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: Anglers targeting salmon had minimal success in getting fish to bite due to them running upriver to spawn. Boat anglers, who had some luck, did the best trolling glow spoons on dipseys or planer boards within 25 feet of water between the Cheboygan County Marina boat launches and just past the channel markers (green & red buoys) outside of the river’s mouth. Those fishing the pier were primarily casting spoons but did not have much luck. Anglers at the dam were catching a couple salmon a day using spawn, spoons, or minnow crank baits. Lake trout anglers caught a few off Reynold’s Reef when trolling spoons throughout the water column.
Alpena: A good number of boat anglers were targeting Chinook and coho salmon. Anglers reported success from the pier head throughout the shipping lanes while using plugs and spoons. Black/white, greens, and chartreuse were all good color choices. A few steelhead and Atlantic salmon were caught in 30 to 50 feet of water with orange, golds, and green/silver colors being productive. Early and late in the day seemed to be the best times, with only a few fish caught throughout the day. Those targeting walleye reported that fish were difficult to find. Those casting from the pier reported decent catches of salmon while using body baits and spoons. Green, chartreuse and glow baits were productive late in the day and after dark. A few smallmouth bass were also caught while casting crank baits.
Thunder Bay River: Anglers were targeting salmon through the river with moderate success. Those drifting spawn had better results at the 9th Street dam and below the 9th Street bridge. Spoons and body baits worked well for those casting. Orange, greens, and glows were all productive colors. Boat anglers had the best luck while trolling spoons, plugs, and deep diving body baits from the pier head to the walking bridge. No walleye action was reported.
Rockport: Anglers reported fishing as very good over the last week. Lake trout were found in 45 to 70 feet of water along with Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, Atlantic salmon, and the occasional walleye. Fish were all throughout the water column, so covering all depths was key. Orange, greens, silver/ blue, and watermelon were all good colors. Anglers reported that spoons were most productive. Walleye anglers reported fish to be difficult to locate. Those who were successful trolled crankbaits 10 to 20 feet down over 40 to 60 feet of water.
Rogers City: Anglers targeting Swan Bay for adult Chinook salmon had minimal success. Those who were able to get them to bite were trolling inside 40 feet of water and using j plugs and/or bombers off planer boards in the early morning or late at night for the best results. Fishing from the marina up to 40 Mile Point and past was reported to have been excellent. Anglers caught good numbers of coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, young Chinook salmon, along with an occasional Atlantic salmon and walleye. The best depths were anywhere from 50 to 130 feet of water. Finding where the bait was and covering the entire water column seemed to produce the best results. Regular or walleye-sized spoons, as well as white flashers and flies worked well. Good colors to use were green, blue, white, yellow, silver, and orange, along with glow stuff both early and late. The steelhead were reported to have been high in the top 25 feet of water and orange, green and blue were all good colors for them.
Oscoda/Au Sable River: Salmon fishing from the pier seemed to slow down due to warm weather. However, there were still some salmon in the river and around the pier head. Anglers targeting salmon from shore found most of their luck using spoons such as little Cleos, Ko wobblers and moonshines. Gold and orange were hot colors and fishing in the early hours of the morning seemed to produce the best results for anglers. Channel catfish were caught in the lower Au Sable River using crawlers and cut bait on the bottom. A few Atlantic salmon were caught at Foote Dam when casting in line spinners and spoons. Smallmouth bass were caught throughout the river by anglers using minnow presentations such as a weightless fluke or a jerk bait.
Harrisville: Walleye, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon were caught by anglers targeting 40 to 60 feet down in 125 feet of water while pulling spoons. Coho and Chinook salmon were also caught inside the harbor. Skein under a float and casting spoons produced the best results inside the harbor. Casting Rapalas after dark off the rocks produced walleye as well.
Black River: Offshore from Black River in 40 to 60 feet of water anglers did well on coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, Chinook salmon, and a few pink salmon when targeting halfway down the water column. Trolling spoons and flasher flies seemed to produce the best results. Walleye were also caught in 40 to 60 feet of water while trolling spoons. In Black River there were a few coho salmon caught on little Cleos, along with a few Chinook salmon caught on flicker shads and rattle traps.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Frankfort: The cold front that moved in this past week pushed the staging Chinook salmon up into the rivers, leaving little to no activity in the bay. Anglers trolling the pier heads caught few young Chinook salmon, and a couple coho salmon, but due to high winds anglers were not venturing north to Platte Bay. Anglers who made the trip reported that the coho salmon in Platte Bay were moving into the mouth in the evenings and out during daylight hours.
Onekama: Anglers were reporting low numbers of immature Chinook salmon in the Barrel, along with a couple lake trout when trolling a bit deeper in 70 to 90 feet of water. Spoons seemed to produce the best results.
Charlevoix: Boat anglers reported slow numbers of salmon throughout the week. Those having success reported trolling primarily plugs near Medusa. Fishing anywhere from 20 to 40 feet down produced some results closer to shore. Those fishing the piers reported slow but steady numbers of smallmouth bass using live bait.
Little Traverse Bay: Anglers reported good numbers of salmon pushing up the Bear River. Bottom bouncing beads, spawn, or flies produced results. Anglers reported good numbers of coho and Chinook salmon, as well as steady numbers of pink salmon. The occasional brown trout and brook trout were also reported. Those trolling for salmon in the bay reported slow numbers. Trolling plugs produced some results at 75 to 90 feet down.
Manistee: Boat anglers trolling just outside the pier heads in 30 to 40 feet of water caught limited numbers of dark Chinook salmon. The warm water made fishing tough. Salmon and steelhead were also caught in 120 to 200 plus feet of water while fishing 50 to 100 feet down. The piers produced a few Chinook salmon while casting spoons in the early morning and late evening hours; most were dark.
Ludington: Warm water slowed things down again. A mix of steelhead, Chinook salmon, and coho salmon were caught off Big Sable Point in 150 to 300 feet of water when fishing 35 to 90 feet down, but it was hit or miss. Steelhead were also caught off the projects (Ludington Pumped Storage Power Generation Facility) in 120 to 230 feet of water at various depths. Dark Chinook salmon were caught inside the pier heads and in Pere Marquette Lake, but it was starting to slow down. A few Chinook salmon were caught from the stub pier while casting spoons.
Leland: Fishing efforts were reported as low; however, a few boat anglers tried their luck at the first bank. Anglers reported catching a fair number of smaller Chinook and coho salmon. With the lake trout season closing soon, more anglers seemed to be targeting them. These anglers found success along the first bank. Shore angler efforts were focused on smallmouth bass and Chinook salmon but found no success.
West Grand Traverse Bay: Few anglers went out to the bowl in front of the Boardman River and found a couple Chinook salmon. Anglers reported that the fishing was tougher. Anglers reported fishing in around 80 to 100 feet of water. Purple colored baits and flasher flies were reported to have worked best. No angling activity was reported near shore or on the piers.
Upper Peninsula
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers were catching mostly lake trout this last week, along with increased numbers of salmon in the bays. Most successful trips were while trolling, however jigging for lake trout continued to be reliable.
Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Entry Canal: Anglers trolling and jigging for lake trout reported that the fishing was consistently good. These anglers were focusing their efforts in depths of below 120 feet of water to above 70 feet of water. Anglers also found salmon while trolling in cooler water. Expect fish to begin moving closer to shore while temperatures cool and water temperatures drop off!
St. Ignace: Shore anglers at the Carp River cement footing pier reported having less luck compared to previous weeks. Anglers who traveled upstream past the rapids had a better chance of catching one or two. Anglers were either casting spoons or fly fishing. Good colors to use were blue/silver, copper, orange, and purple. Fishing pressure was high at Nunns Creek. Salmon anglers were wading out between 50 and 70 yards from the mouth of the creek, and were casting spoons, spinner baits, and spawn.
Little Bay de Noc: Anglers were fishing around the Escanaba River for coho salmon. Those fishing the river mouth were casting or trolling minnow-like baits to trigger bites, with rattle baits proving somewhat successful. Some coho salmon anglers in the river were drifting spawn or beads, with limited success. Walleye anglers reported fair to good fishing. Areas in which anglers reported success were “black bottom”, Escanaba River, and the reefs in the upper bay. Smallmouth bass anglers reported good fishing when targeting fish that were on the bottom of drop-offs.
Manistique: Pink salmon were reported to have been plentiful in the river. Anglers were drifting beads and casting reactions baits for pink salmon, while those targeting Chinook salmon reported slow fishing and were awaiting a push of salmon in the river.
Marquette: Lake trout were caught consistently with the most successful anglers making their way out towards the clay banks west of Granite Rock. Upper harbor still seemed to be the popular choice to leave from among anglers on days that the weather cooperated. Excellent numbers of lake trout were caught jigging or trolling around the northeast side of White Rocks and out towards Granite Island. Anglers reported catching a few salmon out by Granite Rock and creeping up in the rivers around Marquette. Watermelon and fire tiger colors worked well, along with green and orange Spin-n-Glos or green/silver flasher fly presentations for lake trout. Chartreuse and silver jigs 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.
Au Train: Lake Trout were caught by anglers jigging in approximately 160 feet of water north to northeast of Au Train Island, especially with cut bait. Most anglers trolling reported lake trout being caught while trolling in waters around 130 to 180 feet north to northwest of Au Train Island in the flats or out towards the Laughing White Fish Clay Banks. Wonder Bread, multicolored glow spoons or green/silver flasher flies were good color combinations. A little bit of cut bait jigging or trolling with Wonder Bread or chartreuse cowbells produced very well at deeper depths of 130 to 180 feet of water.
Ontonagon River: The river saw extremely low angling efforts over the past week. Reports show that very few fish have been caught recently. Anglers fishing in the early morning hours reported catching an occasional walleye.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Fishing from these ports was reported as great over the past week. Angling efforts remained strong, and lake trout were caught in good numbers. Reports suggest that anglers found the most success when trolling in deeper waters.
Black River Harbor: Angling efforts from the harbor were low over the past week. Angler reports show that recent catches consisted of lake trout in respectable numbers. These fish were caught by those trolling in deeper waters.
Fishing tip: Is your outdoor first aid kit ready to go?
Do you carry a first aid kit with you while you’re out fishing? You never know what can happen, so it never hurts to be prepared. If you’re interested in putting together a kit, be sure to include the following:
- Rubber gloves
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Thermometer
- Hemostat
- Compresses
- Adhesive bandages
- Medical tape
- Compression bandage
- Antibiotic ointment
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Antibiotic wipes
- Eye-wash fluid
- Aspirin/ibuprofen
Don’t forget to regularly check your first aid kit’s inventory and replenish as needed!