By Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie: Anglers going both north and south out from Sterling or Bolles Harbor caught walleye on both crawlers and artificial lures. No spot outperformed another, as all produced fair results. Fishing was good from 15 feet of water and deeper.
Largemouth bass fishing was also reported as decent; those who did well launched from Sterling and caught them just off the rock wall using cast lures. Surprisingly, some anglers caught walleye from shore at Sterling State Park off the fishing docks.
Saginaw River: Fishing was slow with only an occasional walleye caught jigging downtown Saginaw. A few walleye were caught shore casting and jigging at Veterans Park.
Eastern Saginaw Bay: The winds over the weekend kept many anglers off the bay, but the few who were able to get out caught walleye. Out from the Quanicassee area, boats fished the edges of Callahan Reef, straight out front, and the south end of the slot. From Sunset Marina to the Sebewaing area, anglers found some walleye in the slot and along the edges of the bar. Body baits and crawler harnesses both caught walleye.
Lower Saginaw Bay: Due to the weather, most of the anglers fishing in the Saginaw River reported very little success.
Tittabawassee River: Anglers caught and released some smallmouth bass while casting various artificial baits from the Caldwell Boat Launch to Dow Dam. A few walleye were also caught in this stretch. Downstream through Freeland to Saginaw, fishing pressure was light, and a few freshwater drum were caught by shore anglers at the Center Road Boat Launch using nightcrawlers on the bottom.
Port Austin/Grindstone: A few boat anglers trolled for walleye to the west of the harbor, catching a few using body baits. In the evening, a few boats were trolling near the shore and did quite well when weather permitted. Some pier anglers fished along Bird Creek, catching mostly smallmouth bass.
Harbor Beach: Very little activity was reported. A few boat anglers trolling for salmon and trout picked up a few coho salmon in 20 to 30 feet of water using crankbaits, mostly ThinFins. One boat reported a few in 60 feet of water using downriggers and spoons.
Port Sanilac/Lexington: The few boats that made it out caught a mix of coho salmon, steelhead, and some walleye, staying close to shore in no more than 15 feet of water. There was a lot of bait and slightly warmer water in the shallows.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
South Haven: Salmon anglers experienced fishing similar to the previous week. The lake was rough and gave boat anglers challenging conditions. Fishing was on the slower side, but fish were still being caught on spoons. The most consistent water was between 80 and 100 feet of water. Pier fishing pressure remained low, and fishing for all species was slow.
St. Joseph: Lake conditions were on the rough side this week. Anglers had decent success targeting trout and salmon, but the fish were very scattered. Some anglers fished extremely deep water; 80 feet of water was the most consistent.
Pier anglers experienced slow fishing for steelhead but caught decent numbers of freshwater drum and catfish. Night crawlers fished on the bottom caught most of these fish.
Muskegon: Boat anglers reported good numbers of Chinook salmon 25 to 70 feet down in 40 to 120 feet of water. White flashers with green or white flies worked well along with orange spoons.
Grand Haven: Decent numbers of Chinook salmon were caught 20 to 60 feet down in 40 to 120 feet of water. Orange, green, and white spoons worked very well. Pier anglers targeting brown trout and coho salmon were largely unsuccessful.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Tawas/Au Gres: Weather kept most anglers off the water, but those who went out reported marking a lot of fish in Tawas Bay and catching decent numbers of walleye. Smallmouth bass were caught off the pier and by shore anglers at the Tawas River mouth. In Au Gres, boat anglers that went out caught decent numbers of walleye in 10 feet of water out from the Pine River, using both artificial baits and crawlers.
Thunder Bay River: A few walleye were caught by anglers casting crankbaits and tube jigs. Leeches, along with minnows, were also productive throughout the river. Smallmouth bass were caught while casting plastic swimbaits and spinnerbaits.
Boats trolling the river reported marginal success while trolling deep-diving crankbaits and vertical jigging. Gold, silver, and white were the most productive colors.
Alpena: Anglers who targeted the outer bay had success with lake trout, Atlantic salmon, and occasional chinook salmon. Waters between 50 and 70 feet were productive while trolling spoons in watermelon, blue, and green colors. As water temperatures remained cold, fish were found scattered throughout the water column.
Walleye anglers had some success trolling crankbaits in 12 to 16 feet of water. Natural colors worked best, along with gold and black/silver patterns. A few northern pike and smallmouth bass were caught from the pier by anglers using soft plastics and crankbaits.
Rockport: Lake trout were found 30 to 70 feet of water from Stoneport to Middle Island. Orange, chartreuse, and watermelon spoons worked well behind short lead cores. Water temperatures were still cold, averaging around 40 degrees, so slower speeds worked well.
Cheboygan: The Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex remains closed to the public. Cheboygan County boat launches and the city boat launch were open.
Anglers caught steelhead, walleye, pike, and suckers in the Cheboygan River. Suckers were running heavily. Shore anglers were concentrated at the cement piers by the ball fields and near the Cheboygan DNR field office.
Soft plastic swimbaits, jig and minnows, and curly tail grubs continued to be productive for walleye and pike. Walleye boat anglers were successful late at night when drifting nightcrawlers. Steelhead anglers were occasionally successful when drifting beads. Natural-colored beads were productive in sunny conditions, while yellow beads worked well in overcast conditions.
Oscoda/Au Sable: Boat anglers trolling out front of the pier with body baits and spoons caught a few coho salmon and walleye. Pier anglers reported walleye while jigging plastics or casting deep-diving body baits. A few steelhead and Atlantic salmon were also caught off the pier when anglers cast spoons or used minnows a few feet below the surface. Anglers targeting steelhead found a few below Foote Dam while drifting or bottom bouncing beads, flies, and spawn.
Harrisville: Anglers trolling in 40 to 60 feet of water did well targeting lake trout. Anglers fishing in the harbor caught northern pike, walleye, and a few smallmouth bass while casting spoons or body baits. A couple of steelhead were also caught by anglers casting spoons.
Rogers City: A few anglers were finally able to fish Lake Huron. Lake trout were scattered throughout the water column, so anglers had the best results by running lines at various depths. Spoons worked well, with green, yellow, orange, and blue being productive colors. The best fishing depths were in 60 to 90 feet of water.
A few anglers fished from inside the marina wall and caught a few Atlantic salmon. Small spinners, spoons, and body baits worked well.
Presque Isle: The best depths were between 65 and 90 feet of water. Anglers had success running lines all over the water column. Spoons were the most successful with good colors being greens, yellows, blue, and oranges. Water temps were cold so slower trolling speeds worked better.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Manistee: Boat anglers caught a mix of Chinook salmon, lake trout, a couple of steelhead and brown trout. Those fishing in 30 to 40 feet of water out front of the pierheads, along the shelf, and along the shoreline in 10 to 30 feet of water caught fish mostly on spoons. The piers were slow; however, a couple of suckers were caught from the stub pier while using crawlers or corn on the bottom.
Ludington: Chinook salmon were caught at and around Big Sable Point in 120 to 160 feet of water and 55 to 60 feet of water, while fishing 20 to 90 feet down with spoons. The lake trout bite continued to be good from Ludington to Pentwater in 40 to 60 feet of water while trolling spoons and Spin-N-Glos near the bottom. Brown trout fishing was slow this week. Orange and green spoons worked best.
Charlevoix: Dredging in the Pine River Channel has kept angling activity to a minimum.
Little Traverse Bay: Anglers fishing Bear Creek reported a fair number of fish being caught. Anglers using beads and spawn early in the morning did well. Suckers had also moved into Bear Creek.
Boat anglers who went out of Harbor Springs reported cold water temperatures around 40 degrees, with no reports of smallmouth bass, cisco, or perch.
East Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers targeting cisco had success jigging gold or white blade baits in 60 to 100 feet of water. Water temperatures varied between 36 and 42 degrees. With water temperatures still cold, the smallmouth bite was inconsistent, with some anglers finding success in the southern areas of the bay. Both steelhead and lake trout were caught in the Elk River by anglers drifting fresh spawn bags or jigs with wax worms.
Leland: The steelhead bite was slow this week. A few anglers fishing the pier earlier in the morning with spawn bags reported some success.
Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Cooler temperatures continued to stick around. Water temperatures remained in the high 40s to low 50s. Lake trout were caught in 40 to 60 feet of water on spoons, although the action was a bit on the slow side.
Onekama/ Lake Michigan: Anglers headed straight out and trolled north in 50 to 80 feet of water. Chinook salmon were hitting on flasher-fly combinations in the top 40 feet of water. Lake trout hit spoons.
Upper Peninsula
Little Bay de Noc: This past week, anglers reported excellent smallmouth bass fishing despite windy conditions. Shallow areas with rock or vegetation were productive. Additionally, anglers reported catching bass near river mouths. Bass anglers had success with spinnerbaits, baitfish-sized soft plastics, and shallow jerk baits.
Yellow perch fishing improved this week. Most anglers reported catching fish in the shallows, although there were some reports from anglers fishing deep that the schools were sparse but actively biting in the morning and whenever a school was located. Anglers used perch rigs with minnows or worms.
Munising: The coho salmon bite was slow in the bay, but boat anglers trolling outside the bay and around Grand Island found some success, with a few rainbow trout also being caught. Anglers fishing off the Anna River mouth picked up a few splake, with spawn working best.
Keweenaw Bay: Anglers reported fair numbers of coho salmon, with an occasional brown trout being caught while trolling stick baits, spoons, and flasher-fly combinations in the upper portion of the water column. Whitefish anglers reported a slow bite. Shore anglers were able to catch a few splake and steelhead over the past week.
Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers trolling nearshore reported fair numbers of both lake trout and coho salmon while using stick baits and spoons. Anglers also reported the occasional brown trout or steelhead being caught.
Ontonagon River: All docks were in the water at the Ontonagon Marina boat launch. The fish cleaning station opened for the season. Fishing effort on the river remained very low over the past week, and anglers did not report any catches.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: The docks at all three launches were in the water. The fish cleaning station located at Ontonagon Marina was opened for the season. These ports experienced a fair amount of fishing effort over the past week, weather permitting. Angler reports consisted of catches of coho salmon, brown trout, and Chinook salmon, with occasional instances of steelhead and lake trout also being caught. Anglers found the most success while trolling in shallow waters. Shore anglers fishing in Union Bay reported catching a mix of coho salmon and brown trout.
Black River Harbor: Angling effort remained strong in the harbor as weather permitted. Angler reports consisted of catches of coho salmon and brown trout, with occasional instances of chinook salmon and steelhead also being caught. Those fishing within the harbor and from the break walls reported catches of coho salmon, brown trout, and occasional steelhead in low numbers.
St. Ignace: Steelhead fishing picked up at McDonalds Rapids on the Carp River. Those floating beads and spawn were the most successful. Brown trout and suckers were also caught in the mix.
Grand Marais: Anglers fishing off the break wall did well targeting coho salmon, with some lake whitefish and round whitefish also being caught. Spawn and worms were the most popular baits. Boat anglers did well trolling for coho salmon east and west of the break wall.
Les Cheneaux Islands/DeTour: The weather was not cooperative, causing fishing pressure and catch frequency to remain slow. Perch started moving into the Hessel Marina, and anglers had inconsistent catches in terms of the size of the fish caught. Worms, minnows, and crawlers were all successful.
Manistique: Anglers reported good steelhead fishing in the river. Anglers drifted brightly colored beads under a float. Most anglers caught multiple steelhead per trip, as well as a few suckers as bycatch. The river dropped substantially this week, making for easier and more effective drifts.
Marquette: Steelhead fishing slowed back down this week, but there was an increase in fish reported by anglers trolling. Brown trout continued to be present for both boat anglers and anglers on the river. If fishing around the mouth did not work, anglers tried moving farther up the river, past the prison and into the Marquette Mountain area.
The Chocolay River was slow again this week. In the lower harbor, the coho salmon bite remained consistent this week. The average catch per boat increased from three last week to around four per boat this week.
Some very nice Chinook salmon were caught around Shot Point out toward the clay banks east of Granite Rock.
Au Train: The Brownstone boat launch was accessible again. Steelhead began moving up the rivers two weeks ago, but fishing was hit or miss, while boaters continued to do very well and were still catching them by trolling near the river mouths. Coho salmon fishing for boat anglers remained very good this week. Boat anglers targeting lake trout reported doing well when jigging northeast of Au Train Island.
