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 occasionally caught salmon at the Cheboygan Dam spillway. The main catch was Chinook salmon, however the occasional coho salmon or steelhead were mixed in. Those using beads had the best results. Other good options were spawn, glow spoons, or minnow crank baits.
Rogers City: Very little fishing activity was reported out of Rogers City. The few anglers that made it out reported slow fishing.
Alpena: Fishing pressure was reported as low. Boat anglers who made it out reported no success for steelhead. Pier anglers caught the occasional coho or Atlantic salmon when casting small spoons with orange/silver, blue/silver, and green being most productive. Anglers trying for perch reported no success.
Thunder Bay River: The Chinook salmon run was reported to be winding down; however, anglers reported seeing quite a few coho and Atlantic salmon in the river. Anglers drifting beads and spawn as well as casting small spinners and spoons found success. The occasional steelhead and brown trout were also caught near the 9th Street Dam. No walleye were reported.
Oscoda/Au Sable River: Anglers floating spawn and beads in the lower river caught a few steelhead. Atlantic salmon were caught throughout the river, with most being taken on white streamers or orange spinners. Those fishing the pier were catching Atlantic salmon and steelhead, along with the occasional coho salmon when casting spoons in orange/gold or blue/silver. A few lake trout were also reported to have been caught off the pier.
Harrisville: The Harrisville harbor still had coho salmon, steelhead and a few Chinook salmon around. Fishing was reported as slower this week; however, a few coho salmon and steelhead were caught when floating spawn and casting spoons or spinners from the gas dock. There were a good number of perch around the harbor that anglers were able to do well on with minnows.
Black River: Anglers were catching the occasional coho salmon or steelhead when casting pink or red spinners. Steelhead were also caught when floating spawn. Mornings seemed to produce the most fish.
Au Gres: Windy conditions kept most boat anglers off the water. Yellow perch were starting to be caught in the Au Gres and Pine Rivers, but not in high numbers.
Tawas: Windy conditions kept fishing efforts to a minimum. A few boat anglers who were able to make it out caught a few walleye heading south from Gateway Park. Walleye were also caught by anglers fishing from the Tawas pier. A few steelhead were caught by anglers at Singing Bridge.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Charlevoix: Anglers fishing the piers reported an occasional smallmouth bass.
Little Traverse Bay: Anglers fishing the Bear River reported slow numbers of Chinook salmon and some coho salmon throughout the week. Bottom bouncing beads, spawn, and flies produced some results.
Manistee: Steelhead were caught by anglers from the piers and surf when using fresh spawn. Anglers casting spoons from the piers also reported catching a few. Boat anglers who trolled caught a few steelhead along the shelf to the south while fishing high in the water column with spoons.
Ludington: Steelhead and a couple coho salmon were caught from the piers while using fresh spawn.
Leland: Few pier anglers were targeting Chinook and coho salmon and found no luck while using artificial baits.
Platte and Betsie Rivers: Salmon runs were reported to have been 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 into the river, but not yet in large numbers.
Big Manistee River: Heavy amounts of fish were reported to have been in the river.
Upper Peninsula
St. Ignace: Fishing pressure decreased over the past week as the salmon run was nearly over. Anglers fished the Carp River for steelhead using beads or spawn.
Little Bay de Noc: Yellow perch anglers reported mixed results, with success varying from one day to the next. Anglers fished in front of Kipling boat launch, in the narrows, around Aronson Island, and near the Escanaba River. Most anglers used minnows on perch rigs. Walleye anglers reported fair to good fishing. Boat anglers were jigging or trolling crank baits. Anglers also reported good success when trolling after dark. During the daytime, anglers fished deeper, whereas anglers fishing during night hours targeted shallower areas, on top of the drop offs.
Manistique: Water levels were low in the river, allowing for sight fishing in many areas. Most anglers in the river were targeting what remained of the Chinook salmon run or steelhead. Anglers reported more steelhead in the river this week and were catching them when drifting natural bait, such as skein or artificial beads. Shore anglers had success near the lumberyard and by the “flumes”. Anglers using boats targeted the paper mill.
Ontonagon River: Fishing efforts on the river were extremely low over the past week. Anglers reported an extremely slow bite with very few fish caught. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: These ports saw somewhat low angling efforts over the past week. Weather conditions slightly limited lake access on some days. Anglers reported catches of lake trout in fair numbers. These fish were caught in a variety of water depths. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.
Black River Harbor: The harbor saw extremely low fishing efforts over the past week. Angler reports suggest that recent common catches consisted of lake trout in low numbers. These fish were found in a variety of water depths.
Marquette: Boat anglers fishing out of the upper harbor that went out for lake trout did very well. A few anglers were making their way down to the mouth of the Chocolay River to try for coho salmon and had mixed results. Coho salmon continued to be caught from the Chocolay River mouth all the way up to the M-28 fishing pier. Brown trout were also reported to have been consistent. There were many Chinook salmon and steelhead were reported in both the Chocolay and Carp Rivers, but anglers had trouble getting them to bite. Those who managed to land a steelhead reported decent-sized fish.
Hessel: Anglers reported catching smallmouth bass and yellow perch out of Hessel.
Fishing tip: Fall is an important time to think about gear maintenance
With the colder months quickly approaching, many anglers may be getting ready to store their gear for the season. Below are a few maintenance tips you should follow so your gear is cared for and ready to be used next season.
1. Make sure your gear is clean and completely dry before storing it. Start by cleaning everything (rods, reels and line) in fresh water with soap or with the manufacturer’s recommended solution to remove any materials that may have become attached or embedded.
2. Inspect your gear for any damage and make any repairs or prepare for replacements.
3. Don’t store any of your gear in direct sunlight and don’t store any of your gear where heat or moisture might build up.
4. Air your waders out completely, and don’t forget to hang them upside down for the months they are out of use.