spawn work?


Absolutely.


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## Bigbird517

Any new updates?


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## wilsonm

We checked the ladders yesterday, Fishing pressure was low, even at 6th street. Only saw 1 steelhead and a handful of redhorse in the ladder at Webber.


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## Bigbird517

Thanks! Keeping my fingers crossed for a late run of coho.


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## Joshua Yang

Oldgrandman said:


> Went 1-2 today and saw another hooked but lost. Tiger hot-n-tot. Don't get out like I used to, nice to hit fish on my first time out, on the way home from work Friday bonus! Perfect smoker...
> 
> 
> 
> Absolutely.
> 
> View attachment 231584


Did you catch that at webber? what side did you fish on?


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## Oldgrandman

Oops, I see I didn't mention it. Was downtown GR.


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## Joshua Yang

Oldgrandman said:


> Oops, I see I didn't mention it. Was downtown GR.


Great catch by the way! wished I lived closer to GR, but won't be till I move next year dang it. but nice fish!


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## population control

Headed to Grand Rapids next week for Training. From what I read the east side of the river is where I need to be to cast from shore ? Will steelhead bite at night ? I am use to trolling the big lakes and Have never got one in the dark, that's why I ask. 

Where the hell does a guy park in that mess to fish there ?
I was there two weeks ago and parking in the city downtown was 17 bucks!!!! 
Thanks


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## FIP

population control said:


> Where the hell does a guy park in that mess to fish there ?
> I was there two weeks ago and parking in the city downtown was 17 bucks!!!!
> Thanks


There is a $4 daily lot right by the east wall. Have 4 bills as sometimes machine does not like to make change.
Have heard that lot and the private one next to it were purchased by the city as part of the river renovation project, to make concrete viewing areas for the nonexistent future users.


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## Robert Holmes

population control said:


> Headed to Grand Rapids next week for Training. From what I read the east side of the river is where I need to be to cast from shore ? Will steelhead bite at night ? I am use to trolling the big lakes and Have never got one in the dark, that's why I ask.
> 
> Where the hell does a guy park in that mess to fish there ?
> I was there two weeks ago and parking in the city downtown was 17 bucks!!!!
> Thanks


What you will want to do at night is to find a nice slow moving pool and fish spawn bags on the bottom. The steelhead do bite at night but you better have good rod holders. When they hit they don't mess around. I use bells on the poles but most of the time the fish is airborne just as the bell rings.


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## Trout King

population control said:


> Headed to Grand Rapids next week for Training. From what I read the east side of the river is where I need to be to cast from shore ? Will steelhead bite at night ? I am use to trolling the big lakes and Have never got one in the dark, that's why I ask.
> 
> Where the hell does a guy park in that mess to fish there ?
> I was there two weeks ago and parking in the city downtown was 17 bucks!!!!
> Thanks


Try to get a spot at fish ladder park. Sometimes it is full (usually means the fish are there). You can also park on front street if there are spaces.


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## population control

Thanks for the info guys. I loaded the reels last night with fresh line. 

One more question. Whats the chance I get mugged down there at night ? More less do I need to carry? 
Can you tell I don't spend much time in the city. LOL!


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## Downsea

hahaha, I wouldn't worry about getting mugged. Carry 'em if you got 'em!


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## Mr Burgundy

I carry EVERYWHERE . Never know when ya might need it


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## wilsonm

We shut down Webber and Portland Ladders for the winter. We will be shutting down Grand Ledge most likely sometime next week.


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## MickL

wilsonm said:


> We shut down Webber and Portland Ladders for the winter. We will be shutting down Grand Ledge most likely sometime next week.


Thanks for the update. I'm curious if you checked water temperature. When i was last at Webber (Thanksgiving day) my thermometer said 38*. I'm also curious if ladder closing depends on water temp, or calendar date, or other factor(s).


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## wilsonm

MickL said:


> Thanks for the update. I'm curious if you checked water temperature. When i was last at Webber (Thanksgiving day) my thermometer said 38*. I'm also curious if ladder closing depends on water temp, or calendar date, or other factor(s).


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## wilsonm

There is an agreement with Consumers to shut the ladder down around the 1st of December. There is little fish movement through the ladders when the water temperature drops below 40 so keeping them open and checking them would just be taking up valuable time and keeping us from other winter duties.


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## MickL

Thanks for the info.
When ladders are cleaned, you are often generous enough to tell us what fish were in them.
When ladders are closed, do they also get a final cleaning and fish check?


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## wilsonm

MickL said:


> Thanks for the info.
> When ladders are cleaned, you are often generous enough to tell us what fish were in them.
> When ladders are closed, do they also get a final cleaning and fish check?[
> 
> 
> MickL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the info.
> When ladders are cleaned, you are often generous enough to tell us what fish were in them.
> When ladders are closed, do they also get a final cleaning and fish check?
> 
> 
> 
> We were pressed for time that day so we didn't drop a screen in Webber to check.
Click to expand...


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## 357Maximum

Cannot imagine there was too much in the ladders. This has been my poorest year EVER on the upper Grand. Last year was one of the best, so I guess it was a "due" thing. I have officially given up on the upper river this year and have been hitting the sand/surf/concrete instead. UNCLE


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## MickL

The reason i asked is that the Grand R temperature near Eastmanville was 43-44 when the Webber ladder was closed, so i suspect the temp at Webber was also in the 40s.... and it's possible that fish were moving. But i agree with you..... probably not much.


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## riverbob

357Maximum said:


> Cannot imagine there was too much in the ladders. This has been my poorest year EVER on the upper Grand.


...... I wouldn't say it was my worst fall ever, but it was one of the latest fall steelie run's i can remember, caught fish on at lease 90% of my trips n most of the skunks came early.. yesterday i went 3 4 3, this past week the fish have lost alot of their fight, there isn't much time left before the ice will be up here (maybe 10 day ) Hope we get a little warm up in late dec, love catching them eater eyes, down stream. good luck go gitum........come on lions we can do it


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## 357Maximum

riverbob said:


> ...... I wouldn't say it was my worst fall ever, but it was one of the latest fall steelie run's i can remember, caught fish on at lease 90% of my trips n most of the skunks came early.. yesterday i went 3 4 3, this past week the fish have lost alot of their fight, there isn't much time left before the ice will be up here (maybe 10 day ) Hope we get a little warm up in late dec, love catching them eater eyes, down stream. good luck go gitum........come on lions we can do it



Count yourself fortunate, I must have used up most of my G. River silver mojo last year. :lol: I did catch some awesome sized smallies this fall though. Broke the 20-22" mark quite a few times, I put em back in for the next guy. Good luck, I have switched over to the surf a little further north and am doing much better on the silver fishees.


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