Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie: Some anglers were catching walleye while trolling the state line from Stoney Point while using crawler harnesses. Anglers were finding low yellow perch catches with limited success around E buoy and in 25 to 27 feet of water out from Stoney Point. Some largemouth bass were caught near the mouth of the River Raisin while using crank and stick baits. Anglers were finding success in the DTE discharge channel for channel catfish while using worms.
Lake St. Clair: Some nicer perch were caught in the mouth of the Middle Channel in 17 to 18 feet of water in the weed beds and south of Metro Park in 12 to 14 feet of water. The best results for perch occurred when anglers were trolling with minnows. The pike action was good near the mouth of the North Channel. Smallmouth bass were caught in front of Metro Park, at the mouth of the North Channel and in front of the Mile roads. Some walleye were caught near the North Channel and at Grassy Island. Musky fishing was slow.
Harbor Beach: Steelhead, walleye and lake trout were caught in two different depths, 50 to 60 feet and 100 to 120 feet of water while using downriggers with leadcore and copper line with spoons.
Saginaw Bay: Boat Anglers were catching yellow perch at the Old Shipping Channel, Spoils Island, Spark Plug, Quanicassee, Sebewaing and at the Pinconning Bar. There were a lot of small perch to sort through.
Grindstone: Lake trout and a few steelhead were caught 6 miles northwest of the harbor in about 120 feet of water using downriggers with spoons.
Port Sanilac: Steelhead and walleye were caught in 50 to 60 feet of water while using downriggers with spoons and leadcore.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Grand River – Lansing: Anglers were doing well with catching smallmouth bass and channel catfish on large minnows. The best time was between dusk and 9p.m.
St. Joseph: Anglers were catching some perch in 60 to 70 feet of water. Pier fishing was very slow. Salmon fishing was slow around the piers. Boat anglers fishing the St. Joe River reported slow fishing as well. There were a few coho caught by anglers who were trolling.
South Haven: Anglers were catching a few perch in 30 to 60 feet of water. Most of the fishing pressure was south of the piers. Boat anglers targeting salmon had slow fishing around the piers. There were a few salmon and trout caught around 100 feet of water.
Grand Haven: The salmon and trout action was slow for boat anglers. A few were caught 80 to 160 feet down in 160 to 250 feet of water. Orange spoons have worked along with green and white flies. Pier action was slow for salmon. Channel catfish were caught on spawn and nightcrawlers.
Muskegon: Boats were finding the salmon and trout action to be slow. The best action was 70 to 140 feet down in 170 to 250 feet of water. Bright colored spoons have worked well along with white flies. Pier action was very slow for salmon.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Alpena: Some anglers were seeing success with mixed bags of walleye, lake trout and a few salmon. Trolling spoons and spin-and-glows in various depths was popular with anglers when targeting salmon and trout. While trolling body baits was the popular method for targeting walleye in the bay.
Cheboygan: Chinook salmon were present below the dam. Green crank baits or spawn sacs were providing anglers the best results when fishing for salmon at the Cheboygan Dam. The average size salmon caught was between 25 to 35 inches and between 15 to 20 pounds.
Ocqueoc River: Fishing along the Ocqueoc River and near the river mouth was slow. Anglers caught a few smallmouth bass and pike during the evening hours while using natural bait near the river mouth.
Thunder Bay River: Angling has dramatically picked up as Chinook salmon moved into the river. Anglers were also catching panfish, bass, pike, catfish and the very occasional walleye. Common methods used by anglers included casting stick baits, body baits, and spinners or drifting leeches and night crawlers. While targeting catfish, drop shot rigs were the most common method. While targeting salmon, anglers were casting body baits and spoons as well as floating eggs.
Oscoda: Anglers were catching lake trout, steelhead and walleye. Pier anglers were catching mostly bass and some Chinook salmon. Trolling spoons of various colors around 80 to 100 feet of water was the popular method when targeting salmon and trout. Common methods for pier anglers who were targeting bass, walleye, and catfish were floating leeches and nightcrawlers, casting stick or body baits, and using drop shot rigs for catfish. Pier anglers targeting salmon were casting spoons and body baits.
Au Sable River: Anglers were seeing success with bass, pike, panfish and a few catfish and salmon. Various methods were seeing success, but most commonly was the use of casting or trolling body baits and spoons. Catfish and panfish were caught with the use of drop shot rigs with night crawlers around dusk.
Rogers City: Anglers were having success with fishing for Chinook salmon. The best depths were in 50 to 90 feet of water. The salmon have been in deeper water so far this season. Anglers were fishing near the bottom with spoons, attractors with flies, squids or cut bait. Anglers should run lures throughout the water column for best results. The adult salmon were turning dark. As the water cools this should improve the mixed bag fishery where anglers can catch steelhead, coho, lake trout, Atlantic salmon and young Chinook. Good colors have been greens, blues, black and white oranges, and glow stuff early and late. Lake trout have been near the bottom when the water was warm but as the water cools, they will also be suspended.
Houghton Lake: Bluegill and crappie were caught in the weed beds. Leeches, wax worms and minnows performed best.
Tawas: Boat anglers were catching a few smallmouth bass inside the bay near shore as well as out near the point while casting spinners, body baits and jigs. Walleye fishing was slow. Shore and dock anglers were catching a few Chinook salmon in the Tawas River at Gateway Park while casting spoons and body baits. Pier anglers in the harbor were catching a few small perch with minnows.
Au Gres: There were some nice catches of perch out in the shipping channel in 40 to 50 feet of water off minnows. Anglers were sorting through lots of smaller ones and fishing for 4 to 6 hours. Dock anglers on the Au Gres River were catching a lot of smaller bluegills and sunfish off worms and a few small perch were also kept off minnows. Perch anglers were having some spotty success out at the weather buoy in 47 feet of water. Anglers were sorting a lot of small perch to keep a few. There were a few boats trolling for walleye out of Au Gres with no success.
Sumac Island: Anglers were catching good numbers of largemouth bass and pike while casting various artificial baits. Best catches were coming from weed beds in about three feet of water.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Harbor Springs: There were some lake trout caught up towards 5 Mile and a coho was caught near Harbor Point. Most boats were targeting salmon from Harbor Point, east toward the State Park. Salmon were moving closer to shore staging to run the rivers. The mild, dry weather has kept them in the lake a little longer than usual, but it’s expected that they will begin to run heavier over the next week.
Frankfort: Coho and Chinook were caught off the breakwalls and while trolling in the harbor area. There were a few fresh Chinook making their way into the river. Anglers that have ventured up to Platte Bay have reported fair catches of coho. Most being caught on spinner baits from casting or jigging.
Manistee: Boat anglers had low success rates on the shelf and had to go to 200 to 250 feet of water for a few coho and steelhead. Most fish were taken on spoons. Boats fishing the harbor marked fish in the early morning but few were caught. Pier fishing was very slow. The Big Manistee River was productive for Chinook salmon.
Ludington: Fishing was slow for boats and pier anglers even though many fish were marked. Chinook continue to go up the Pere Marquette River. Fishing in the river has been decent. When weather permits, anglers should try deeper water as adult Chinook are coming in and offshore fishing should be heating up.
Charlevoix: Boat anglers caught some salmon and trout. Salmon anglers were concentrating on the area from the channel to the cement plant. A couple Chinook and coho were caught. Some lake trout were caught out from 9 Mile Point. Anglers were targeting smallmouth bass in the channel, but effort hasn’t been high lately. Anglers primarily fished the bottom with real and artificial worms.
Petoskey: Boats anglers were focusing on salmon mainly just outside of the breakwall area near the marina. The Bear River had a couple smaller runs of salmon, mainly coho with some Chinook mixed in. Some pink salmon were noticed in the mix too. Anglers were catching small steelhead from the dam to the mouth of the river. Anglers were mainly using spawn bags, skein, artificial single eggs and flies in this area. A couple coho and Chinook were caught off of the ends of the docks/piers. The most productive times were very early morning or after sunset. Anglers were using stick baits and spoons in these spots. There were also a couple Chinook caught at the mouth of the river on spawn.
Upper Peninsula
Ontonagon: Anglers were doing pretty well fishing for lake trout. Fish were coming in around four pounds with a few 15-pound fish being caught while trolling spoons. Fish were caught in 80 to 140 feet, but some anglers were fishing shallower trying to find salmon, brown trout and steelhead to no avail. In Ontonagon River, there were a few boats trolling and jigging the river and they were finding a few sublegal walleye with only one legal fish being reported.
Union Bay: Anglers were starting to find lake trout in 100 feet of water or less while trolling spoons. Similar to Ontonagon, there were some nice fish coming in around 15 pounds with a lot of good eaters being caught.
Black River Harbor: Anglers were starting to look for salmon in shallow waters. Lake trout anglers were getting catches in 140 feet of water while trolling spoons and occasionally flashers in hopes of picking up a stray coho or Chinook.
Keweenaw Bay: Anglers reported having luck trolling early/mid-morning and early evening. Lake trout, coho, and Chinook salmon were most of the catches coming off Keweenaw Bay. Anglers also reported a good catches while jigging in Keweenaw Bay for lake trout. Lake trout were mostly coming out of Huron Bay with some salmon moving their way in.
Munising Bay: A few coho and splake were caught from the Anna River dock. Anglers were casting with combo of assorted stick baits, spoons, jigs and spawn.
Grand Marais: Lake trout anglers did well with good catches from Big Reef with fish up to 19 pounds. Boat anglers trolling for coho reported no luck trolling east towards the Sucker River. A few shore anglers were fishing the mouth of Sucker River and reported no success.
Big Traverse Bay/ South Portage Entry: Anglers were reporting rainbow trout, coho and pike catches. Most fish were caught while trolling but some anglers did have luck while casting for bluegill and rock bass. Shore anglers were able to catch yellow perch as well. Trolling before noon was when the most fish were biting.
Au Train: Anglers reported small steelhead and some coho caught at the mouth of Rock River on spawn bags.
Marquette: There were reports of coho caught in the Chocolay River. Most anglers were using spinners and spoons and pink was the color of choice. Anglers were catching lake trout and a few reports of coho being caught while trolling off of the mouths of the Carp River and Chocolay River.
Little Bay de Noc: Perch anglers were having fair to good success. Most were going out of Kipling and getting small-sized bites and the occasional keepers on crawlers. Walleye anglers had low catch rates while trolling crawler harnesses.
Big Bay de Noc: Pike anglers were trolling and casting but reported only limited success. Not many smallmouth anglers were in the area, but those that went out were making contact with fish.
St. Ignace/Les Cheneaux: Anglers were catching some Chinook at the mouth of the Carp River. In the Les Cheneaux area, anglers were catching some splake, but the numbers were low. Anglers were catching smaller perch around Dollar Island and pike and bass in Government Bay. There was a lot of activity at Nunns Creek, but only a few Chinook were caught.
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.
