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All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Au Gres: Poor weather resulted in slow fishing. Anglers primarily saw only small perch come out of Eagle Bay Marina.
Oscoda: Good numbers of lake trout, steelhead and Atlantic salmon were reported to have been caught off the pier and by boat anglers. Fishing fresh spawn was reported to be the top producer for steelhead, with fishing early in the day being the most productive. Minnows fished on the bottom, along with crankbaits and spoons, all produced lake trout. Trout were reported to be caught on and off all day long. Oranges, greens and blue/silver baits worked well. Atlantic salmon started to show up more, mixed with a few coho salmon. Minnows with a slip bobber and spoons in gold, orange and green/silver all caught fish. Weather permitting, boat anglers had success trolling bright-colored spoons and crankbaits behind short lead cores. Depths of 15 to 30 feet both north and south of the pierhead were productive.
Au Sable River: The Au Sable River had solid numbers of fish throughout the lower river all the way to Foote Dam. Most steelhead were caught on fresh spawn and jigs with wax worms. Early and late in the day were most productive, with clear water conditions. Boat anglers had success drifting plugs and casting spoons in the deeper sections of the river. A few Atlantic salmon were caught in the lower river while trolling plugs. Plugs in green, gold and orange had the best results.
Tawas: Boat anglers reported catching lake trout, brown trout, steelhead and walleye. Those fishing off the pier caught lake trout, an occasional brown trout and whitefish. Anglers fishing around Singing Bridge saw some steelhead as well.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Frankfort: Cooler temperatures kept activity low; however, anglers fishing the piers reported landing a few brown trout and steelhead. Anglers trolling the shoreline reported low numbers of brown trout when fishing with body baits. Overall, orange spoons and body baits seemed to work best.
Manistee: Pier anglers caught a mix of steelhead and brown trout when using fresh spawn. Those trolling outside the harbor picked up very few brown trout and steelhead, as water temperatures were still in the 30s along the beach.
Onekama: Anglers trolling the shoreline in 15 to 25 feet of water reported some action, with brown trout hitting in the morning hours.
Upper Peninsula
Little Bay de Noc: Most of the public access docks are in, although angler pressure was low. Cold water temperatures slowed down activity for perch anglers.
Marquette: Due to poor weather conditions, recent fishing for coho salmon on the break wall seemed to slow. There were also very few boats that attempted to go out this week. Those who were able to make it out ended up with few fish. Anglers who floated down the Chocolay River did well when fishing for steelhead and brown trout. The Carp River slowed down a little but was still producing some steelhead. Spawn and wax worms on jigs worked well for steelhead in both the Carp and Chocolay rivers, along with orange beads. Trolling blue and silver spoons, as well as tiger-stripe-patterned Rapalas, seemed to be popular for catching coho salmon in the lower harbor. Buckeye jigs were reported to have done well on the break wall.
Au Train: Winter weather kept boats off Lake Superior. Those that made it out prior to the poor weather reported catching steelhead and brown trout. Reports indicate that the cold weather slowed the numbers of coho salmon caught. Blue and silver spoons did well for coho. Tiger-striped or bright orange and gold, double-jointed Rapalas worked well for brown trout and steelhead out by the northwest side of the island.
Keweenaw Bay: Angling pressure was sparce due to cold temperatures and inclement weather. Those who were able to fish found some rainbow trout around river mouths when casting from shore, and splake all along the shoreline of Keweenaw Bay. Catch numbers were reported to be low, but with rising temperatures moving into spring, activity should begin to pick up. In the coming weeks, begin looking for smelt moving close to shore, along with trout and salmon that will be feeding on them!
Le Cheneaux/Detour: Anglers fished for splake from the pier at the marina in Hessel. They reported catching a few while using smelt and spoons. There were also a few boat anglers trolling Wilderness Bay who reported catching a few splake as well.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Saginaw Bay: Angler pressure on the east side of the bay was very low, with most fishing the area cuts, rivers and marinas. Only a handful of panfish and yellow perch were caught, and most anglers reported catching only throwback-sized fish.
Saginaw River: Walleye fishing was reported to be mediocre on the Saginaw River. Fishing pressure was very low in Essexville and Bay City. Upstream in Zilwaukee, anglers reported catching an occasional walleye. Anglers were able to catch a few walleye while jigging in downtown Saginaw, with two to four walleye per boat seeming to be the average. Bright color combinations for jigs seemed to work well, as the river was still a little dirty.
Detroit River: Walleye fishing began to heat up, with some anglers able to catch their limits. Jigs with plastics were commonly reported, with some people also tipping them with minnows. Reports suggest that the upper river was a little slower, however there were still solid catches from the Renaissance Center down through the Trenton Channel. Contrasting colors between the jig head and plastic worm were common among anglers catching fish. The Wyandotte worm, Pimp Daddy, was the most popular one reported, but other colors also caught fish.
Lake Erie: Walleye fishing was slow but steady, with a few anglers able to catch their limits. Trolling in Brest Bay between the River Raisin and Stony Point with Bandits, Huskys and Shadow Raps worked well. Fishing in 11 to 18 feet of water at 1.2 to 1.3 speed over ground worked best. It was also reported that muddier waters seemed to produce bigger fish.
Huron River: Anglers fishing at the Proud Lake Recreation Area started targeting the adult broodstock trout, which were stocked last week, on the early catch-and-release season opener (April 1). There is a gear restriction (artificial flies only) for the early catch-and-release season.
Spring Mill Pond: Anglers fishing Spring Mill Pond at Island Lake Recreation Area started targeting the adult broodstock trout, which were stocked last week, on the early catch-and-release season opener (April 1). There is a gear restriction (artificial lures only) for the early catch-and-release season.
Inland lakes: Inland lakes were reported to still be cold, but panfish were found in good numbers in some canals. Bluegill, pumpkinseed and black crappie have all been caught. Various fishing methods were reported, so if you prefer plastics or live bait (wax worms or red worms), both have been successful.
Clinton River: Good success by anglers who targeted brown trout on the Clinton River near Auburn Hills, which is open year-round to target trout. Specifically, they were fishing for the broodstock trout that were stocked last week at Riverside Park in Auburn Hills. Anglers have used flies, small spinners and live bait under a float.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Muskegon: Pier anglers reported catching a few steelhead and brown trout on spawn. Boat anglers were able to find a few brown trout while trolling the shoreline. Orange spoons and body baits seemed to yield the best results.
Grand Haven: Pier anglers found the steelhead and brown trout action to be slow. Boat anglers trolling the shoreline found some brown trout. Body baits in orange and chartreuse were reported to work well.
South Haven: Boat anglers reported catching a lot of coho salmon and a few lake trout. Trolling small crank baits and small spoons in around 36 feet of water seemed to work best. Pier anglers had decent fishing for coho salmon, but it was a little inconsistent. Fresh spawn fished on the bottom worked best.
St. Joseph: Boat anglers caught decent numbers of coho salmon. Anglers caught fish in 40 feet of water as well as in 16 feet of water. Small crank baits caught most of these fish. Pier anglers reported catching some coho and whitefish; however, fishing was inconsistent. Spawn fished on the bottom worked best.
