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HomeOutdoorsWeekly fishing report: May 24

Weekly fishing report: May 24

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All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Tawas: Lake trout were caught in 40 to 60 feet of water off Tawas Point. Some walleye were caught around the bay. Fishing was slow around the pier with the occasional walleye or pike caught.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Lake trout were caught in 40 to 60 feet of water. Walleye and Atlantic salmon were few and far between at the mouth of the river.

Presque Isle: Atlantic salmon were still hanging around the harbor and outside of breakwall. Minnows and spoons in blue/silver, green/silver and oranges were producing fish on and off throughout the day. Stoneport was giving up good catches of trout and salmon in 40 to 80 feet of water. Spoons ran all through the water column were producing fish on a wide variety of colors. Lighthouse Point, North Bay, and Thompson Harbor were giving up good numbers of Atlantic salmon and trout. Anglers running flashers and spin glows on deeper sets in 70 to 100 feet were doing well on trout with yellows and greens being the most productive. Bright colored spoons ran high in the water column of 50 to 60 feet of water were taking good numbers of Atlantic salmon.  Speeds of 2.5-2.8 mph were working best for silver fish.

Rockport: Anglers were taking good numbers of both lake trout and Atlantic salmon. Fish were scattered in the water column around Middle Island. Best results were coming from the 30 to 60 feet range. Bright colored spoons high in the water column were taking Atlantic salmon while the majority of trout were coming on deeper sets. Some nice pike were taken around the boat launch on spoons and large spinners.

Alpena: Anglers were finding good numbers of Atlantic salmon and lake trout along the north shores of Thunder Bay and around Thunder Bay Island. A fair number of Chinook salmon were taken as well in these waters. Depths from 30 to 70 feet were the most productive. Lead core and copper lines as well as dipsy divers were getting the best results. Best results were coming from spoons in orange, orange/silver, greens, and watermelon. Lake trout were also found scattered in the water column and were being taken on watermelon, green and chartreuse colored spoons. Walleye were found from the pier head all the way to Sulphur Island. Depths of 20 to 30 feet seemed to be the most productive with crawler harnesses working well in the mornings and evenings and crankbaits trolled did well after dark. Waters around Partridge Point and Sulphur Island were producing good numbers of northern pike and smallmouth bass. Tube jigs and various plastics were working well for bass and the majority of pike were taken on large spinnerbaits and stick baits.

Thunder Bay River: Anglers jigging the river mouth were having success on walleye early and late in the day. Anglers were also finding success around Mill Island Park, 9th Street Bridge, and along the 2nd Street Bridge while casting crankbaits and drifting crawlers and leaches. Suckers were still in the river as well as bass, pike, carp, and panfish. Anglers using crawlers caught all species in the river. Spinnerbaits and stick baits were taking the majority of pike while tube jigs were the most productive for smallmouth bass.

Cheboygan: Anglers reported that the lake trout fishing was good with a few limits reported. Anglers were fishing around Cordwood Point. Best depths were from 40 to 70 feet. Anglers were mostly running spoons with lots of orange and greens.

Cheboygan River: Anglers were trying for walleye but not much success to report. They were catching a lot of smallmouth bass and suckers. Anglers were casting various body baits or spoons. Anglers were also drifting jigs with live bait. 

Rogers City: When weather permitted, anglers were catching lake trout on Lake Huron. The best was straight out and northwest of the harbor up towards 40 Mile Point Lighthouse. The best depths were 40 to 70 feet of water. Anglers were running lines all over the water column. Lake trout were suspended because of the cold water. Anglers were using spoons, but they were also fishing dodgers and spin-n-glos. Good colors were greens and chartreuse for lake trout. Atlantic salmon should be present. Anglers should target the top 20 feet with brightly colored spoons. Good colors to try are oranges, orange and green or orange and silver. Try the smaller or reg size spoons. 

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Manistee River: Fishing pressure was low throughout the weekend with the very occasional dark steelhead caught. Successful anglers on the river were primarily targeting trout and suckers. Trout anglers were having success using small artificial spinning and crank lures while casting. Those casting also found some luck catching smallmouth throughout the upper section of the river. Sucker anglers were using still methods with natural bait on the bottom of the river.

Manistee Lake: Anglers on the lake were primarily targeting panfish, bass and pike. Natural bait under a bobber produced the best results for a variety of panfish in shallow weeds towards the southern end of the lake. Anglers fishing for pike had the most success casting spinners and stick baits near shore.

Manistee: Anglers trolling for Chinook caught fish just outside the harbor and straight out in 160 to 240 feet of water while fishing 40 to 60 feet down with spoons. In the harbor, a couple brown trout were caught while trolling and casting off the pier with spoons. A few alewife have shown up around the piers as well. The perch bite died down.

Ludington: Anglers trolling for Chinook caught some at Big Sable Point while fishing 100 to 130 feet of water, but the bite was hit or miss. Off the projects, a few lake trout were caught in 70 to 100 feet of water. Chinook were also caught south to Pentwater and at Little Sable Point. Pier action was slow.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Fishing slowed significantly since last weekend. Water temperatures dropped during the week with cold nights. Lake trout and cisco were found in shallow water, but the bite had been tough, especially for cisco. The few cisco and lake trout that were caught were scattered anywhere from 15 to 100 feet of water. Jigging and casting had been best. Smallmouth bass fishing had been slow, but a few boat anglers were catching 10 to 20 per trip in shallow water.

Ontonagon River: Some walleye were caught by determined anglers but overall the bite had been fairly slow following the opener.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Anglers had success finding fish while trolling artificial lures in shallow waters. Common catches had a good variety in species, consisting primarily of lake trout but also including steelhead, coho salmon, Chinook salmon and brown trout. These catches occurred during all times of day.

Black River Harbor: Fishing efforts were low out of the harbor but the few anglers that did go out found some success trolling artificial lures for lake trout and coho salmon. There was some success by anglers sucker fishing within the harbor.

Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported fair to good fishing. Limited success for those fishing near the mouth of the Whitefish River. The east bank, Gladstone, the Escanaba and Ford rivers were productive. Anglers were both trolling and jigging. Trolling small profile crankbaits and jigging structure with soft plastics or worms produced good results. Some large fish were reported, but mostly good eating-sized walleye were spotted.

Big Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers had mixed results. Smallmouth anglers were catching quality fish. The yellow perch bite was slow.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Most anglers had luck trolling for coho salmon, Chinook salmon and lake trout. Anglers who had success were in shallower water using artificial presentations. Most anglers reported an increasing water temperature and have seen many fish on radar with activity increasing. Most successful trips of fishing were during the mornings with some anglers reporting fish being done biting by 9am.

Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Canal: Anglers were trolling and jigging on successful trips. During jigging trips, anglers found lake trout usually deeper than 100 feet while trolling produced more fish in shallower waters. Trolling catches included coho, brown trout, Chinook salmon and lake trout. Lake trout and coho salmon made up the majority of the catch.

Cedar River and Green Bay (Lake Michigan): At J.W. Wells State Park and Cedar River State Harbor, walleye fishing was sporadic out on Green Bay. Some anglers were finding quality sized walleye in 12 to 18 feet of water while trolling crankbaits. People were catching a mix of smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike in the Cedar River.

Munising Bay: Boat anglers did well this past week for coho with incidental catches of splake and a few Chinook salmon. Anglers were mainly trolling within the bay. Water temperatures were still cold around 40 degrees offshore. Shore fishing remained slow.

Grand Marais: Boat anglers did well for coho with a few scattered reports of rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. Anglers were mainly trolling just outside the breakwall either east or west in about 20 to 30 feet. Whitefish anglers reported fair to good catches off the pier using single eggs. Anglers that were specifically trolling for lake trout did well reporting limits with most fish averaging around 3 to 4 pounds.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Anglers were catching limits of walleye just out from the Bartnik Boat Launch on gold crawler harnesses in 17 to 22 feet of water. Catfish were plentiful from the hot hole just offshore from the coal power plant on worm rigs. Largemouth and smallmouth bass were caught closer to shore on artificial jigs.

Detroit River: Walleye anglers were having a fair bit of luck trolling with crawler harnesses and bandits in 7 to 10 feet of water near L’anse Creuse Bay and near the Salt River. Other walleye anglers did very well near Gross Point in 6 to 9 feet of water.  Smallmouth bass anglers did well near Metro Beach and near the Veterans Memorial Park in shallow water as well (6 to 9 feet) and had the best luck casting with soft plastics. Chartreuse and orange were hot colors this week. There was also quite a bit of bass action between Gross Point and the mouth of the river. Anglers fishing that location were starting to catch white bass and quite a few caught northern pike. Anglers also hooked a few musky near the Clinton River Cutoff location.

Saginaw Bay: Walleye were caught by boat anglers trolling in 18 feet of water out in front of Linwood while using crankbaits and crawlers. Boat anglers trolling in front of the Bay City State Park in 12 feet of water were using crankbaits and crawlers. Some smallmouth and largemouth bass were caught at the mouth of the Pine River while boat anglers were casting an assortment of crank baits. Anglers were doing well when targeting walleye on the east side of the bay when weather allowed. Out front of Quanicassee in 12 to 14 feet and off Callahan Reef were good areas. The slot from Sunset towards North Island was good in 12 to 15 feet of water. Inside Wildfowl Bay walleye were caught around weed beds and drop off areas. Both body baits and crawler harnesses in purple and greens were very productive. Largemouth and smallmouth bass continued to be caught and released around nearshore areas on a variety of artificial baits.

Saginaw River: Bass anglers did well catching and releasing good numbers of largemouth bass through Bay City while casting various artificial baits in about 5 feet of water. Elsewhere, a couple walleye were caught while casting jigs from shore at Veterans Park in Bay City.

Tittabawassee River: Good numbers of white bass were caught upstream of Center Road near the Railroad Bridge. Anglers were still picking up an occasional walleye in places on the Tittabawassee, but it was slow.

Port Sanilac: Anglers were trolling in 13 to 20 feet of water using planer boards, dipsy divers with body baits and small spoons to catch steelhead, coho and an occasional Atlantic salmon, Chinook salmon and some pink salmon. Lake trout were caught in 40 to 50 feet of water while using downriggers with spoons fishing closer to the bottom. From the north breakwall, Atlantic salmon and a few steelhead were caught while fishing the lake side of the wall using minnows with bombers and casting small spoons. The south break wall anglers were fishing at the end of wall and catching a few salmon and trout.

Lexington: Anglers were trolling straight out of the harbor and heading north in shallow water 12 to 20 feet using planer boards with spoons to catch a mix of coho, steelhead some Atlantic salmon and a few pink salmon. Lake trout were caught in 40 to 50 feet of water trolling with downriggers and spoons about 30 feet down. Anglers fishing inside the harbor from the break walls and shore anglers caught Atlantic salmon, coho and rock bass with minnows and casting small spoons.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Muskegon: Boat anglers found the salmon action to be fair. Salmon were caught 30 to 80 feet down in 70 to 180 feet of water. Blue and orange spoons worked well, and the morning bite was the best.

Muskegon River: Above Newaygo, anglers fishing for rainbow trout and brown trout did well. Small inline spinners and flies produced the best numbers. Smallmouth bass, which was the most popular species to target, were spread throughout the entire river below Croton Dam—including some very large ones. Incidental catches of rock bass, crappie, pike, walleye were also reported throughout the river. Multiple species of suckers were plentiful, but few anglers were targeting them. Bluegill fishing near the mouth of the river was especially productive.

Grand Haven: Good numbers of Chinook salmon were caught by boat anglers. Salmon were caught from the pierheads out to 180 feet of water. Pier anglers found the Chinook salmon and steelhead action to be slow. A few were caught on alewives. Salmon were caught 35 to 100 feet down on green and blue spoons. The morning bite was the best.

St. Joe: Salmon anglers had another good week. Fish were caught from 70 feet of water to way past 120 feet of water, mostly all caught on spoons. Pier anglers were catching steelhead on shrimp. Anglers were also catching good numbers of catfish and freshwater drum. Most of these fish were caught on night crawlers fished on the bottom.  Perch fishing was slow.

South Haven: Boat anglers targeting salmon and trout continued to have good fishing.  The fish were spread out from 50 feet of water out to well beyond 120 feet of water. Most fish seemed to be caught on spoons fished in the upper portion of the water column. Pier anglers had slow fishing. There was an occasional steelhead caught on shrimp. Perch fishing was slow.

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.

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