Northeast Lower Peninsula
Tawas: Some walleye, brown trout, lake trout, and coho salmon were caught inside the bay as well as out near buoy #2 while tolling spoons and body baits in 15 to 25 feet of water. Some walleye were caught down near the Alabaster area in 15 to 25 feet of water while jigging plastics and minnows. At Gateway Park on the Tawas River, there were some walleye, pike, and smallmouth bass caught while casting body baits and jigs. A few perch were also caught off minnows.
Alpena: Try fishing outside of the marina and in the mouth of the river. Anglers were trolling spoons and body baits while targeting lake trout and Atlantic salmon.
Thunder Bay River: Anglers reported that they spotted a lot of suckers in the river. Steelhead fishing was slow with the occasional fish caught drifting beads and/or fresh eggs on bobbers or bottom bouncing. The chutes were closed down quite a bit so that should improve things.
Au Gres: There were some fair numbers of walleye caught near Point Lookout while trolling body baits in 10 to 20 feet of water. Trolling out near the mouth of the Au Gres River in 20 to 30 feet with body baits was also producing catches.
Eagle Bay Marina: Anglers reported that some perch, bluegill and crappie were caught off minnows.
Oscoda/Lake Huron: Pier anglers were catching mostly coho, Atlantic salmon, walleye, and a few steelhead. Most anglers had luck with spawn bags or minnows. With a few having luck casting spoons and body baits of various colors and patterns most commonly orange/gold spoons and fire tiger body baits.
Oscoda/Au sable River: Fishing success was hit and miss. Anglers were mostly seeing success with steelhead and suckers. The steelhead started to ripen up and get on redds as well. Most commonly seen was drifting spawn bags or running beads. But some anglers had success with wax worms.
Harrisville/Lake Huron: Some anglers reported that a few steelhead and coho were caught inside the harbor. Anglers were using spoons to catch the few steelhead and coho.
Black River: Floating various color spawn bags was the main method for targeting steelhead. A few anglers tried spoons and body baits.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Portage Lake: With the warmer weather the perch numbers were picking up near the mouth.
Manistee: A few brown trout, lake trout and even a couple king salmon were caught while trolling near the harbor and along the shoreline. Lake trout tended to be in slightly deeper waters. A couple brown trout and a coho or two were caught off the piers while using spawn. Perch fishing remained slow although a few were caught off the north pier. A few walleye and pike were also reported from the piers.
Ludington: Anglers trolling for brown trout caught a few north and south of town and in the harbor. A few lake trout were caught in 50 to 60 feet of water. Pier fishing was slow. A couple smallmouth were reported from the harbor as well.
Frankfort: Anglers fishing the piers were reporting activity with a good mix of brown trout, walleye, northern pike and whitefish. Fish were hitting on spoons, spawn, smelt and body baits. Anglers trolling inside and outside were reporting pike, walleye and brown trout on mostly body baits.
Upper Peninsula
Little Bay de Noc: Anglers were having some success with smallmouth bass in the Ford River, as well as by the mouth. Steelhead fishing was poor in the Ford River. The Days River was producing some steelhead. Pressure from perch anglers had been somewhat reduced, although the bite had been slow.
Manistique: The river’s water level dropped some. Anglers reported some steelhead were caught, but overall success had been limited.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: With the change in weather seeming to be sticking around, anglers had more access to the water via boats and other watercraft. Anglers found success fishing for salmon and trout with natural and artificial bait. These anglers were in waters near river mouths as well as near shore waters in depths ranging from 100 feet and shallower. Some anglers found fish while trolling and others had luck casting and some jigging while sitting still.
Traverse Bays/ South Portage Canal Entry: Anglers were fishing mainly by boat. Most anglers were trolling but some were casting in near shore waters. Anglers found the most success around river mouths and south of the canal entry. All bait types were being used in the most recent week with success mainly coming to those using natural baits. Anglers should fish near the river mouths and in medium depth waters.
Munising Bay: Boat launches were all open. Boat anglers were reporting limits of coho with recent catches comprising a smaller size range around 12 to 13 inches. An occasional 16-to-17-inch coho was caught. Boat anglers were trolling mainly assorted stick baits. Smelt were moving in the past week. The splake action increased dramatically with some nice catches of up to 22 inches with limits. The rainbow trout action produced some incidental catches with most rainbow trout, brown trout and a few kings running around 3 to 6 pounds with some up to 5 pounds. Anglers were trolling or jigging/casting. Areas commonly fished were Five Mile Point, within Munising Bay to Trout Bay, Miner’s Fall and all the way to Chapel Beach. Shore and pier anglers reported fair to good action on splake and coho with some nice size menominee’s around 16 inches. Best producer had been spawn sacs for splake and worms for the menominee.
Grand Marais: Boat anglers continued to do well with limits. Most anglers were targeting coho and rainbow trout. Most of the coho were small in the 13-inch range with a few nice rainbow trout. Most of the rainbow trout were starting to get dark so the spawning run was on the downhill side. There was a nice 9-pound lake trout caught while trolling for coho. Most anglers were trolling east of the harbor to past Lonesome Point and east. Pier anglers continued to report fair to good catches of whitefish with a few menominee mixed in. Anglers targeting whitefish were using single eggs with a spare line with spawn sacs. Pier anglers tried casting but reported very little action. Suckers did not move in yet as water temps were still very cold.
Marquette: Anglers reported catching coho salmon out of the mouth of the Carp River. Steelhead fishing slowed down in the river, but there were a few reports of steelhead. Anglers reported catching steelhead, brown trout, and occasional suckers from the Chocolay River. Boat anglers reported catching coho, king salmon, lake trout and brown trout. Fishing pressure had been low in the Dead River with no reports of any fish. The best success for coho, and king salmon were caught trolling spoons and flickers. Drifting beads or spawn in the Carp and Chocolay rivers has had the most success.
Au Train: Boat fishing activity increased within the last week. Boat anglers reported catching mostly coho salmon and brown trout trolling near the Rock and Au Train River mouths. Shore anglers reported catching coho salmon from the Au Train and Rock River mouths. Fishing pressure in the Rock River decreased, but there had been some success catching steelhead from the Rock River. Anglers have had the most success trolling using flickers, spoons, and spinners. Anglers fishing in the river had the most success by drifting spawn and beads. Anglers using spawn bags and crawlers had the most success catching coho out of the mouth of the Au Train and Rock rivers.
Les Cheneaux/Detour: Anglers were fishing off the pier for perch and splake. There were a few perch caught, along with a few pike. There were reports of a few master angler splake caught as well. The anglers going out in boats out of Hessel were not having much luck catching fish yet.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie: Due to strong winds, Breast Bay became extremely murky and was not showing great success for walleye catches. Anglers going north of Fermi near Point Mouillee in deeper waters, around 19 feet, where it is clearer, were seeing decent success with purple and white Flicker Shad lures, and purple and black Bandit lures. Also, the dumping grounds out from Luna Pier was a hot spot to catch walleye where there were still a few clear water spots. Crawler harnesses were not showing any advantage over artificial lures yet.
Detroit River: The walleye catch slowed down, but anglers were still catching fish. Over the weekend the catch picked back up, but some anglers struggled. Wyandotte and Ecorse areas were producing the best catches. The Ambassador Bridge area to the Belle Isle Bridge was also a good area to fish. Blue Ice was a hot color. Anglers were using jigs tipped with minnows and had the best luck finding walleye in 23 to 35 feet of water. A few anglers were coming in with white bass but not many yet.
Saginaw Bay: Walleye were caught out in front of the Kawkawlin River while trolling in 16 feet of water. Walleye were also caught northeast of Spoils Island in 12 to 15 feet of water while trolling. Some walleye were caught jigging at Spoils Island. Anglers were starting to get out on the southeastern part of the bay around Quanicassee fishing for walleye. Walleye were caught from 6 to 20 feet of water. Waters from 10 to 14 feet deep were the most productive with anglers trolling crankbaits. A lot of northern pike were also caught by those trolling and shore fishing. Fishing for perch and panfish was slow.
Harbor Beach: A few steelhead, lake trout and coho were caught in 30 to 40 feet from south of the harbor to a little northeast while using downriggers with spoons. Pier fishing slowed down.
Lexington: Lake trout were caught in 45 to 50 feet of water straight out from Lexington Harbor and up the shoreline to Port Sanilac and north while trolling with downriggers and spoons. Coho, steelhead and Atlantic salmon were scattered from 15 to 30 feet of water. Anglers were trying both body baits and spoons. A few coho and steelhead were caught from the docks and shore in Lexington and the break walls in Port Sanilac while mostly casting small lures.
Port Austin: Not a lot of boat anglers were out this past week but the few that did caught a few lake trout, occasional steelhead, coho and walleye while trolling with both body baits and spoons in 30 to 45 feet of water. A mix of northern pike, coho and steelhead were caught from the break wall casting artificial lures. Smallmouth bass were caught from the banks of Bird Creek and immediately released.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph: Boat anglers that were able to get out continued to have good luck fishing for salmon. Most boats were fishing south of the piers. Boat anglers were making good catches of coho and a few kings. The best depth was in 30 feet of water. There were a few kings deeper around 60 feet of water but most of the fish were caught in shallower water. Pier fishing was difficult due to the rough weather. There were a few coho being caught on spawn. Anglers fishing the river were making good catches of channel catfish while using nightcrawlers.
South Haven: Due to weather, pier fishing pressure was very low. There were a few coho and steelhead caught while using spawn. Boat anglers were catching lake trout in 50 to 65 feet of water. The fishing has slowed down, but fish were still being caught. Anglers were catching some coho and a few kings. The fish seemed to be very scattered, but 35 to 45 feet of water was producing.
Muskegon: Pier anglers reported slow fishing for brown trout.
Grand Haven: Boat anglers were catching chinook salmon along with a few coho salmon in 30 to 60 feet of water. The yellow perch action was slow with a few being caught on wigglers and spikes. Pier fishing was slow for brown trout. Salmon were caught on orange, black/white and glow spoons. A few were caught on green and white flies.
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.
