By Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Eastern Saginaw Bay: Fishing along the east side of the bay remained hit or miss, with many boat anglers struggling to catch any significant numbers of yellow perch. In Quanicassee, those fishing for yellow perch managed only a few keeper-sized fish, with most boats returning empty-handed. Yellow perch were found In the slot from Sunset Marina to Sebewaing, in 14 to 16 feet of water. Anglers who had the most success with perch put in long hours on the water. Walleye fishing along the east side of the bay was slow, with very few anglers targeting them. A few were caught nearshore by anglers targeting bass with artificial baits, and a few walleye were also caught farther out over the bay in around 20 feet of water.
Lower Saginaw Bay: Yellow perch were caught near the Spark Plug in 22 to 24 feet of water. The old shipping channel in 17 feet of water also produced a few yellow perch. Anglers had started to catch a few walleye at the mouth of the Saginaw River using Jigging Raps.
Lake Erie: Yellow perch fishing picked from the previous week but was overall slower than around this time last year. Water temperatures remained above 70 degrees, so perch stayed deep in the water column. Anglers using minnows or worms on perch fished east of Stony Point in 20 feet of water, but for most, it took an entire day of fishing to catch decent numbers.
Port Austin: Anglers trolling out of Port Austin caught a couple steelhead and an occasional walleye in 120 feet of water.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
South Haven: The weather in the area was poor this week, making it difficult for boat anglers to get out. The few boats that made it out were fishing in 60 feet of water out to 100 feet of water. There were some coho salmon and small Chinook salmon caught on spoons. Pier fishing was reported as slow. Anglers reported catching a few freshwater drum on spoons.
St. Joseph: Salmon fishing was very inconsistent this week. Boat anglers were fishing inside 70 feet of water with a few fishing deep. Fishing was reported to be either very good or very poor. Most fish were caught using spoons. Anglers targeting perch reported doing very good this week. Anglers reported good numbers of nice-sized perch in 49 feet of water to 54 feet of water. Pier fishing was very slow for all species.
St. Joseph River: The fishing in the lower river was slow. The river saw a decent number of salmon in it, but the high temperatures slowed down the bite. Anglers were trolling, casting and fishing spawn.
Black River: Anglers casting spinners from shore below the bridge and right by the river mouth reported catching a few coho salmon this week.
Grand Haven: Boat anglers found immature Chinook salmon and steelhead 40 to 90 feet down in 80 to 160 feet of water. A mix of orange, green, and blue spoons worked well. Pier anglers targeting salmon found the action to be slow.
Muskegon: When the weather allowed, boat anglers found steelhead and immature salmon in 70 to 140 feet of water. Orange spoons worked well.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Cheboygan: In the Cheboygan River, most of the fishing pressure came from shore anglers. Salmon were stacked up at the Cheboygan Dam spillway, and there were still fish at the mouth of the river. Anglers that floated or bottom-bounced spawn reported the highest catch rates. Stick baits caught fish as well. The occasional steelhead was caught while floating beads.
Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers targeting salmon at the pier head reported a slow week, with only a few caught while casting spoons and spinners. Those fishing upriver reported a decent coho salmon bite while floating spawn bags and chunks of skein, with spinners also producing a few coho salmon in the river. Anglers casting body baits such as Thunder Sticks in deeper runs also reported catching Chinook salmon.
Harrisville: A handful of coho salmon were caught out of the harbor this week. Those fishing early in the morning used spinners and skein two to four feet under a bobber; #5 orange or pink mepps produced a few coho salmon. Anglers that downsized to smaller spinners also reported catching a few coho salmon.
Presque Isle: Chinook salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon were reported by anglers. Finding baitfish was key to success. The best depths were found to be between 40 and 80 feet of water, and running lines throughout the water column. Productive colors included greens, oranges, blues, white, black and white, and glow patterns early and late in the day. Steelhead were caught higher in the water column on orange spoons. Good fishing spots included the area between the two lighthouses, as well as south toward Stoneport and False Presque Isle.
Rogers City: Anglers reported a lot of baitfish in the area this week. The main challenge was being able to get out on the lake. Anglers reported locating the bait in waters 40 to 70 feet deep. Bait was located straight out from the harbor, up toward the state park and Forty Mile Point, as well as south in front of Swan Bay and off Adam’s Point. Anglers ran lines throughout the water column, using a mix of spoons, flasher/fly combos, and a few meat rigs or J-plugs when targeting salmon. Anglers reported seeing adult Chinook salmon staging off Swan Bay. Some anglers used bombers and J-plugs off boards tight to shore. Outside of Swan Bay, there were reports of lake trout, coho salmon, and the occasional steelhead. Spoons were effective, as the bait was about two inches in length, so matching the size was important. Productive colors included greens, blues, whites, black and white, and glow patterns early and late in the day. Steelhead were reported to be biting higher in the water column on one to three colors of lead core with brightly colored spoons, particularly orange and bright pink.
Tawas/Au Gres: Boat anglers trolling various artificial lures found very few walleye. Anglers reported limited numbers of yellow perch caught both from boats and from piers/shore. Shore anglers had limited success with Chinook salmon, with only the occasional fish being caught at the Tawas River. In Au Gres, anglers reported slow fishing for walleye. A few anglers were able to find some fish by trolling Flicker Shads in 20 feet of water. Those targeting yellow perch out from the Pine River caught a handful of decent-sized fish, along with many small ones, in 5 to 10 feet of water. Largemouth bass and a few northern pike were caught while fishing the shallows.
Alpena: Warm water moved back into Thunder Bay. Steelhead and coho salmon were found in 40 to 60 feet of water but were reported to be scattered. Bright-colored spoons in chartreuse, orange, and blue/silver produced a few fish. A few bonus walleye were also caught in the same waters, suspended in the water column. Bass anglers reported decent numbers in 10 to 20 feet near Sulphide Island and the cement plant. Natural-colored jigs and crankbaits were the most productive.
Thunder Bay River: Good numbers of salmon were reported in the river. Chinook salmon were caught on crankbaits, spoons, and spinners near Lamar Park and the 2nd Avenue Bridge. Anglers drifting spawn at the 9th Street Dam had success at all times of the day. Although good numbers of coho salmon and Atlantic salmon were seen in the river, anglers stated that the bite was tough.
Rockport: Very little fishing pressure was observed over the past week. Those who ventured out had decent success when targeting coho salmon and steelhead in 40 to 70 feet of water. With no temperature breaks, fish were scattered in the water column. Spreading out lines was the key to finding a bite. Watermelon, orange, and green/silver were the most productive colors with midday being the best time.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Leland: There was very minimal fishing effort, with no boat activity. Pier and shore anglers caught Chinook salmon and coho salmon while drifting skein during the morning and evening hours. Anglers targeting salmon species at night had success casting glow-in-the-dark spoons near the pier heads and by the dam.
Northport/Suttons Bay: Anglers targeting yellow perch reported large schools throughout Suttons Bay, Omena Bay, and Northport. The best spots for perch in Suttons Bay was 45 to 60 feet of water just south of Stoney Point, as well as the southern parts of Northport.
West Grand Traverse Bay: Salmon continued to be caught by those trolling in the hole out in front of the Boardman River, though the bite was starting to slow down. Only a few Chinook salmon and the occasional coho salmon were caught in the early morning on green/blue flasher-fly combinations about 60 to 80 feet down in 90 to 120 feet of water. Smallmouth bass were caught by anglers launching out of Bowers Harbor. Casting dropshot rigs along the breaks in 15 to 30 feet of water produced the most bites for anglers. Salmon were caught in the lower Boardman River by those drifting skein or casting crankbaits.
East Grand Traverse Bay: Cisco were caught by those trolling the west bank in 100 to 120 feet of water. Smallmouth bass were caught throughout the bay by anglers casting tubes or drop shots in 15 to 30 feet of water. Salmon were caught in the Elk River by those drifting skein or spawn bags.
Charlevoix: Anglers targeting salmon found little to no success while trolling. Spoons, body baits, and drifting spawn near Medusa produced very limited catches. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass in the Pine River channel reported a few decent sized bass fishing off the bottom with natural bait.
Little Traverse Bay: Anglers fishing the Bear River reported decent numbers of salmon making their way into the system. Bottom bouncing beads, spawn, and flies produced the best results. The occasional steelhead and brown trout were reported. Boat anglers fishing on the north side of Little Traverse Bay reported slow catch rates of smallmouth bass.
Manistee: Strong south winds and warm water made salmon fishing slow for boats trolling Lake Michigan and jigging in Manistee Lake. Most salmon activity was found in the Big Manistee River.
Ludington: Anglers trolling Lake Michigan reported very slow fishing. Warm waters in the area slowed down the salmon bite at Big Sable Point. A couple coho salmon were caught while trolling spoons in 100 feet of water, 80 feet down. There was no action to report from the piers. Most salmon were caught in the Pere Marquette River.
Upper Peninsula
Ontonagon River: Angling efforts on the river were extremely low over the past week. Reports suggested that few fish were caught. The floating docks in the Ontonagon Marina have been removed from the river for the season.
Marquette: Anglers had success both trolling and jigging for lake trout from north of the White Rocks out toward Granite Island. Anglers reported doing well in both deep and shallow waters. Reports were received of coho salmon and steelhead around both the Carp and Chocolay Rivers, at the mouths. Most of the fish were reported to have started to move into shallower water now that the water temperature has dropped. Lake trout fishing remained very good.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Ontonagon saw low amounts of angling efforts over the past week. Union Bay and Silver City saw slightly higher efforts. Reported catches consisted of lake trout, brown trout, and coho salmon. Reports suggest that anglers had the best luck when trolling in water depths of approximately 80 to 100 feet of water.
Black River Harbor: Angling efforts in the harbor remained low over the past week. Recent catches consisted of lake trout, coho salmon, and brown trout in low numbers. Anglers reported having the best luck when trolling in water depths of 60 to 80 feet. Those fishing at the mouth of the river have had some success in catching coho salmon when casting spoons.
Little Bay de Noc: There were limited numbers of anglers fishing this week. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass reported good fishing with quality catches. Some anglers casted plastics for bass, while others drifted live bait near the bottom. Most perch fishing success was in the shallows.
Big Bay de Noc: Anglers primarily targeted bass. Anglers reported slow to fair fishing — large size catches, but small numbers of bites. Some anglers cast soft plastics or trolled crank baits for bass, while some drifted sucker minnows on drop shot rigs.
Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers reported fair to good numbers of salmon caught. Anglers caught coho salmon and pink salmon while trolling spoons, crankbaits, and flasher-flies in the upper portion of the water column. Anglers also occasionally caught splake while targeting salmon.
Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: There was low angling effort from these ports in the last week. Anglers reported catching fair amounts of lake trout with a few salmon mixed in. Anglers reported most fish were caught in 40 to 80 feet of water while trolling.
Grand Marais: The salmon bite was slow. Anglers reported catching a few salmon off the Sucker River mouth casting spoons and using spawn. Boat anglers did well trolling for lake trout.
Munising: The coho salmon bite was very good for boat anglers trolling the bay and anglers fishing from the pier at the mouth of the Anna River. Anglers did well casting spoons and using spawn for both coho salmon and splake. A few coho salmon made their way up into the Anna River.
St. Ignace: At the Carp River mouth, anglers reported that they caught steelhead while using spawn off of the cement footing pier. There were no reports of salmon at the Carp River. At Nunns Creek, high numbers of salmon moved into the creek to spawn. Anglers floating spawn in the early morning and late evenings were the most successful. Other lures that caught salmon were stick baits and spoons.
Au Train: Anglers targeting lake trout reported good success. Most anglers who caught fish were fishing northwest of Au Train Island out to the flats in around 120 to 160 feet of water, finding that both trolling and jigging were effective. Anglers who fished around the Wood Island Reef did not do as well according to reports. Anglers who found success were trolling or jigging for lake trout in around 120 to 180 feet of water north to northwest of Au Train Island. Salmon and brown trout anglers were fishing in around 60 to 100 feet of water between Au Train Island and the Rock River and heading out toward the clay banks.
Les Cheneaux/DeTour: Anglers in Hessel caught a few smallmouth bass from boats, as well as some bass and pike from the pier. In Cedarville Bay, anglers caught a few perch, but had to sort carefully for keepers.
Fishing tip: Big smallmouthDon’t overlook inland lakes for big smallmouth bass. As water temps drop into the 50s, smallmouth bass feed aggressively to bulk up for winter. Focus on rocky points, drop-offs, and the edges of dying weed beds using jerkbaits, tube jigs, or drop-shot rigs. Midday warmth can spark feeding activity, especially on sunny days.
