Weekly Fishing Report: January 4, 2018

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Weekly Fishing Report

January 4, 2018

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Ice fishing is on for most of the state however ice conditions are variable in some locations.  Anglers will need to use caution especially in those areas that have received a lot of snow.  Check the ice ahead of you and around you when heading out and remember deep snow and slush will hide dangerous pressure cracks and depressions. 

Steelhead fishing has come to a standstill as most rivers have shelf ice or floating ice.

 

Southeast Lower Peninsula


Overall: Anglers are fishing the inland lakes in this area of the state.   


Lake Erie:  Perch anglers are taking fish in the Metro Park Marina and near the Banana Dike.  Some good size fish have been caught on minnows and wax worms but anglers were still sorting out the small ones.  Brest Bay is giving up walleye for those using Swedish pimples and jigging rapalas in 16 feet.  Most anglers are walking out.  Bluegills were caught in Lake Point Marina which is near the mouth of the Huron River.  


Detroit River:  Ice anglers have caught yellow perch along the south end of Grosse Ile in Airport Bay.  Most were using minnows and wax worms.  


Lake St. Clair:  All the regular access sites have good ice.  Yellow perch fishing was excellent on the north end of the lake.  


Saginaw Bay:  Had little fishing activity from White’s Beach south to Linwood.  There has been a fair amount of activity off Linwood with some anglers going as deep as 24 feet and taking good catches of walleye however anglers need to use caution as there is an active pressure crack off Linwood and at least one machine has gone through the ice.  Changes in wind direction can cause water level changes under the ice and this caused a pickup truck to break through the ice last weekend.  There was a fair amount of ice fishing off the Bay City State Park.  On the east side, there was light fishing pressure from Sebewaing to Bay Port with most fishing just outside the islands and in the Slot.  Perch, pike and walleye were taken in Wildfowl Bay. 


Saginaw River:  Has ice anglers fishing the length of the river, from Wicke’s Park in Saginaw all the way down to the mouth.  Ice thickness varies so anglers need to use extreme caution.  Walleye were caught at most locations when using a fire-tiger jigging rapala tipped with a minnow head.  Catfish have also been caught and a large lake sturgeon was caught recently.  Anglers are reminded that any sturgeon caught anywhere in the Saginaw River or Saginaw Bay must be released immediately.  Keep in mind that handling these fish for any length of time in these temperatures can cause the gill filaments to freeze and result in the death of a fish so get them back in the water as quickly as possible.   

 

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Southwest Lower Peninsula


Overall: People have started ice fishing in this area of the state however the ice thickness varies considerably due to heavy snow.  Many lakes have several inches of slush under several inches of snow which is slowing the freezing process.  Ice thickness can go from four inches to once inch in just a few feet.  Anglers should use extreme caution if they decide to head out, especially in the high snow areas near Lake Michigan or on lakes with natural springs.  Ice conditions improve to the east including the area from Jackson to Lansing where there is less snow.  Best advice is to use a spud and check the ice often.  Anglers are catching bluegill and crappie using jigs and wax warms or spikes. With ice coming down the rivers, steelhead fishing has been difficult.  


Kalamazoo:  Ice in the Kalamazoo area is marginal due to heavy snow, but people have been getting out.  Most reported trips cut short due to the ice sinking or difficulty getting to regular spots.  


Muskegon Lake:  Has ice anglers targeting panfish.      


Muskegon River:  Steelhead fishing and angler activity has been extremely slow during this period of arctic weather.  


White Lake:  Has ice anglers.  No reports on catch rates have come in.          

 

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Northeast Lower Peninsula


Mullett Lake:  Anglers were out ice fishing but caution needs to be used.  Those using tip-ups were targeting pike.       


Otsego Lake:  Had anglers out fishing.  


Higgins Lake:  Is frozen but anglers will need to use caution.  No one was fishing in deep water yet because it takes longer to freeze.  Anglers were walking out from the south launch.  The ice was still thin off the west launch so avoid that area.  

    

Houghton Lake:  Has good ice however anglers need to use caution near the inlets.  Some areas have little snow while other areas are drifting.  Walleye anglers are getting a few fish when using Swedish pimples and do-jiggers or rattle jigs.  Hot colors were nickel blue, orange, pearl and dark green.  Walleye anglers are also catching a lot of pike.  Bluegills have been caught on teardrops tipped with a wax worm.  If the bite slows, try wigglers.   


Lake Margrethe:  Has ice anglers.  


Tawas:  Those in the bay were targeting walleye, lake trout and burbot in 15 to 18 feet over the artificial reef.  Those out toward the tip of Tawas Point were getting some walleye.  


Au Gres:  Most anglers were two to three miles out from the Pine River and off Palmer Road.  


Au Gres River:  Anglers were taking a few walleye.  Some were fishing out on the bayou southwest of the river mouth but no reports had come in.  

 

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Northwest Lower Peninsula


Overall: Many of the lakes northwest of Grayling had sloppy conditions. There wasn’t a lot of ice to begin with and after getting hammered with a lot of snow, the ice is now insulated which slows the freezing process.  There is a lot of slush under the snow.   Be very careful especially around the Traverse City area.  


Lake Missaukee:  Ice fishing is going well with anglers targeting mostly panfish.  


Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell:  Anglers are fishing however ice thickness is not consistent because of all the snow.  Areas with slush are also hidden by the snow cover.  Both lakes have given up some nice pike and walleye on tip-ups.  Good size bluegills and crappie were taken in the coves on Lake Mitchell.      


Big Manistee River:  Steelhead fishing is mostly shut down due to the arctic weather.


Pere Marquette River:  Shelf ice has locked up many sections of the river.  Anglers will have to wait for it to warm back up.    

 

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Upper Peninsula


Overall: Inland lakes in this region have ice however caution still needs to be used because of deep snow and slush insulating most of the lakes.  


Courtney Lake:  In Ontonagon County had anglers fishing for brook trout.   


Lake Gogebic:  Anglers are fishing for walleye and perch.  

   

Keweenaw Bay:  Had no safe ice but there is a chance anglers could be out within the next two weeks   


Alberta Pond:  In Baraga County had some brook trout anglers.   


Lake Antoine:  In Dickinson County had some ice shanties and angler activity.     


Munising:   The bay is ice covered and has anglers fishing close to shore near the city docks, the Sunset Motel and the Anna River access site.  Ice thickness is unknown so please use caution especially off Sand Point.   Ice anglers are targeting splake and Lake Whitefish when jigging small rapalas tipped with a single egg.  Those using tip-ups are targeting splake with a minnow.  Stay clear of thinking you can walk to Grand Island.  Just because you see white ice does not mean it is safe! 


Indian Lake:  Was producing pike for those using tip-ups.     


Manistique Lake:  Was producing some nice walleye catches.   


Munuscong Lake:  Was producing some perch and walleye.  


St. Marys River:  Had quite a few ice shanties in Munuscong Bay.  Most were moving around a lot because the bite was good one day but they would have no hits the next day in the same spot.  

 

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Fishing Tip: Are you ready (and prepared) to go ice fishing?

It may be cold, but it also means you can likely go ice fishing! Are you planning to head out? Then it’s time to get prepared to do so safely!

 

Equipment

You’ll need some special equipment if you head out ice fishing. Take stock of your spud/auger, skimmer, shelter and apparel to have an enjoyable experience out on the water.

 

Techniques

Pick your preferred ice fishing technique and the species you wish to target and brush up on your skills – whether that is hook-and-line fishing for bluegill, sunfish, perch or crappie; using tip-ups for northern pike, walleye or trout; or spearing for northern pike, muskellunge or sturgeon. 

 

Safety

You should always stay safe when heading on the ice. These five tips can help: 1) Never fish alone; 2) Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return; 3) Always test the ice with a spud; 4) Take the appropriate emergency items, such as a lifejacket and ice picks; and 5) Take a cell phone with you in case you need to call for help. Keep it in a plastic, sealable bag to make sure it doesn’t get wet.

 

Want more information on ice fishing? Visit Michigan.gov/fishing.
  

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The Weekly Fishing Report is intended to give anglers an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from DNR Fisheries seasonal and field staff, and DNR 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.
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