Northeast Lower Peninsula
Houghton Lake: The walleye fishing slowed down. Anglers were doing well catching bluegill. Some pike were caught on purple spinners and black beads.
McCormick Lake, Big Chub Lake and Heart Lake: This is a good time to look for trout during the warm, waning days of summer, and prior to the thermocline mixing up the water temperatures of these lakes by late September. Anglers should try fishing above the thermocline or near it, anywhere from 20 to 30 feet below the surface, either trolling or still fishing. Still fishing at night with bait can be an effective method.
Tawas: Some Chinook were caught in the Tawas River while casting spoons, body baits and drifting spawn. There were some walleye and Chinook caught out near and past buoy #2 in 60 to 100 feet while trolling crawlers and spoons.
Au Gres and Pine River: Walleye fishing was fair, with some fish caught out near the bell buoy in 20 to 40 feet while trolling flicker shad and crawlers. There were some good catches of perch caught near gravely shoals, and out near the shipping channel while still fishing minnows in 30 to 40 feet. In the Pine River access area, perch anglers caught fish near the Saganing and Pinconning bars in 7 to 25 feet while still fishing minnows. There were some walleye caught in the same areas while trolling flicker shad and crawlers.
Rogers City: Chinooks were staging off Swan Bay. Anglers were trolling anywhere from inside the bay out to 70 feet of water. Anglers were running lines throughout the water column for best results. Anglers were using spoons, J-Plugs, attractors with flies or squids and meat rigs. Greens, blues, silvers, black and white or glow were all good colors. Anglers were doing descent up the lake targeting younger Chinook, steelhead and lake trout along with an occasional coho, mature Chinook or walleye. The best water was anywhere from 40 feet of water and out. Spoons were mostly used and deployed throughout the water column. There were a good number of steelhead around as they were keyed in on the young of the year smelt. The younger Chinook, coho and lake trout were also feeding heavily on them too.
Oscoda: Anglers reported catching Chinook in the morning and evenings at the mouth of the river. There were some catches of walleye. In Lake Huron, a mixed bag of lake trout, Atlantic salmon and coho were caught in 40 to 90 feet of water.
Alpena: Lake trout were caught near the humps and at the Nordmeer Wreck. Anglers fishing close to the bottom while adding additional lines throughout the water column may encounter younger Chinook, steelhead, coho and maybe walleye.
Thunder Bay River: Anglers were trolling the river early and late for Chinook and coho. A few fish were present, but fishing was slow. A few fish entered the river, but it was a very slow bite. Anglers were trolling flatfish spoons and body baits. Anglers were also fishing up towards the dam, but it was slow.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Ludington: Pere Marquette Lake produced Chinook for anglers trolling and jigging.
Manistee: A few Chinook were caught by anglers trolling and jigging in the harbor. Out on the shelf, some Chinook were caught in 80 to 120 feet of water while fishing 50 to 85 feet down. The north pier was slow for Chinook, but a few were caught.
Portage Lake: Anglers reported catching bass and panfish in 16 to 22 feet of water. Water temperatures were still on the warm side.
Upper Peninsula
Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported good fishing. Anglers were trolling or jigging near Gladstone, close to the first reef and by No See-um Creek. Perch anglers had variable results, with spotty success. Anglers were focused on the Days River and out in front of Kipling along weed edges.
Manistique: River anglers reported a fair amount of pink salmon in the river. Anglers were catching pink salmon on beads, spawn, spoons and crank baits. The Chinook salmon bite was tougher with limited reports of success. However, anglers are anticipating another push of salmon when the fishing is expected to improve. Chinook anglers reported best success when floating skien.
Marquette: Fishing pressure was very low. Anglers reported catching fish from White Rocks, Granite Island and Stannard Rock. The water depth for anglers fishing White Rocks was between 60 to 80 feet of water while trolling two to three color combination spoons. Anglers fishing Granite Island reported catching fish while trolling blue/tri-color spoons in 100+ feet of water. As for Stannard Rock, anglers reported catching lake trout while trolling and jigging in 150+ feet of water.
Munising Bay: Boat anglers trolled for over three hours for coho or splake with no success. A few anglers were fishing off the Anna River with no success. One boat angler was targeting lake trout and had some fair action towards Wood Island Reef, resulting in good eating size lake trout around three pounds.
Grand Marais: Anglers were jigging and they limited out in about three hours of fishing just off the break outside the harbor.
Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers caught some lake trout while jigging and trolling over the last week. During those trips, burbot were also biting in Huron Bay. Anglers were anticipating the salmon run and have been increasing their fishing pressure in the mornings.
Big Traverse Bay/ South Portage Entry: Some anglers reported lake trout catches while trolling and jigging in mid depth waters from 70 to 170 feet. Some anglers reported lake sturgeon catches off the pier in the Portage Canal. Anglers reported natural and artificial bait catching fish while trolling. Natural baits worked while jigging. Catches were divided relatively evenly between morning and afternoon fishing.
Au Train: Fishing pressure was very low in the Au Train area. The best opportunity for catching lake trout would be in around 150+ feet of water near Au Train Island. Try trolling spoons or stick baits, or jigging cut-baits in deep water.
Les Cheneaux/Detour: There were a few splake sightings within the Hessel marina, but no catches were reported. Anglers were still getting a few perch from the marina as well. In the Detour area, anglers were catching very few pink salmon and Chinook salmon, however they were catching quite a few lake trout around the lighthouse and within the flats fishing in 90 feet of water close to bottom trolling spoons.
Lower St. Marys: Fishing activity was slow due to weather and water conditions. Perch were caught with crawlers and minnows by the few anglers that made it out. Very few harvest reports of walleye, pike, bass and muskie.
Lake George: The fishing in Lake George was productive with catches of pike, smallmouth bass and perch. On occasion there are a few walleye caught as well, which was a distinct increase since earlier this month. Most of the fishing was dependent on the weather conditions for the species in question, some conditions being better for others and with a front sitting close, it may cause the bite to change.
Lake Nicolet: Fishing in Lake Nicolet improved as the month progressed due to weather and temperatures. The methods remained consistent, and a few of the surveyed anglers were putting in the hours to track down the fish. Salmon were caught, with a couple walleye, pike, and perch being caught on occasion through the lake as well. More types of salmon were reported in the river, but surveyed numbers were still on the lower side of things at the present time, but those numbers started to increase as the season continued.
Upper St. Mary’s/Whitefish Bay: Anglers were fishing from shore or docks to avoid windy conditions on the boats. Anglers were primarily targeting yellow perch upriver of the Soo Locks and into Whitefish Bay. Crawlers and a bobber, perch rigs, and small spinners produced some successful results. The occasional northern pike and walleye were caught.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie: Yellow perch fishing was adequate in the western basin. Many anglers catching yellow perch had success with minnows near the River Raisin buoys just a few miles south of Sterling State Park in 22 feet of water or less. Yellow perch were also caught near E buoy which is 2 to 3 miles south of Bolles Harbor while using minnows on perch spreaders. There were many small undersized perch caught, so large keepers were hard to come by. Walleye were caught outside of Breast Bay in 23 to 25 feet of water a few miles east of Sterling State Park, but harvest limits for walleye were scarce. Anglers were trolling while using crawler harnesses or artificial lures that reached the bottom of the lake.
Detroit River: The best fishing was near the mouth of Lake Erie and around Grosse Isle. A few anglers caught some walleye around Sugar Island. Jigging with crawlers seemed to work best. Small numbers of perch were coming in from anglers still fishing and drifting with minnows near Gross Isle and very close to the mouth of Lake Erie. As temperatures fall a little expect perch action to pick up. The smallmouth bass action was picking up. Anglers did very well with catching smallmouth bass off Stoney Island.
Saginaw Bay: Yellow perch were caught at buoys 1 and 2 in 26 feet of water. Yellow perch were also caught one to two miles northeast of Spoils Island in 14 feet of water and at the mouth of the Saginaw River. Walleye were caught while trolling crankbaits in 14 to 16 feet of water just north of Callahan Reef. On the east side of Saginaw Bay, multiple days of windy weather kept angler activity low this past week. Those fishing for walleye reported slow to fair catches. Some walleye were caught out from Sebewaing and towards Sunset in 10 to 13 feet, and also out in the slot around 15 feet of water. A few walleye were also caught between Caseville and Oak Point. Crawler harnesses did best, while body baits caught a few walleye as well. Those fishing for yellow perch around the Sebewaing area reported slow fishing.
Quanicassee: Anglers caught a few walleye while trolling night crawler harnesses in the slot in 15 feet of water. Fishing was fairly slow as anglers fished half a day to keep four fish. Shore anglers fishing worms caught a few pumpkinseeds and bluegills and an occasional largemouth bass.
Grindstone: Boat anglers caught some salmon and trout while trolling in 100 to 110 feet of water fishing close to the bottom north of the harbor using downriggers and spoons.
Harbor Beach: A few rock bass and smallmouth bass were caught from the break wall while casting body baits and jigging with nightcrawlers. Anglers trolling for salmon and trout were catching a mix of lake trout, coho, a few Atlantic salmon and walleye in 80 to 110 feet of water while using downriggers and lead core. Walleye were scattered in all different depths.
Port Sanilac: Trolling for salmon and trout slowed down a little but anglers caught a mix of a few steelhead, coho, Atlantic salmon and an occasional Chinook salmon and walleye were also caught using planer boards, downriggers, lead core in 90 to 115 feet of water.
Lexington: A few boat anglers were trolling for salmon and trout north towards Port Sanilac.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Muskegon: Boat anglers were finding salmon 55 to 100 feet down in 100 to 200 feet of water. Green and orange spoons worked well along with green flies. At Muskegon Lake boat anglers were catching a few salmon while jigging and trolling near the sand docks.
Grand Haven: The salmon action was decent 55 to 110 feet down in 120 to 210 feet of water. Spoons in green, yellow and orange produced good numbers of salmon. Green and white flies worked well deeper in the water column. The pier action was slow for salmon.
Holland: Chinook salmon action was good in 70 to 90 feet of water between Holland and Saugatuck. Fish were found from 50 feet down to the bottom and were hitting green flies and also hitting on spoons.
St. Joseph: A few perch were caught, and they were very spread out and scattered. Overall, the perch fishing was slow. Anglers were targeting anywhere from 28 to 60 feet of water. There were a couple of boats fishing the pier heads and caught a couple of coho and Chinook. Pier anglers reported slow fishing for all species.
South Haven: Perch fishing was inconsistent. The most productive depth was in 35 feet of water. Pier fishing was slow for all species. Boat anglers targeting salmon had decent fishing when they could get out. The best water was around 110 feet of water. Anglers were catching a mixed bag of Chinook, coho and steelhead. Most of the fish were caught on spoons.
This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from Fisheries staff and conservation officers. With more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, not all locations can be listed. However, it is safe to say if a species is being caught in some waters in the area, they are likely being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.
