By The Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie: Walleye fishing on the Michigan side of the border was bad. Anglers caught a few fish, but overall numbers remained low. Some anglers caught no walleye and only reported incidental bycatch.
Yellow perch fishing showed more promise. Anglers fished south of Bolles Harbor toward the dumping grounds using minnows on perch rigs in 18 feet of water and caught some perch this week. Although no large limits were reported, perch were reported in the area. Both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing was good, with anglers catching fish using lures at various depths.
Lower Saginaw Bay: Walleye anglers continued to catch walleye in shallow water from Jones Road to Callahan Reef in 11 to 12 feet of water while using crawlers. At Pinconning Bar, anglers caught walleye in 15 to 17 feet of water, as well as around 18 to 20 feet of water, while using crankbaits. The Sparkplug continued to produce walleye in 22 to 26 feet of water using crawlers and crankbaits. Some anglers also caught a few yellow perch at the Sparkplug in the shipping channel while using worms for bait.
Eastern Saginaw Bay: The warm weather slowed walleye fishing down considerably. The best catches occurred at daylight in 4 to 6 feet of water on Callahan Reef while trolling nightcrawler harnesses. As temperatures warmed later in the morning, walleye appeared to scatter, making them more difficult for anglers to locate. Most parties fished throughout the day from the slot area out to buoys one and two, averaging 5 to 8 walleye per boat while trolling nightcrawler harnesses.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Muskegon: Boat anglers found salmon 45 to 90 feet down in 70 to 140 feet of water. Green and blue spoons worked the best. The early morning bite was good. Pier anglers caught a few freshwater drum while casting spoons.
Grand Haven: Changing wind directions continued to affect nearshore water temperatures. Salmon moved into slightly deeper water over the last few days. Salmon were caught 40 to 90 feet down in 70 to 150 feet of water. Green and blue spoons worked well. A few salmon were also caught on yellow or green glow plugs during low-light conditions. Pier fishing for salmon and steelhead slowed as beach water temperatures increased. Anglers casting spoons caught a few freshwater drum.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Alpena: Walleye anglers reported fishing after the week’s strong winds. A few walleye were caught near Sulphur and Scarecrow Island in 20 to 30 feet of water while trolling crankbaits, as well as along the north shore. Better fishing was found toward the outer bay in depths of 30 to 50 feet of water. Anglers targeting 80 to 150 feet of water reported good catches of lake trout while trolling the bottom 50 feet of the water column. Very good numbers of steelhead were found while fishing bright-colored spoons near the surface.
Thunder Bay River: Those targeting walleye reported fishing as slow. Catfish were still found in fair numbers while fishing crawlers and cut bait on bottom throughout the river.
Rockport: Fishing remained good for lake trout, steelhead, and the occasional salmon. Lake trout were found at depths ranging from 80 to 200 feet of water. Flashers and Spin-N-Glos worked well, along with spoons in white, chartreuse, and green. A few Chinook and coho salmon were also caught in the middle of the water column. Steelhead were found in good numbers while fishing the top 20 feet of the water column. Watermelon, orange, and copper spoons all produced fish. Anglers reported more walleye catches coming from a variety of depths while using a wide selection of spoons.
Cheboygan: Over the past week, anglers reported catching walleye, smallmouth bass, rock bass, and freshwater drum in the lower Cheboygan River. Walleye anglers encountered low numbers of undersized fish. Boat anglers targeting walleye found success while drifting hook-and-worm rigs between the pedestrian walkway bridge and the State Street draw bridge. Shore anglers caught fish while drifting jig-and-worm rigs and casting swimbaits. Freshwater drum, smallmouth bass, and rock bass were also caught by anglers targeting walleye.
Anglers targeting smallmouth bass found success while casting crankbaits, spinners, swimbaits, and tube jigs near the Cheboygan Dam spillway, the State Street drawbridge, and the river mouth.
Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers trolling spoons in 120 to 130 feet of water found good numbers of walleye on 100 to 300 coppers, with lake trout also caught in the bottom 30 to 40 feet of the water column. Some anglers found steelhead in 150 to 160 feet of water while trolling spoons on 50, 100, and 150 coppers. Bloody Nose and Greasy Chicken Wing were reported to be productive colors.
Harrisville: Anglers targeting lake trout did well in 150 to 200 feet of water while trolling Spin-N-Glos. White and green were reported to be productive colors. A few steelhead were caught in 80 to 100 feet of water while trolling orange spoons high in the water column, 10 to 40 feet down.
Rogers City: Stable weather and reduced wind was reported. Salmon fishing remained slow, with limited reports available, but anglers began targeting them more frequently. The best fishing occurred south of the harbor, with productive depths ranging from 60 to 90 feet of water. Anglers found the best results while targeting fish around the thermocline.
Anglers used spoons, flasher-fly-squid combinations, meat rigs, and J-plugs. Productive colors included green, blue, purple, and white glow patterns, especially during early morning and late evening hours. Both regular-sized and magnum spoons produced fish. The salmon caught were primarily coming very early before sunrise or well after sunset.
Salmon and trout anglers also reported catching several walleye incidentally. Walleye were hitting a variety of presentations intended for salmon and trout. Lake trout were targeted in deeper, colder water or just below the thermocline using spoons or attractors paired with Spin-N-Glos.
Presque Isle: Fishing was great for lake trout in deeper water, along with a mixed bag of steelhead, walleye, and the occasional silver salmon. Anglers found the best results by running lines throughout the entire water column. Both regular-sized and magnum spoons produced fish. Productive colors included green, purple, blue, black and purple, blue and black, as well as white and glow patterns.
The deeper water at this port produced better results during the unstable weather conditions. The best depths ranged from 80 to over 150 feet of water.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Manistee: Anglers targeting Chinook salmon found a few fish along the shelf in 110 to 300 feet of water while fishing 25 to over 100 feet down with spoons. A few Chinook salmon and steelhead were also caught straight out in 35 to 70 feet of water while trolling 25 feet down with spoons and plugs. Pier anglers caught freshwater drum, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and rock bass while using lures and worms.
Ludington: Anglers targeting Chinook salmon caught fish around Big Sable Point in 50 to 180 feet of water while fishing 50 to 55 feet down with spoons. Meat rigs also produced fish. A couple of steelhead were also caught in the mix. Pier fishing remained slow.
Charlevoix: Fishing pressure was low due to local festivities during the past week. Boat anglers who made it out reported some success targeting Chinook salmon in more than 150 feet of water while fishing 70 to 90 feet down. Anglers fishing from the piers reported occasional smallmouth bass catches while using natural bait on the bottom.
Little Traverse Bay: Boat anglers targeting salmon reported more bites than catches. The occasional silver fish was found while fishing 50 to 80 feet down in more than 120 feet of water. Boat anglers reported that spoons and occasional meat rigs produced results. Anglers targeting lake trout found success while fishing west of Harbor Springs in 60 to 80 feet of water.
East Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers out of Elk Rapids caught lake trout while trolling approximately 80 feet down in 100 to 120 feet of water. White and green flasher-fly combinations worked well. Anglers trolling near Old Mission also caught good numbers of lake trout in 70 to 130 feet of water. Water temperatures throughout the bay remained between 70 and 73 degrees.
Leland: Boat anglers trolling for salmon reported a fair number of fish near North Manitou Island. Anglers reported the best fishing in 150 to 250 feet of water, with the most productive depths being around 200 feet. Productive baits included green and blue spoons, as well as both natural and artificial meat rigs. Another area where anglers reported good numbers of fish was between the docks on North Manitou Island. Anglers also had success starting their troll at the north end of the island and continuing north. Water temperatures were in the mid-60s down to 140 feet, where temperatures then dropped to approximately 45 degrees.
Frankfort/Lake Michigan: This past week’s catches were the talk of the town. Anglers reported very good numbers and sizes of Chinook salmon while trolling north in 100 to 220 feet of water and setting lines in the top 90 feet. The best bites occurred early in the morning and around sunset.
Spoons continued to produce most hits, but meat rigs and flasher-fly combinations also produced good-sized Chinook salmon. Anglers reported very good numbers of alewives throughout the area. A few Chinook salmon observed at the cleaning station appeared to be slightly shaded up, and the first jigging anglers of the season reported catching fish.
Onekama/Lake Michigan: Anglers trolling the Barrel reported better numbers this week as the lake had rolled over and water temperatures dropped slightly, moving baitfish closer to shore. Magnum spoons worked the best, with green and blue colors being the most popular.
Northport/Suttons Bay: Fishing effort increased as more boat anglers reported fair harvest rates for lake trout. Anglers targeted lake trout while jigging near Stoney Point, Omena Bay, and the surrounding areas of Northport. Small white and gold spoons worked the best while jigging. Smallmouth bass anglers also reported catching a fair number of fish while fishing in 40 to 60 feet of water using drop-shot rigs near the flats and Stoney Point.
Upper Peninsula
Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported success trolling for fish near drop-offs with crankbaits. Slim-profile crankbaits were the typical presentation, although some anglers trolled live bait harnesses rigged with nightcrawlers. Yellow perch anglers reported slow fishing overall. This week’s limited success was sporadic and varied from day to day, but worms worked well when fished near weeds. Northern pike anglers had some success this week, reporting catches while both trolling and casting.
Munising: Poor weather conditions limited fishing activity during the week. However, on days when weather conditions improved, boat anglers caught a few Chinook salmon and splake in the bay, as well as some lake trout around Grand Island. There were also several reports of lake trout being caught at Big Reef.
Ontonagon River: Over the past week, anglers reported catching fair numbers of walleye. Overall fishing effort on the river was also fair. Reports indicated that trolling was the preferred method for most boat anglers, while jigging was also successful but less popular. Shore anglers reported catching low numbers of walleye and rock bass. Occasional catches of lake sturgeon were also reported by anglers fishing with natural baits.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling efforts from the Silver City and Union Bay access sites remained low. In comparison, fishing effort from Ontonagon remained slightly higher. Angler reports from all locations were promising. Common catches consisted primarily of lake trout. Catches of coho salmon and brown trout were also reported but in lower numbers. Trolling at depths ranging from 60 to 180 feet of water produced these fish.
Black River Harbor: The harbor continued to see low angling effort over the past week. Boat anglers reported catching fair numbers of lake trout. Trolling across a variety of depths ranging from 80 to 180 feet of water produced the most success for these anglers. Shore anglers reported occasional catches of white suckers and northern pike within the harbor boundaries.
St. Ignace: Anglers reported catches of walleye, perch, and bullhead catfish at the Pine River. While drifting leeches for walleye and nightcrawlers for perch, anglers caught low numbers of fish from the riverbank near the M-134 overpass bridge. Boat anglers reported sporadic catches of walleye while trolling nightcrawler harnesses and crankbaits.
Grand Marais: Weather conditions limited fishing access during the past week. When conditions improved, boat anglers found success targeting lake trout while trolling and jigging.
Manistique: This week, Chinook salmon anglers trolled magnum-sized spoons, as well as flasher-fly combinations. The fly portion was typically green or blue with flashy material. Anglers targeted the thermocline and deeper waters while using glowing lures. A few anglers also reported catching fish on meat rigs. Anglers fished near drop-offs where salmon were feeding during dawn and dusk. Fishing deeper water during other times of the day resulted in scattered fish farther from drop-offs and over deeper water.
Marquette: Lake trout anglers continued fishing slightly deeper than usual. Most anglers started trolling north of White Rocks toward North Granite Rock in depths ranging from 120 to 160 feet of water. Others found success jigging around 80 to 140 feet of water on structure near White Rocks and other islands.
Some anglers returned to Sand River and Shot Point, with mixed reports when targeting lake trout. Most anglers who caught fish found success in deeper water this week rather than closer to the surface. No salmon or brown trout catches were reported or observed during the week.
Au Train: Fishing remained slow in Au Train again this week. Only two anglers were observed fishing, while all other boaters were not actively fishing. Anglers continued to target depths around 120 to 180 feet of water. All lake trout caught were found near the bottom. One coho salmon was also observed being caught on a dipsy diver while trolling for lake trout north of Au Train Island.
Lake Independence, Big Bay: Fishing activity increased, with most anglers targeting walleye and yellow perch. Anglers had the best success while trolling in 10 to 15 feet of water using natural bait.
