Here’s how fishing looks this week in the Northwest Lower Peninsula, Northeast Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, according to the latest report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Cheboygan: Salmon anglers fishing an hour before and after sunrise and sunset had the best luck catching Chinook and coho salmon. There were lots of salmon jumping by the Cheboygan pier; however, they were picky with what they wanted to bite. Anglers fishing the pier for salmon were casting spoons and minnow crank baits. At the Cheboygan Dam, a few salmon were caught in the morning and at night using spawn, spoons, and minnow crank baits. Good lure colors were reported to be red/white, purple/white, purple/chartreuse, orange/chartreuse, and pink/purple.
Boat anglers were trolling between the Cheboygan County Marina boat launches and just past the channel markers (green & red buoys) outside of the river’s mouth. Due to a lot of salmon activity near the pier, boat anglers were concentrating just northwest of the end of the pier. Anglers trolling in shallow water used dipseys or boards with glow spoons, j-plugs, or a flasher fly combination between 10 and 25 feet of water. Good colors to use were blue/white, blue/purple, and orange/chartreuse.
Walleye fishing declined since anglers have switched to salmon fishing. Common areas anglers have fished for walleye and bass are the Cheboygan dam, nearby the pedestrian bridge by the city boat launch, and nearby the drawbridge by the DNR field office. Walleye and perch anglers used night crawlers or leeches on slip bobbers, and bass anglers were using night crawlers, crank baits, or soft plastics that are white, pink, or chartreuse.
Alpena: Warm water pushed in which seemed to slow the salmon bite. Those trolling early and late in the day had success on coho and Chinook salmon with a few Atlantic salmon mixed in. Spoons and plugs in green, orange, copper, and black were productive. Decent numbers of steelhead were found in deeper water. Short lead cores and long lines worked best, with gold and orange spoons having best results. Anglers reported no success in finding active walleye. Smallmouth bass were found near Grass and Sulfur Islands in 10 to 15 feet of water. Small spinnerbaits in yellow, white, and chartreuse had good results, as did natural colored tube jigs.
Thunder Bay River: Chinook and coho salmon have drawn the most attention from anglers. Boat anglers reported decent catches on magnum spoons and j-plugs throughout the river. Blacks, greens, and oranges were all productive colors. Shore anglers had success drifting spawn and casting rattle traps, body baits, and a variety of spoons. A few pike were caught near the walking bridge on large spinnerbaits as well as the occasional smallmouth bass. Catfish anglers reported very little success while fishing crawlers and cut bait.
Rockport: Anglers reported good catches of steelhead, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and lake trout in 70 to 100 feet of water. Cool water was once again in the area and fish were scattered all through the water column. Spoons in watermelon, black/green, golds, and chartreuse worked best. Dodgers and Spin-n-Glos fished near bottom took most of the lake trout, with greens and chartreuse being the most productive. A few walleye were found south of Middle Island in 30 to 40 feet of water. Natural colored crank baits as well as purples and pinks had the best results early in the morning and late in the evenings. Anglers reported a few Chinook salmon at first light near Bell Bay in 20 to 30 feet of water with limited success. J-plugs in blue/white, black/green, and glows were most productive.
Rogers City: Anglers reported good fishing and were catching a mixed bag consisting of young Chinook salmon, steelhead, lake trout, and the occasional Atlantic salmon and walleye. Anglers were fishing anywhere, but the key was to locate the large amounts of bait and fish near those areas. The best depths were from 50 to 80 feet of water and spreading lines throughout the water column produced the best results. Lead cores, downriggers with sliders, and dipseys all worked well. Spoons were reported to have been the best bait to use, and good colors were reported to have been greens, blues, oranges, chartreuse, white, black/white, and glow stuff early and late. Flashers with Spin-n-Glos or meat fished close to the bottom was also reported to have worked well on lake trout.
Oscoda/Au Sable River: Pier anglers had success catching a few coho, Atlantic, and Chinook salmon. Casting little Cleos, K.O. wobblers, and moonshine spoons all seemed to work well, and blue/silver and orange/silver were the hot colors this week. Big in-line spinners such as Arctic Spinners and #4 Blue Fox spinners produced salmon off the pier as well. Fire-tiger and pink were hot colors for these. There were a few Chinook salmon caught by anglers floating skein and casting spoons/body baits at Foote Site Dam. Anglers fishing offshore had success catching coho salmon, Atlantic salmon and a few Chinook salmon. Boat anglers were fishing in 30 to 90 feet of water and trolling spoons, J-plugs, and various other plugs throughout the water column.
Harrisville: Coho salmon were caught by anglers offshore in 40 to 60 feet of water pulling spoons throughout the water column. A few pink salmon and walleye were caught in 70 to 130 feet of water when trolling spoons. Anglers fishing the harbor were catching a few coho salmon while casting sliver/blue and gold/orange 3/4 oz. Little Cleos along with large Mepps/Blue Fox in-line spinners. Skein, along with wax worms on a jig, also caught coho salmon under a float 4 to 6 feet down. A few Chinook salmon were caught by anglers casting spoons and J-13s in the early hours of the morning and just before dark. Walleye and pike were caught by anglers casting for salmon in the harbor.
Black River: Anglers reported a decent first push of coho salmon into the river. The warmer weather this week made it challenging for anglers to get the fish to strike however, they were there. A few coho salmon were caught by anglers casting Little Cleos and #4 pink Blue Fox in-line spinners. There were also Chinook salmon present in the river with a couple being caught on Thundersticks in vibrant color patterns.
Tawas: Only a few walleye were caught by anglers who went out trolling, along with freshwater drum and channel catfish. Crawler harnesses were still being used and were reported to have worked well. Flicker minnows and walleye spoons were also a good option. Shore fishing was reported as slow. Throwback perch and catfish were caught off the Tawas Pier and at Gateway Park.
Au Gres: Anglers were focusing their efforts on walleye and perch. Perch anglers were able to find some in the shipping channel, but there weren’t many limits caught. Walleye anglers were also able to find a few fish, but overall, it was slow. A lot of white bass, freshwater drum, and catfish were reported to have been caught. With a lot of sorting, a few keeper perch were caught in the Au Gres River off the pier by shore anglers. Out from the Pine River, most anglers targeted perch and were successful at finding them. Minnows were the go-to, but worms did the job as well. At Eagle Bay Marina, bluegill were caught along with many small perch.
Hubbard Lake: Yellow perch anglers reported catching fish in 25 feet of water on both the north and south ends. Anglers were catching perch in the 9- to 12-inch class using crawlers and minnows.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Frankfort: Chinook salmon were reported to have been staging to make their run out front with the evening bite producing very good numbers right at sunset. Platte Bay anglers were also reporting Chinook salmon in 50 to 100 feet of water with a few coho salmon mixed in. The morning coho bite in Platte Bay saw good numbers at sunrise.
Anglers who were jigging reported moderate numbers in the mornings with better catches in the evenings.
Onekama: Anglers were working “the barrel” in 30 to 120 feet of water and found good action in the early morning hours on both mature and immature Chinook salmon. These fish were hitting mostly on spoons and plugs.
Charlevoix: Anglers trolling in the early morning reported slower numbers of Chinook salmon throughout the week. Trolling spoons and plugs landed Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and the occasional lake trout. Those targeting bass in the channel reported decent numbers of smallmouth when fishing with worms or other bait fish. Warm weather and calm days kept the bite slow.
Little Traverse Bay: Boat anglers reported slow but steady numbers of salmon staging near the Bear River. Trolling spoons and plugs resulted in good numbers of coho salmon, with some Chinook salmon mixed in. Those fishing the Bear River reported very low water levels with some coho and Chinook salmon throughout. Bottom bouncing beads, flies, and spawn produced some results.
Manistee: Boats trolling just outside the pier heads in 30 to 45 feet of water caught mostly Chinook salmon as well as a couple coho salmon, but it was hit or miss. The warm water seemed to make fishing tough. Salmon and steelhead were also caught in 100 to 150 feet of water as well as 200 plus feet of water while fishing 50 to 95 feet down. Anglers reported that spoons and plugs worked well. The piers produced a few Chinook salmon while casting spoons in the early morning and evening hours.
Ludington: Warm water made fishing slower this week. A mix of steelhead, Chinook salmon and coho salmon were caught off Big Sable Point in 180 to 200 feet of water when fishing 60 to 90 feet down, but it was hit or miss. Flasher fly combinations, spoons and plugs all seemed to work. Chinook salmon and coho salmon were caught just outside the pier heads as well. A few Chinook salmon and a nice pike were reported from the piers.
Leland: Fishing efforts were slow this week. Only a few anglers headed out of the port and went north of North Manitou Island. Anglers found luck trolling in deeper waters and found small 2- to 3-year-old Chinook salmon, along with a few coho salmon. Others tried their luck and found some Chinook salmon and a few coho salmon heading north on the first bank. Shore angler catches consisted of smallmouth bass and perch, all of non-harvestable sizes.
West Grand Traverse Bay: Boat anglers were trolling and jigging around the Boardman River mouth and found efforts produced a larger number of fish this week. Anglers found that jigging with skein and jigs just off bottom in about 4 feet of water worked well. Trolling anglers were marking fish in 60 to 90 feet of water. Fish were still seen to porpoise in the bay around the river mouth. Fishing before sunrise and just before sunset seemed to be the best times for boat anglers. Shore/pier anglers on the Discovery pier, Northport pier, Clinch Park pier and the pier behind Northwestern Michigan College reported little fish activity. The occasional small bass was caught, but nothing of harvestable size.
Oceana County: Chinook salmon were starting to push their way into the White River with an early push already making it to the Hesperia Dam. Some Chinook salmon were caught in Pentwater Lake at the entrance to the Pentwater Channel.
Platte/Betsie Rivers: The salmon runs were reported to be in progress; however, the rivers were not holding as many fish due to the heat.
Pere Marquette River: Fish were reported to have been trickling up the river, just not in large numbers yet.
Big Manistee River: There were reported to be heavy amounts of fish within the system.
Upper Peninsula
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers caught mostly lake trout this last week. Some reports indicate that a few salmon were moving further down into the bays with cooler water temperatures and favorable winds. Most fish were caught while trolling and were found primarily in water shallower than 120 feet deep.
Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Entry Canal: Anglers who were trolling mostly caught lake trout with the occasional salmon mixed in. Lake trout were also caught during jigging events near drop offs in anywhere from 70 to 150 feet of water.
St. Ignace: Boat fishing has declined as of the past couple of weeks. Shore anglers at the Carp River cement footing pier caught a few salmon during the early mornings and at night. Pink and Chinook salmon have been slowly making their way into the river. Anglers were primarily using spoons, and good colors to use were purple/green, purple/white, and pink/blue. Fishing for walleye at the Pine River slowed down drastically, as anglers did not see many fish throughout the past week. The salmon run seemed to slow at Nunns Creek, with not many caught within the past week. Shore anglers were casting spawn, spoons, or spinner baits. The warmer weather pushed the fish further out in the lake.
Little Bay de Noc: Anglers reported coho salmon in the Escanaba River and around the mouth. Although coho salmon were present in these areas, getting them to bite was tough. Walleye anglers reported fair fishing and had to work hard for any bite. The east shoreline and black bottom were productive when drifting crawler harnesses or jigging. Yellow perch anglers reported fair fishing when launching out of Kipling and around the Escanaba River.
Manistique: Little to no fishing activity in the lake; most anglers were focusing on the river. The pink salmon run was reported to be in full swing. Shore anglers reported good fishing for pink salmon when drifting beads, swinging colorful streams or bright reaction baits such as spinners and jerk baits. Anglers targeting Chinook salmon reported slow fishing and anticipate the push with the next rainfall. Slow fishing activity for walleye.
Marquette: Lake trout were still caught consistently with the most successful anglers making their way out towards the clay banks west of Granite Rock or out toward the sand hole east of the upper harbor’s break wall. The upper harbor still seemed to be the popular choice for anglers to leave from on days that the weather cooperated. Excellent numbers of lake trout were caught jigging or trolling around the northeast side of White Rocks. Low numbers of salmon were caught by anglers. Steelhead numbers continued to increase around thermocline in 30 to 60 feet of water. Black/green UV Devil Dancers or gold/orange from Finn Spoons did well for anglers along with the tried-and-true watermelon and fire tiger patterns. Jigging either a chartreuse/silver or white tube jig worked well around the northeast side of White Rocks, especially with a little cut bait. Trolling between White Rocks towards Granite Rock or the clay banks in around 130 to 160 feet of water was a popular depth range for lake trout and 30 to 60 feet for steelhead and pink salmon.
Au Train: Most boat anglers that made it out fishing did quite well. Lake trout were caught by anglers jigging with cut bait in approximately 160 feet of water north to northeast of Au Train Island. Most anglers trolling reported catching lake trout while in waters around 130 to 180 feet north to northwest of the Au Train Island in the flats or out towards the Laughing White Fish Clay Banks. Hot pink/white Spin-n-Glos, multicolored glow or UV spoons or green/silver flasher flies were all good color combinations. Jigging or trolling with Wonder Bread or chartreuse cowbells produced very well at deeper depths of 130 to 180 feet of water, especially with a little bit of cut bait.
Ontonagon River: The river saw very low angling efforts over the past week. Fishing was very slow, with common catches consisting of walleye in low numbers. Anglers reported having the best luck when fishing in the early morning hours.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: These ports saw very strong fishing efforts over the past week. Reports show that lake trout were caught in high numbers, with many anglers reaching their possession limit in relatively short trips. Anglers had success in finding these fish when trolling across a variety of water depths.
Black River Harbor: Over the past week, fishing efforts from the harbor were reported as fair. Anglers reported catches consisting of lake trout in good numbers. These fish were caught by most when trolling in deeper waters.
Les Cheneaux/Detour: Anglers in Hessel were catching a good number of northern pike at the marina using chubs. There were also good numbers of smallmouth bass caught at the marina as well. The perch fishing was reported as slow throughout the area. The water temperature warmed back up which pushed the splake back out of the marina and brought the smallmouth bass back in. In Detour, anglers caught good numbers of lake trout while trolling in the flats, as well as picking up a few pink salmon and Atlantic salmon.
Fishing tip: Looking for some fun? Go fishing this fall!
Did you know there are typically two populations of bass in a water body? One lingers near the shore to feed, while the other stays in deeper water and moves through the structure to feed.
Both populations provide great opportunities for fishing, but many anglers overlook the bass in deeper water.
The next time you head to your favorite bass lake, consider fishing deeper water, particularly around larger weed beds. Fish will often hang out in the weed beds and move up through the depths to feed.
Click here for more information on bass in Michigan.