By The Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie: Yellow perch fishing remained slow throughout the area. Many small yellow perch were caught and released. No specific location outperformed another. Walleye were found in deeper water with slow action reported. Anglers targeting perch found a few opportunities near the mouth of the River Raisin.
Eastern Saginaw Bay: Walleye continued to be caught, though limits were scarce. Boats averaged 5 to 6 fish, with some doing better. Productive locations included Callahan Reef in 14 feet of water, as well as further out in the vicinity of the Spark Plug and Buoys #1 and #2 in the shipping channel, where anglers did best trolling nightcrawler harnesses.
Ingham County: Anglers reported success targeting smallmouth bass in the Grand River.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Muskegon: Boat anglers caught fair numbers of Chinook salmon along with some coho salmon and steelhead. The best action was 50 to 100 feet down in 90 to 170 feet of water. Glow spoons and glow plugs worked well. Boat anglers targeted 90 to 120 feet of water range at first light. Early morning was more productive than the evening. Pier anglers caught a few freshwater drum, with no salmon reported from the piers.
Grand Haven: Boat anglers found decent numbers of salmon 55 to 100 feet down in 90 to 120 feet of water. Anglers venturing offshore found a mix of steelhead and coho salmon in 200 to 250 feet of water. The morning bite was very good compared to the evening bite. Glow plugs worked well in low-light conditions. Pier anglers caught a few bass and freshwater drum on ned rigs, with no salmon reported from the piers.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Alpena: Boat anglers reported limited success while trolling nightcrawlers and crankbaits in 25 to 30 feet of water. Fish were scattered from North Point to as far south as Scarecrow Island. Anglers targeting trout or salmon reported little success. A few northern pike were caught close to the pier in the weedbeds while casting large spinnerbaits and jerkbaits.
Thunder Bay River: Walleye fishing was reported as very slow. Smallmouth bass were caught while casting spinners and smaller spinnerbaits. Northern pike were also caught throughout the river on spinners, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. Catfish were found in good numbers throughout the river while using cut bait and nightcrawlers fished on the bottom.
Rockport: Anglers found walleye from Stoneport to South Nine-Mile Point. Both crankbaits and nightcrawlers found success while trolling in 20 to 50 feet of water. Lake trout were plentiful in 80 to 140 feet of water straight out of the harbor. Dodgers and Spin-N-Glos, as well as spoons, worked well when fished close to the bottom. Anglers also reported a few Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead in the same waters. Spoons in green, watermelon, orange, and chartreuse saw on-and-off success when fished in the middle of the water column.
Cheboygan: When trolling spoons in 100 to 200 feet of water, lake trout were caught at Raynolds Reef, Spectacle Reef, and the northeast points of Bois Blanc Island. Chinook salmon were caught with spoons, meat rigs, and flasher-fly combinations in those same areas. Salmon were reported staging at the mouth of the Cheboygan River.
From the State Street drawbridge to the Cheboygan Dam spillway, smallmouth bass and rock bass were caught while drifting nightcrawlers. Other effective baits included spinnerbaits and swimbaits.
Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers targeting lake trout reported decent fishing on the humps in 115 to 150 feet of water while trolling spoons and Spin-N-Glos in the bottom 30 feet of the water column. Walleye were scattered from 60 to 150 feet of water, with anglers targeting the top 30 to 40 feet of the water column. Anglers caught walleye on smaller spoons while trolling at slower speeds. A few steelhead were taken by anglers trolling spoons.
Anglers fishing off the pier and catwalk did well on channel catfish while using nightcrawlers and pyramid weights. A few nice smallmouth bass were caught by anglers casting tubes.
Harrisville: Lake trout fishing was good for anglers heading out to the reef. Spoons and Spin-N-Glos took fish. A few steelhead were taken on 3- to 7-color leadcore while trolling spoons, with orange working well. Good numbers of walleye were scattered from 60 to 150 feet of water. Anglers caught walleye 20 to 40 feet down while using smaller spoons and trolling at slower speeds. Northern pike were caught in the harbor by anglers casting spinners and spoons.
Rogers City: Salmon fishing improved, though water temperatures remained very warm. Adult Chinook salmon were caught, though the bite was not aggressive and was limited to short windows early in the morning and late in the evening. Meat rigs performed best in the warmer water, with productive depths ranging from 40 to 90 feet down throughout the water column. Anglers used an assortment of bait, including spoons, J-Plugs, meat rigs, and attractors paired with flies or squids. Effective colors included greens, blues, whites, UV, and glow patterns during low-light hours. Where cooler water or a thermocline was present, lake trout, steelhead, and juvenile salmon were also caught. Walleye were caught incidentally when trolling for salmon and trout; anglers targeting walleye found success in the top 30 feet of the water column using deep-diving crankbaits or nightcrawler harnesses.
Presque Isle: Fishing for silver fish remained slow, but lake trout were caught out deep near the hump. The most productive depths were 120+ feet down and near the bottom using spoons or attractors paired with Spin-N-Glos or Spin-N-Glo flies. Walleye anglers did well in the evening and after dark while trolling body baits or nightcrawler harnesses, with the best action found in 30 to 65 feet of water when fishing the top 35 feet of the water column.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Manistee: Anglers targeting Chinook salmon reported catching them in 100 to 140 feet of water straight out and south of the port while trolling plugs, spoons, and flasher-fly combinations 60 to 80 feet down. Chinook salmon were also caught in 200 to 300 feet of water while fishing 50 to 90 feet down. A few coho salmon and steelhead were caught in the mix. Anglers fishing the piers reported slow action as warm water returned around the harbor.
Ludington: Warm water moved back in and pushed fish deeper. Chinook salmon and coho salmon were caught out from the pumped storage project in 95 to 120 feet of water while trolling 40 to 80 feet down, and at Big Sable Point in 90 to 160 feet of water while fishing 40 to 80 feet down. Straight out and to the north, a few were caught in 55 to 70 feet of water while fishing near the bottom. Plugs, spoons, flies, and meat rigs all worked. Warm water kept action slow on the pier and in Pere Marquette Lake, though smallmouth bass were reported from the pier.
Charlevoix: Anglers targeting salmon reported low numbers. The temperature break was reported near 55 to 70 feet down. Trolling spoons and meat rigs produced results.
Little Traverse Bay: Anglers targeting salmon reported slow catch rates. The temperature break was between 55 and 75 feet of water. Spoons and meat rigs produced results. Fishing early in the morning before sunrise produced better results than in the evening.
East Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers fishing out of Elk Rapids caught lake trout while trolling roughly 80 to 90 feet down in 100 to 140 feet of water. Cowbells along with white and green flasher-fly combinations worked well. Anglers heading south of the Center Road launch caught lake trout when trolling in 80 to 140 feet of water. Water temperatures throughout the bay hovered between 70 and 73 degrees. Smallmouth bass were caught in the Elk River.
West Grand Traverse Bay: Lake trout along with a few Chinook salmon were caught by those trolling in 100 to 120 feet of water along the west bank just north of Elmwood Marina. A mix of spoons and flasher-fly combinations worked well. Anglers trolling near the Red #6 Buoy in 100 to 120 feet of water landed a few lake trout. Water temperatures hovered between 69 and 73 degrees.
Leland: Boat anglers trolling for salmon reported great numbers of fish at North Manitou Island. Anglers reported the best action in 130 to 300 feet of water, running baits 60 to 90 feet down. Boat anglers started a northbound troll on the southeast side of the island and followed the banks, marking heavy concentrations of bait fish. Steelhead were also caught 40 to 60 feet down. Anglers working both the first and second banks harvested a few Chinook salmon while trolling. Effective presentations included green and blue spoons, along with both natural and artificial meat rigs. Water temperatures were in the mid-60s down to 70 feet of water, dropping to 45 degrees below that depth. The best fishing occurred before sunrise and just before sunset.
Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Chinook salmon numbers were reported as very good straight out front and while trolling north. Anglers set lines 70 to 120 feet down during the early mornings and late evenings. Some anglers moved out to deeper water as water temperatures rose. Spoons remained the most popular lure choice, with the Bloody Nose pattern working best. Steelhead were also reported in the top 30 feet of the water column with orange spoons working best. Coho salmon numbers picked up for anglers who found bait pods.
Onekama/Lake Michigan: Anglers running straight out to 240 to 300 feet of water and setting lines in the top 120 feet reported moderate numbers of Chinook salmon and a few coho salmon in the early morning before sunrise. Ten-color leadcore setups with flasher-fly combinations and magnum glow spoons worked best.
Martiny Chain of Lakes: Fishing for panfish was great across the chain, with multiple anglers catching limits of very large bluegill from both shore and boats. Northern pike fishing also picked up.
Tri-Lakes: Fishing for bass and panfish was good to great. Multiple anglers reported good bass fishing after sunrise in the morning. Some limits of quality bluegill were caught, along with a few decent northern pike.
Muskegon River: Walleye fishing was good in the late evening. Bluegill and rock bass were caught in good numbers below Rogers Dam.
Haymarsh Area: Fishing was very good from kayaks and from shore, with multiple panfish and bass caught. Most anglers targeted the channels.
Newaygo County: Anglers reported success for anglers targeting smallmouth bass on the Muskegon River downstream from Croton Dam. Bluegill and bass fishing was phenomenal on inland waters.
Oceana County: Lake Michigan provided great fishing for Chinook salmon from Little Sable Point to the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. A drop in water temperature brought Chinook salmon into shallower water. Anglers began trolling in 60 feet of water before sunrise and pushed out to 180 feet of water as the day progressed. Spoons and J-Plugs were productive. Inland fishing remained slow.
Mason County: Very few salmon entered the Pere Marquette River system. Anglers experienced good catches of salmon on Lake Michigan.
Upper Peninsula
Little Bay de Noc: Anglers targeting walleye reported an uptick in action, catching decent numbers of fish near drop-offs and flats. Anglers reported good fishing during both the morning and evening. Some cast for them primarily near the bottom, while others trolled worm harnesses at slow speeds.
Yellow perch anglers reported good fishing, with the overall catch increasing dramatically. Most of the perch measured 8 to 11 inches, although some larger fish were reported.
Munising: Boat anglers did well on lake trout when trolling and jigging around Grand Island and Wood Island. Anglers trolling the bay reported a few Chinook salmon and coho salmon along with a few splake. Anglers fishing off the Anna River reported a slow bite on splake.
Ontonagon River: The river saw a fair amount of angling effort over the past week. Low catches of walleye were reported, with jigging serving as the preferred method for most anglers. Shore anglers reported catches of walleye, rock bass, and an occasional lake sturgeon in very low numbers. Early morning hours proved to be the most productive time of day for catching these fish.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling effort from Ontonagon increased slightly over the past week. Effort from the Silver City and Union Bay access sites also increased slightly but remained lower than in Ontonagon. Anglers reported catches consisting primarily of lake trout in fair-to-low numbers. Brown trout were also reported by anglers, but with much lower frequency. Anglers trolled depths ranging from 70 to 150 feet to find fish.
Black River Harbor: Angling effort was low from the harbor over the past week. Angler reports indicated catches of lake trout in low numbers, with boats trolling depths ranging from 60 to 160 feet to locate fish. Shore anglers fishing within harbor boundaries found little success.
St. Ignace: Chinook salmon anglers trolling spoons off St. Martins Island and the Coast Guard pier reported low catches of salmon. Reports also indicated salmon were staging at the Carp River.
Grand Marais: Boat anglers did well on lake trout when trolling and jigging at deeper depths.
Manistique: Anglers targeting Chinook salmon out of Manistique reported good fishing south of the port and near the Garden Peninsula. Anglers reported good numbers of fish caught, including some individuals around 20 pounds. Spoons were the most common lure trolled.
Marquette: Most anglers continued to troll north of White Rocks out toward north of Granite Rock and the Clay Banks in 120 to 160 feet of water for lake trout, catching fish throughout the water column. Good sized lake trout were also caught out near White Rocks.
A few anglers reported catching salmon and brown trout near Little Presque Isle and the Clay Banks in 60 to 100 feet of water, along with a few steelhead in slightly shallower depths. Few anglers headed out to Sand River and Shot Point, resulting in lower lake trout catches compared to previous early August reports. Prior to the weekend, some coho salmon were reported in 60 feet of water between the Lower Harbor Lighthouse and the Chocolay River, with lines set 25 to 30 feet down.
Au Train: Fishing effort remained light in the Au Train area. Anglers fished depths consistent with previous weeks, working 120 to 160 feet of water. Lake trout were caught near the bottom northwest of Au Train Island and around Wood Island Reef.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers reported poor-to-fair fishing over the past week, with a mixed bag consisting mostly of lake trout along with a few coho salmon, splake, and Chinook salmon. Trolling spoons and flasher-fly combinations yielded the most success, while jigging for lake trout produced a slow bite. Anglers jigging reported better success using natural baits in water deeper than 150 feet.
Lake Independence, Big Bay: Fishing activity slowed down with most anglers targeting walleye and yellow perch. Anglers did best jigging in 15 to 20 feet of water using natural bait.
Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers trolling spoons and flasher-fly combinations near the bottom in 90 to 120 feet of water reported fair-to-good numbers of lake trout. Anglers also reported coho salmon, steelhead, and small Chinook salmon caught while trolling. Anglers targeting lake trout reported a fair bite when using natural and artificial baits, with most fish caught between 100 to 140 feet of water with some anglers finding success in water deeper than 200 feet.
