By Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lower Saginaw Bay: Boat anglers fishing for walleye at the lower part of the Saginaw River reported that using jig heads tipped with a minnow, along with blade baits, were producing fish. Shore anglers fishing from Finn Road caught a few crappies and bluegill when using a slip bobber and minnow. Smith Park shore anglers were catching mostly freshwater drum and white bass.
Saginaw River: The Saginaw River was reported to have been somewhat stained and dirty over the past week, resulting in slow walleye fishing. However, a few shore anglers fishing at Veterans Park in Bay City reported catching fish while casting jigs, primarily in the morning. Elsewhere, boat anglers who targeted walleye by vertical jigging with jig head and twister tail combinations caught mostly freshwater drum and channel catfish.
Eastern Saginaw Bay: Windy weather kept most boats off the bay this past week. Those looking for yellow perch and panfish had poor fishing with very little to show for their efforts in the area marinas, cuts, and rivers.
Port Sanilac/Lexington/Harbor Beach: Boat anglers were trolling in 30 to 40 feet of water with planer boards and spoons, and a variety of body baits. Coho salmon, lake trout and a couple steelhead were all reported to have been caught. Additionally, a small number of coho salmon and the occasional northern pike were also caught with a bobber and minnows or spawn.
Lake St. Clair: Smallmouth bass action was reported to have picked up, with fairly decent catch rates. Ford Cove near 9-mile was reported to have been the hot spot. Other anglers also did well on Anchor Bay, and all lures seemed to work well. A few anglers targeted largemouth bass in the canals near Selfridge and reported that black plastic worms and tubes produced good results. Anglers were also catching panfish in the canals near Harley Ensign using live bait.
Lake Erie: The fish cleaning station at Sterling State Park is now fully open for use for the season. Anglers reported catching walleye in 15 feet of water east of the rock wall that is to the right of the channel coming out from the Sterling State Park boat launch. Anglers were fishing the mud line and trolling artificial lures. Catfish were caught in the hot water exhaust of the DTE coal plant. Anglers noted that lures with a white body and black or red head seemed to work well this past week.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Muskegon: Pier fishing was reported to have been slow. Anglers fishing from boats caught a few brown trout and an occasional coho salmon on small spoons. Anglers fishing Muskegon Lake caught decent numbers of perch.
Grand Haven: Pier anglers were catching coho salmon and an occasional brown trout. The majority of the fish caught were on spawn. A few coho salmon were also caught by casting spoons. Boat anglers fishing the near shore river water also caught a few brown trout and coho salmon.
South Haven: Boat anglers reported good fishing. Coho salmon were caught, along with a few Chinook salmon mixed in. Anglers fishing for coho salmon saw the best results in around 20 feet of water, while those targeting Chinook salmon saw the best results in 50 feet of water. Small spoons and crankbaits worked best. Spawn fished on the bottom also worked well for coho salmon. Lake trout were caught in around 55 to 60 feet of water.
St. Joseph: Boat anglers targeting salmon reported good fishing this past week. Coho salmon were caught in good numbers, with the best results coming from inside 30 feet of water. Small crankbaits caught most of these fish. Anglers targeting around 50 feet of water had decent fishing for Chinook salmon, with spoons and small crankbaits working best. Pier anglers caught coho salmon on spawn fished along the bottom. Fish were also caught from the pier when casting lures.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Cheboygan: The Cheboygan city boat launch is available for use, but the Cheboygan County marina boat launches have not been put in yet. The cleaning station is also closed. Steelhead anglers had the most success early in the morning when either drifting beads or bouncing spawn bags near bottom at the Cheboygan Dam spillway. However, in general, steelhead anglers were struggling to catch fish.
Alpena: Boat anglers had success trolling for walleye in 13 to 17 feet of water from the cement plant to Grass Island. Medium diving crank baits in oranges, purples, and natural colors were all productive. Those trolling spoons from 20 to 40 feet of water had on and off success with brown trout, Atlantic salmon, and the occasional lake trout. Bright colored spoons on 1-3 color lead cores seemed to produce the best results. Those fishing from shore reported hit or miss success with a few brown trout, Atlantic salmon, and the occasional walleye. Swim baits resembling smelt had best results. Blue/silver and green/silver spoons also produced some nice northern pike.
Thunder Bay River: Anglers reported decent numbers of steelhead, suckers, and walleye in the river. Drifting fresh spawn and beads worked best for steelhead, with a few caught on jigs and wax worms as well. Although anglers were getting incidental catches of walleye, the season remains closed in the river until the last Saturday in April.
Harrisville: Steelhead and coho salmon fishing was reported as hit or miss for anglers fishing from the harbor. Anglers who found success were using spawn, minnows or wigglers under a float.
Oscoda: Anglers were finding silver fish in 15 to 25 feet of water while using body baits 5 to 10 feet down. FJ11s and Hot n Tots were popular choices among anglers. Anglers fishing the pier head in the early hours of the morning were catching walleye on Bandits and other deep diving body baits (Clown was a hot color). A few Atlantic salmon were caught off the pier. Anglers floating minnows and casting blue/silver and orange/gold spoons reported mixed success for Atlantic salmon.
Au Sable River: A few anglers reported catching Atlantic salmon in the lower river, while those fishing the upper river experienced decent steelhead fishing this past week. Good amounts of fish were taken from Foote Dam down to Whirlpool. Those bottom bouncing beads or black flies seemed to have the most success. 8mm beads in a yellow, milky or peach color worked well for steelhead. Anticipation is high as the trout opener approaches, and early reports suggest encouraging activity on the water. Following the recent ice storm, anglers should be aware that the river has taken on its share of fallen trees and debris. Currently, there are no known full blockages, but conditions can change quickly. Some familiar stretches may look different this year with new logjams or submerged trees. Please use caution when wading or floating. Utility crews and cleanup teams are still active in the area, so expect some ongoing activity near access points. With water temperatures still cool, trout will be holding in classic early-season lies—think deeper pools, soft seams, and slower-moving water. Nymphs and streamers have been effective, especially when fished low and slow. Be prepared for changing conditions and check in with local fly shops for the most up-to-date river and hatch reports.
Tawas: Boat anglers who went out of Tawas Bay were going further south and reported picking up a few walleye.
Au Gres: Trolling for walleye was reported to have been slow overall; however, a few anglers were able to catch decent numbers along with an occasional coho salmon or steelhead. Boat anglers heading out from the Pine River in Standish reported increasing catch numbers of walleye compared to the last couple of weeks, along with a few largemouth and smallmouth bass being caught. Shore fishing in the area was slow.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Little Traverse Bay: Anglers targeting steelhead near the Bear River found success drifting spawn, beads, and the occasional fly. Those bottom bouncing also found success in the river below the dam. Targeting steelhead right at sunrise was found to be the most successful time of day. Petoskey City Marina has pushed both available slips in and is ready for launching boats. Josephine Ford Park in Harbor Springs has not pushed in slip docks as of this past weekend.
Charlevoix: Temperatures continued to improve providing more access to boating options in Lake Charlevoix and out into Lake Michigan. Ferry Beach boat launch has two available slips for use. Medusa boat launch is free from ice and snow, however, the slip dock has not been pushed in.
East Grand Traverse Bay: Windy conditions limited boating activity out on the bay. Boats that managed to make it out had success while jigging for both cisco and lake trout. Steelhead continued to be caught below the Elk Rapids dam.
West Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers reported success while jigging for lake trout. Steelhead continued to be caught on the Boardman River with the morning being the best time of day.
Suttons Bay/Northport: Shore anglers at both ports did not have much luck when targeting steelhead. Boat anglers who launched from Suttons Bay found a few lake trout while jigging in 130 to 150 feet of water with a Cleo as the bait of choice.
Leland: Pier anglers float fishing with skein and spawn bags continued to try for steelhead but did not find much success.
Frankfort: Anglers were trolling the shoreline to the north and just outside of the break walls and reported brown trout hitting on body baits. The morning bite seemed to provide the best results. Pier anglers reported that they were still catching steelhead on spawn.
Onekama: Anglers reported slower steelhead numbers this past week as storms moved through.
Manistee: Pier anglers caught a few brown trout when fishing with spawn. Those trolling caught a couple brown trout along the coastline near Magoon and Gurney Creeks. Lake trout were found in 120 to 140 feet of water, straight out from town.
Ludington: Boat anglers caught a few brown trout and the occasional lake trout while trolling the harbor and to the north with body baits and spoons. Most brown trout were in 15 feet of water and closer, while lake trout were found shallow and out to 25 feet of water. Anglers pier fishing caught a couple brown trout on spawn and spoons.
Upper Peninsula
St. Ignace: St. Ignace City boat launches have been put into the water, and the cleaning station is open. At the Carp River cement footing pier, steelhead anglers saw limited success. Smelt were running at the Carp River over the past week. When using the roads to get back to the Carp River mouth, watch for deep potholes. Anglers looking to fish from shore at the Pine River, are now able to get back to the DNR access safely. The DNR boat launch at the Pine River has not been put in yet.
Les Cheneaux Islands/Detour: Anglers were trying their luck dipping for smelt in the Carp River, however fishing was reported as slow. Anglers also reported catching a few splake within Hessel Bay when trolling with stick baits and off the pier using smelt.
Grand Marais: Boat anglers who were trolling both east and west of the break wall reported good numbers of coho salmon, along with the occasional steelhead near the mouth of the Sucker River. Off the break wall, anglers were catching coho salmon and whitefish. Spawn was reported to have worked well.
Munising: Fishing was reported to have slowed this past week due to some ice left in the bay. The mouth of the Anna River was reported to have been mostly clear of ice. The boat launch in town is not yet open.
Ontonagon River: There are currently no docks in the water at the Ontonagon Marina Boat Launch. Angling efforts on the river were near nonexistent over the past week. River conditions were reported as poor due to recent precipitation that caused high turbidity levels.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: There are currently no docks in the water at the Ontonagon Marina Boat Launch. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina also remains closed for the off-season. The gate into the Union Bay boat launch has been opened for the season and the launch dock is now in the water. The Silver City boat launch dock remains out of the water. Fishing efforts from these ports were reported to have increased as weather permitted. Anglers fishing from the shores of Union Bay had some luck when targeting coho salmon, brown trout, and steelhead. Those fishing from boats also had luck with the same species when trolling shallow waters.
Black River Harbor: The harbor saw a fair amount of angling efforts over the past week. Anglers fishing from the harbor break walls had some success in catching coho salmon in low numbers. Boats trolling shallow waters reported catches consisting of coho salmon and brown trout in fair numbers. If you are accessing waters via boat, be aware of possible floating debris. Many large snags have recently made their way down rivers and into the lake.
Little Bay de Noc: Docks are in at most locations. Windy conditions limited angler numbers. Those that were able to make it out reported good perch fishing when jigging with perch rigs.
Big Bay de Noc: Perch anglers reported fair to good fishing. Minnows or worms seemed to work best.
Fishing tip: How to catch your own nightcrawlers
- Are you interested in catching and keeping your own nightcrawlers? It’s fairly easy to do — just follow these simple steps:
- Know where to look. Scout locations such as parks, playgrounds and open, grassy areas after a good rain.
- Look for nightcrawler castings (the little piles of dirt they leave behind) and then plan to visit again following the next good rain.
- Know when to collect. Nightcrawlers are best caught an hour or so after dark.Bring the right equipment. Nightcrawlers are sensitive to vibrations, so wear lightweight shoes. They’re also sensitive to bright light, so consider rigging your flashlight with a red cover over the lens.
- Store them properly. When you catch nightcrawlers, just lay them on top of some storage bedding — don’t mix them in. This will allow you to remove sick or dead ones more easily.
