access to the Grand River

[LonLB]

My Wifes parents are in Comstock Park. So I have an oppurtunity to fish the grand this year and just stay at their place for a couple days....
I just need to know where are accesses, where are the better stretches of the river, etc......I'll go through and search where various tournaments are held, to get an idea also.

[Fishmael]

Most of the tourneys are held down by Allendale and within reach of Spring Lake/Lake MI.  However, there are access points up from 6th street (dam).  I've personally never fished up there.  I think they do hold some tourneys up there, but not too many.  I have heard told there can be some good fishing up river.  It is probably like anywhere.  Get out there (well, probably not now with the ice flows and all) and get fishing.  Maybe you'll find your own hotspot.

[thedude]

what kind of boat are you in? the stretches of the river above sixth street (comstock park) have some great smallie fishing and gets very little bass fishing pressure. If i was fun fishing that is where i would go. From the Grand/Rogue launch down to the dam, you should be OK in a bass boat. If you have a tin boat you have lots of options.
There is a launch right in riverside park in comstock
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=73b1d27c-819c-4c5e-84eb-c05404ef46ef

also one up river at Grand/Rogue off of West River Dr. - just west of northland drive.

[LonLB]

what kind of boat are you in? the stretches of the river above sixth street (comstock park) have some great smallie fishing and gets very little bass fishing pressure. If i was fun fishing that is where i would go. From the Grand/Rogue launch down to the dam, you should be OK in a bass boat. If you have a tin boat you have lots of options.
There is a launch right in riverside park in comstock
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=73b1d27c-819c-4c5e-84eb-c05404ef46ef

also one up river at Grand/Rogue off of West River Dr. - just west of northland drive.

Those are the same spots a guy at Gander Mountain on 44th street told me today......I checked there for a hotspots map and sure enough it covers from spring lake area to the big lake.

I'm in an 18 bass boat

[thedude]

you should be fine - especially in the spring when the water is up. There are some shallow areas so i would start from the ramp and fish downstream to get a feel for the river and where it is safe to run. Typically that water is all deep enough, but after a long winter you never know where a new sandbar or deadfall will pop up.  Look for for deep water ( 5'+) on the outside bends. Wood cover that isn't too shallow will hold fish as well as just the deep holes themselves.

[Waterfoul]

Put in at Riverside Park just up from Ann Street and work your way down the WEST side.  The rocks straight across are good.  STAY ON THE WEST SIDE!!  The east side is ankle deep in places.  Be careful going under the Ann St. bridge too... run under the center of the bridge.  There is a creek that comes into the river just upstream of the bridge and it WILL be shallow out to about the second bridge piling.  Found that one the hard way last year!!  Good thing we were only going about 6-8 mph!!!  The high wall on the west side is awsome.  There is also an old cofer dam just below Ann Street.  Some big rocks here (be careful) but some good fish too.  We even get a pike or two below that cofer.  You can fish the west side all the way to the dam if you wish.

Downtown pike:



Downtown smallies, not a lot of big fish but a LOT of fish.  They are all fun!!