Northwest Lower Peninsula
Petoskey: Lake trout fishing was decent 90 to 110 feet down. A few salmon also were found 70 to 90 feet down. There were no trout or salmon running on the Bear River.
Charlevoix: Smallmouth fishing in the channel slowed. A few lake trout were caught by those trolling 100 to 120 feet down between North Point and the cement plant.
Frankfort: Chinook salmon fishing was hit or miss, as one day the numbers were promising and the next day was slow. Coho were caught by those trolling and jigging spoons north to Platte Bay. Lake trout were caught when bouncing the bottom with cowbells, but the numbers were slowing for those trolling higher up in the water column.
Onekama: Those trolling 60 to 70 feet down in 80 to 110 feet found Chinook salmon in the evening when using spoons.
Portage Lake: A fair number of bass, perch and panfish were caught near the buoy and in deeper water when using worms.
Manistee: Chinook and coho were caught straight out along the Shelf and a little south in 80 to 150 feet. The fish were 65 to 100 feet down and were hitting spoons, meat rigs, flasher/fly combos and J-plugs. A couple steelhead and lake trout also were caught.
Manistee River: Those fly fishing have caught brown trout. Fair to good smallmouth bass and pike action below the dams.
Ludington: Chinook and some nice coho were caught straight out from the harbor in 90 to 180 feet, off the projects in 120 to 180 feet and off Big Sable Point in 100 to 200 feet. The fish were 40 to 75 feet down hitting spoons, meat rigs, flasher/fly combos and J-plugs. A couple steelhead also were caught. Pier anglers caught rock bass, pike and freshwater drum.
Pere Marquette Lake: Those trolling in the early morning or evening have caught a couple Chinook salmon.
Pere Marquette River: Is also providing some decent brown trout fishing. No real numbers of salmon in the river yet, but anglers are finding a few nice bass.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Cheboygan: Had reports of salmon up to 20 pounds caught. The best area to target is between Lighthouse Point and Lafayette Point off Bois Blanc Island. Try spoons and meat rigs starting in 60 to 70 feet.
Cheboygan River: Fishing slowed. A couple small walleye were caught when drifting worms at the dam. Smallmouth bass, rock bass and freshwater drum also were caught.
Rogers City: Chinook salmon are in the area, but the bite was slow. Fish were caught between Swan Bay and Adams Point in 50 to 90 feet with spoons, meat rigs, J-plugs and dodgers with flies or squid. Fish were caught very early or late. Those targeting 50 to 130 feet caught lake trout, steelhead, pink salmon and walleye.
Presque Isle: Not much has changed, as lake trout still were coming deep and hitting spin-glo’s. Fish were caught in 50 to 150 feet depending on where the thermocline is. Trout, salmon and walleye were hitting spoons and dodgers with flies and squid.
Alpena: Lake trout, walleye, steelhead, pink salmon and the occasional coho still were being caught when trolling spoons and spin-glo’s in 80 to 150 feet at the “Humps,” off Thunder Bay Island and the Nordmeer wreck. Scatter your lines throughout the column, as fish were caught from 20 feet down all the way to the bottom. Walleye were caught in Thunder Bay by those trolling crankbaits, spoons on lead core and crawler harnesses in the evening. A few northern pike, smallmouth bass and channel cats also were caught.
Thunder Bay River: Smallmouth bass, rock bass and a couple channel cats were caught when drifting or floating crawlers. A couple smallmouth were caught at the Four Mile Dam.
Oscoda: Boat anglers are taking a mix of trout and salmon when trolling spoons and spin-glo’s in 100 to 160 feet, though fish also have been taken shallower and deeper. Run lines throughout the water column while focusing on the bottom for lake trout or near and above the thermocline for silver fish. Pier anglers caught channel cats, rock bass, freshwater drum and smallmouth bass on crawlers. The odd walleye was caught on crankbaits or crawlers after dark.
Au Sable River: Below Foote Dam, anglers caught a few smallmouth bass and rock bass when drifting or still fishing with crawlers. Channel cats were caught near the mouth when using crawlers in the evening. On Cooke Pond, a couple walleye and smallmouth bass were taken by those trolling crankbaits.
Houghton Lake: Fishing has slowed as we near the end of summer. Those targeting walleye may want to try the East Bay and near the Cut River. For bass, try the weed beds in the early morning. Panfish were hitting crawlers and leeches.
Tawas: A good number of walleye and a few perch were caught inside buoys 4 and 6 when using lindy rigs and crawlers in 15 to 25 feet. Those trolling in 70 to 90 feet caught Atlantic salmon, steelhead and the occasional walleye.
Tawas River: Those fishing Gateway Park caught a few catfish and freshwater drum with crawlers.
Au Gres: Walleye fishing was even slower, as it appears the fish were scattered or out deeper in 25 to 35 feet. A few small perch were caught in front of Point Au Gres in 28 feet and between the Pine River and Eagle Bay Marina in 15 to 30 feet.
Upper Peninsula
Keweenaw Bay: Anglers caught primarily lake trout along with a few Chinook salmon when trolling or jigging. Traverse Bay saw a few more coho and lake trout, but the action was very sporadic as the fish are here one day and gone the next. Those going out on Huron Bay found mostly lake trout.
Marquette: Few anglers were out due to windy conditions. Water temperatures are slowly starting to cool with the north winds and cooler air temperatures. Good lake trout fishing continues with incidental catches of coho.
Little Bay de Noc: The best walleye fishing was along the southern waters. Most were trolling crawlers or stick baits near the Minneapolis Shoals in 22 to 30 feet and Round Island in 16 to 25 feet. Perch anglers reported fair catches near Kipling with crawlers in 10 to 28 feet and north to the Days River Buoy. Good smallmouth bass action near the Ford River when casting plastics along the rocks and weed lines in 4 to 10 feet. Salmon anglers fishing the southern bay had little to no fish. On the Escanaba River, fishing was pretty much shut down after a large fish kill.
Manistique: Salmon anglers reported a few small fish caught 60 feet down in 100 feet out near the buoy. Those going out past the buoy to deeper water reported fair to good catches of lake trout 80 to 105 feet down in 120 to 150 feet.
Manistique River: A few salmon have entered; however, the numbers are still quite low. Walleye anglers are still getting fish when casting jigs with crawlers or leeches near the Dam Spill-Over.
Munising: Few anglers were able to get out. Water temperatures remain steady around 70 degrees near shore. North winds have helped to slightly cool the waters.
Raber: Had fair walleye catches in the early morning or late evening at Carlton Creek. Most were trolling a purple beaded crawler harness near the cattails and weed beds in 8 to 12 feet. For musky, try trolling the 2-mile shoreline that runs to Pointe Aux Frenes with a dark green or black rubber paddle tail jig. A couple musky were caught near Round Island when trolling near the weed beds in 12 feet.
Detour: There was less effort for salmon over the last week; however, those targeting lake trout have caught some nice fish 2 miles south of the lighthouse along the 90-foot flat. Anglers were using chartreuse and white spin-glo’s with a 21 to 26-inch leader. The thermocline was 52 to 55 degrees at 60 feet down near the lighthouse.
Drummond Island: Reported good walleye catches on the south end of James Island, which is on the north edge of Maxton Bay. Most are using a bottom bouncer with a crawler harness or trolling inline planer boards with a black and chrome crankbait to simulate smelt.
Cedarville and Hessel: As we move toward the end of August, a few more perch were caught near Connors Pointe, located at the south end of Cedarville Bay. Fish were hitting both worms and shiners. Fair pike catches at the Middle Entrance to the Les Cheneaux Islands when using large creek chubs two cranks off the bottom in 18 to 20 feet near Buoy #8. Good bass and panfish action off the fishing platforms on Hill Island Road. East of there, good largemouth bass action was reported on the east end of Bush Bay with artificial frogs or crawlers. For Hessel, there have been no reports of salmon or trout in the area. Largemouth bass were caught in Mackinaw Bay with plastic worms or frogs in 4 to 6 feet. Good pike fishing from the marina pier in the early morning when using large creek chubs.
St. Ignace: Lake trout were caught around the island when trolling spoons. Surface temperature in the straits was 68.3 degrees. At 60 feet down it was 48.8 degrees. Many were fishing St. Martins Bay for walleye but had no luck. On the Carp River, small walleye were caught at the wall with worms and leeches in the morning. Those fishing midday caught smaller perch when using worms.
Updates come from Fisheries staff and conservation officers.
Information provided by Michigan DNR
