Weekly Fishing Report: March 12, 2015
Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 03/12/2015 08:00 AM EDT|
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Weekly Fishing Report
March 12, 2015
Weekly Fishing Tip: Storing ice fishing equipment
The opportunities to ice fish are quickly coming to an end – so now may be the time to think about properly storing your ice fishing equipment. Here is a checklist of things to do:
1. If you have an auger, check it for any damage and then dry all of the blades before storing it. You may want to consult your power auger’s manual to know how to appropriately handle any leftover gas and how to protect the engine.
2. Remove the batteries from any of your electronics to prevent any potential damage from leaking batteries.
3. Make sure your portable shelter is completely clean and dry before storing. You may want to put some moth balls in it or hang it to keep certain pests at bay.
4. Take a full inventory of your rods, reels and tackle to see what you might need to purchase next year. Also remove all bait or line from your hooks and lures for storage and make sure everything is dry.
Click on the links below to jump to the report section that interests you most:
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Upper Peninsula
Anglers are reminded that walleye, pike and muskie season on the Upper Peninsula Great Lakes, inland waters, St. Mary’s River and all the Lower Peninsula inland waters will close at midnight on March 15. Walleye and pike season is open all year on the Lower Peninsula Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and the Detroit River. Ice shanties placed on waters in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula must be removed by midnight on March 15.
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Lake Erie: Was producing the occasional walleye in Brest Bay. Those heading out from the marina need to use caution because of soft ice. At the Metro Park, anglers caught a lot of small perch.
Huron River: Is starting to open up. Anglers have caught a couple steelhead.
Detroit River: Did not have much flow ice yet. Catch rates for perch in Airport Bay were hit-or-miss. The canals around Gibraltar were producing a few perch.
Lake St. Clair: Ice conditions are rapidly deteriorating. Locations where there is a current such as near the mouth of tributaries and around the points have already opened up. Ice along the shorelines is thawing and becoming soft. Perch fishing has been brutally slow as it seems the last ice feeding frenzy has not yet materialized. Anglers will need to use extreme caution in the days ahead as ice conditions can change rapidly with the warm temperatures.
Clinton River: Steelhead anglers were out but no fish were caught. The upper river near Yates Dam was still frozen over and the area with open water still had shelf ice. The water is dirty because of melting snow and runoff.
St. Clair River: Has a lot of flow ice coming down and there are ice jams in the lower channels. Conditions are constantly changing depending on wind direction and temperatures. Steelhead and coho are being caught by anglers casting from shore when conditions allow. Flow ice can shift rapidly so anglers may find it necessary to search for open water from day to day.
Saginaw Bay: Perch fishing was spotty in seven to 20 feet off Palmer Road. Most anglers were targeting 10 feet and when they found a school of fish, some big ones were caught. Evenings were best for walleye off Erickson Road and some perch were also caught. Walleye were caught in 15 feet off Linwood, six to 15 feet off the Bay City Recreation Area and four to 10 feet off the trailer park. Those heading out from Finn Road and Callahan Road are fishing in seven to 10 feet around the island. Fishing slowed off Quanicassee and Thomas Road. A few small perch were caught in the Slot from Sebewaing to Bay Port and at Geiger Road.
Tittabawassee River: Had little activity. The ice is bad so anglers are not able to get to their fishing spots.
Saginaw River: Ice conditions will deteriorate quickly with temperatures in the 50’s. Wickes Park and the Zilwaukee Bridge were slow with only a few keepers caught. Catch rates were picking up along M-13 near Veterans Park and the Independence Bridge when fishing on the Essexville side of the channel. Catch rates were slow at the mouth.
SOUTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA
Ice movement on the rivers and streams may cause ice jams. Those fishing the rivers will need to pay close attention to flow ice and rising water levels.
Gun Lake: Gave up a few perch. For walleye, try 10 to 20 feet east of Murphy’s Point.
Gull Lake: Anglers are taking some smelt. Pike were still hitting on tip-ups and the bite should be good until the season closes on March 15.
Grand River at Grand Rapids: Boat and shore anglers will need to watch for flow ice coming over the dam. Steelhead are responding to the warmer weather and are hitting on jigs with wax worms or bright colored spawn bags.
Grand River at Lansing: Anglers have caught an occasional walleye near the dams. Try a chartreuse jig with a minnow.
Morrison Lake: Is producing some crappie and bluegills. The better fishing was very early morning or at night.
Muskegon River: The steelhead bite was still slow because of the cold water but as the weather heats up so does the fishing. Anglers were using stoneflies and midges just off the shoreline.
NORTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA
Higgins Lake: The ice was still snow covered but it is packing down. Anglers are reminded to use caution near the inlets and areas where there are natural springs. Perch fishing was good on the north end off B & B Marina, around the Main Island and the Sunken Island when using wigglers, wax worms or minnows in 50 to 60 feet. Lake trout were caught right off the bottom in 80 to 110 feet. Try goldens or blues. A good number of rainbow trout are still being caught off Big Creek and the Conference Center.
Houghton Lake: Still has ice but there is a lot of slush and water on top of it. Anglers are advised to not take vehicles out on the ice from this point on. The bluegill bite has picked up. The fish were suspended three to four feet down in 10 to 12 feet. A few walleye were also caught in 10 to 12 feet.
Lake St. Helen: Is still producing some crappie especially after dark. Pike are still hitting on tip-ups and the bite should continue until the season closes on the 15. Bluegills were starting to become more active.
Tawas: Is producing a few perch in 15 to 20 feet. Many are small but some keepers were taken. A couple walleye were caught in waters 18 to 22 feet deep. Those spearing did take a couple pike.
Au Gres: Walleye were caught north of the breakwall in waters five to 18 feet deep.
NORTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA
The rivers should be open by this weekend, although they may go from ice covered and unfishable to blown out, muddy, and unfishable.
Green Lake: Is still producing smelt for those fishing after dark.
Crystal Lake: Had good smelt action for those fishing at night.
Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell: Bluegills are becoming more active with the warmer weather. Crappie were hitting on minnows, wax worms or spikes.
Lake Missaukee: Is producing panfish. Bluegills are starting to become more active and crappie were hitting early morning or at night. The better fishing is usually west and north of the launch at Green Road.
Manistee River: Is producing some steelhead for those using wax worms and beads.
Pere Marquette River: The steelhead bite is on and anglers are catching fish between Croton Dam and Newaygo. The lower river still had some ice flow.
UPPER PENINSULA
Keweenaw Bay: Had a few small slush pockets on the ice. Catch rates were slow but a few splake and coho were caught out from the Falls River. Some caught the occasional lake trout. Smelt fishing has been hit-or-miss.
Marquette: In general, fishing was slow. Anglers were fishing the “bubblers” at the Upper Harbor but there have been several close calls because of ice conditions. Anglers need to use extreme caution! Coho, a few Chinook just over eight pounds and brown trout up to six pounds were caught. Successful days vary with some doing well in the early morning while others did better mid-day. Catch rates were zero to four fish. Baits of choice were heavier pink or white jigs tipped with twister tails, gulp and cut bait but some also did well with Swedish pimples. The “bubbler” further out seemed to be more productive. A few lake herring were caught on jigs. Those fishing the Lower Harbor and out from South Beach were trying for coho and whitefish but few were caught. A couple small splake were reported. A few anglers were targeting steelhead below the 41-Bridge by the Carp River but catch rates were poor. Most of the rivers in this area were still frozen.
Au Train Bay: Had no activity at the Brownstone Launch or the mouth of the Au Train River.
Menominee River: The walleye bite was slow but should pick up with the warmer temperatures.
Little Bay De Noc: Walleye anglers reported the best catches of the season down by the Ford River and some reported limit catches when using tip-ups with sucker minnows or jigging rapalas in 15 to 22 feet. Most of the fish sampled were large females over 23 inches. While anglers were driving snowmobiles and 4-wheelers about ½ mile out, extreme caution needs to be used when traveling near the mouth of the Ford River as this area could become DANGEROUS with the warmer weather. Other areas like the Center Reef had fair catches when using tip-ups with suckers in 13 to 24 feet. Similar results on the Kipling Flats, the “Narrows” and out from the Terrace Bay Inn when using tip-ups or jigging rapalas in 25 to 35 feet. Perch anglers reported fair catches throughout the Bay when using wigglers or minnows in 10 to 26 feet. Some whitefish were caught on minnows in 25 to 45 feet in Gladstone Bay. Be careful and watch for changes in the ice as temperatures start to rise.
Munising: Improving weather had more anglers out but catch rates were still slow. Ice was solid but snow on top of the ice will turn to slush and anglers may encounter deep slush pockets especially around the shoreline. Most anglers are fishing in 30 to 70 feet. Many splake were sub-legal but a few keepers were taken on eggs or minnows. The whitefish and coho action continues to be slow. Those targeting burbot have done well in the evening. Catch rates were spotty in Trout Bay with only a few coho, lake trout, herring and burbot taken.
St. Mary’s River: Fishing remains slow in Munuscong Bay. Anglers may want to target waters along the northwest end of the bay near Grassy Island for perch and walleye.
Cedarville and Hessel: Those fishing off Hessel were targeting perch in 18 to 24 feet in Wilderness Bay. Musky Bay was full of undersized pike.
The Weekly Fishing Report is intended to give anglers an ”idea” of what is going on around the state. Updates for the report come from our DNR Fisheries Creel Clerks (seasonal staff) and field staff as well as DNR Conservation Officers working in in the field. General information when available can be found in the first paragraph for each section of the report. For those looking for specific information on a certain body of water or port, it is safe to say if a certain species is being caught in some waters in the area, more than likely they are being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.
While we would love to include all waters and ports of the state that simply is not possible, especially with more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams.
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