Ice anglers need to be careful especially with all the snow that has fallen and more to come by the weekend.  Deep snow will cover pre-existing holes, pressure cracks and other areas that can be dangerous.    

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Overall: Fishing on the inland lakes was slow.  Most panfish were taken on wax worms and spikes.  Many were out pike fishing.    

Lake Erie:  Anglers were taking some perch in the Metro Park Marina.  

Huron River:  Was producing a couple steelhead.    

Detroit River:  Anglers were getting some perch in Airport Bay.  Those fishing the marinas were getting bluegills and perch.      

St. Clair River:  Had some shelf ice coming down from Port Huron.      

Saginaw Bay:  Those that want to go out are doing so at their own risk!  Anglers are warned to stay away from the pressure cracks and do not try to cross them.   There is a bad pressure crack about 1 to 1 ½ miles offshore that runs from White’s Beach all the way down to Newberg Road south of Pinconning.  The crack was about 20 feet wide.  There is another crack that crossed the bay just north of the Black Hole and anglers should avoid that area.  Extreme caution needs to be used.  You might not see a pressure crack until you are on top of it and by then it is too late.  On the east side, there was bad ice from Rose Island Road north to Geiger Road due to currents in the area.  Anglers have fallen through in this area.  Bad ice was reported in Wildfowl Bay off Beadle Bay Marina.  The ice blew out at the Caseville Pier.  Fishing was spotty just about everywhere and perch fishing near shore normally starts to wind down this time of year.  

Saginaw River:  Ice conditions were extremely variable.  One angler went through the ice down near Crow Island.  Ice thickness was as thin as 1 or 2 inches in some spots.  Fishing was spotty at best.    

Tittabawassee River:  Was unfishable due to shore ice and floating ice. 

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Overall: Fishing continues on the inland lakes.  Use caution when venturing out as deep snow will limit your ability so see pressure cracks and spearing holes.  Anglers have caught pike, bluegills, perch, crappie and even some bass which must be released immediately.     

Grand River at Grand Rapids:  Anglers were still taking the occasional walleye or steelhead below the 6th Street Dam.  The Rogue River has frozen over so anglers will have to wait until the next thaw.  

Grand River at Lansing:  Had no reports.  Due to an ice jam, water levels were elevated near Portland.  Anglers need to use caution in this area. 

Lake Lansing:  Channel catfish have been caught on tip-ups with minnows in the deep holes.  Panfish have also been caught.      

Reeds Lake:  Continues to produce a good number of pike for those using tip-ups or spearing.  

Mona Lake:  Had good perch fishing near the Henry Street Bridge and next to the channel.  

Muskegon Lake:  Already has a good four to six inches of snow and more is coming by the weekend.  The deeper snow makes travel a bit more difficult.  Yellow perch have been caught along the drop-offs on the west end or between the black buoy and the Bear Lake channel.  Perch were also caught in the northeast corner off Second Street in 30 to 40 feet.  Walleye were caught in 20 to 25 feet.  Pike anglers have done very well off Heritage Landing and out from Hartshorn Marina.  

White Lake:  Had good perch fishing on the north end in 30 to 50 feet.  

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Black Lake:  Anglers need to be cautious near the river mouths, any pressure cracks and old spearing holes especially after the lake sturgeon season last Saturday.  Fishing slowed.  Walleye anglers jigging minnows in 15 to 20 feet had little luck.  Those that were caught ranged 18 to 21 inches.  A few pike up to 36 inches were caught in 15 feet.   

Higgins Lake:  Those spearing pike have done well including one fish that was 46 inches.  Lake trout anglers are using trout minnows in 80 to 100 feet or deeper.  Some nice perch were caught in 15 to 50 feet around the Main Island but anglers need to keep moving around to find them.  Smelt were caught in 30 to 50 feet off the North State Park, Big Creek, the west launch and to the south of it.  A few rainbow trout were taken on wigglers in a foot of water near the Conference Center.    

Houghton Lake:  Anglers still need to stay clear of a large pressure crack in the East Bay which runs from the canal on the west side of the East Bay and shoots northeast.  Anglers can fish inside the East Bay but do not try to cross over into the main body of the lake as the pressure crack had opened up and could be hard to see especially with the snow cover.  There is also a pressure crack at the entrance to the North Bay so use caution.  The bite has been up and down depending on the weather.  Pike are still being caught.  More walleye were still caught after 4pm and were hitting on jigging spoons or rapalas tipped with blues.  Orange and glow were still the hot colors.  If the walleye and bluegills are not hitting on minnows, try wigglers.  

Tawas:  Some lake trout and walleye were caught around the artificial reef in northern Tawas Bay.  Some perch were caught in 15 to 20 feet in the same area. This was the only area where we didn’t get reports of bad pressure cracks, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any out there.  Caution needs to be used.  

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Lake Leelanau:  Walleye have been caught in both lakes.  Perch fishing was better in the south lake where anglers were fishing in 20 to 30 feet.  The north lake was producing some lake trout in 80 to 100 feet.  Some smelt were taken along the north end.   

Green Lake:  Anglers were getting some perch in about 45 feet.  Those targeting pike have done well with a fair number of fish taken off the State Park.  Some smelt were caught in 40 to 50 feet.      

Long Lake:  In Grand Traverse County was producing some walleye and perch.  

Portage Lake:  Ice fishing continues with anglers taking perch and lake herring.  The perch were found in 25 to 30 feet especially on the east end.  Walleye and pike have also been caught.  

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell:  Ice fishing continues.  The bite slowed a bit but anglers were still getting a few walleye along with bluegills, crappie and a few perch.  Those spearing or using tip-ups continue to take pike.    

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Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw Bay:  Ice in the Bay was building on a daily basis and anglers were venturing further out.  Smelt fishing after dark was good.  Lake trout fishing was fair off Sand Point and the Whirl-i-gig.  The whitefish action was fair but the coho, splake and brown trout bite was slow.  

Little Bay De Noc:  Snow storms made travel on the Bay a little more difficult with many getting stuck.  Anglers need to be aware of a large pressure crack out from the Terrace Bay Inn which has been moving some as the weight of the snow increases.  Overall fishing slowed some.  Walleye anglers reported fair catches in the Kipling flats and north to the Vagabond Resort when jigging rapalas with minnows in 27 to 35 feet, out from the Terrace Bay Inn in 35 feet and near the Escanaba River in 25 to 30 feet.  A few anglers were fishing out by the Ford River but no reports have come in.  Perch catches were slow.  Anglers are catching some nice jumbo perch but fewer fish total.  Best spots were the Kipling flats in 27 to 35 feet, Gladstone Beach area in 30 feet and good numbers of smaller fish in the Escanaba Yacht Harbor when using minnows or wigglers with halo’s.  Whitefish anglers reported fair catches in Escanaba off Sand Point with spawn or minnows in the deep water drop-off.  Bigger fish were caught in 35 feet in the Gladstone area.  A lot of pike continue to be caught throughout the Bay but most were undersize.  

Munising:  Ice was holding in the bay but the ice beyond Grand Island was not safe and Trout Bay was not safe as northwest winds shifted a majority of the ice.  There is a large pressure crack near Rock 67 by Grand Island.  Those on snowmobiles should not cross the lake as it is not safe.  Several sleds went through the ice near Grand Island.  Fishing has varied as some anglers report decent catches of whitefish up to 15 inches and others reported poor catch rates.  The splake action was fair but the most fish were undersize.  Most were using Swedish pimples and assorted jigs, mousies, spawn, cut bait or fathead minnows.  Some have caught the occasional young rainbow trout or brown trout.  Some smelt along with young coho were caught off Sand Point.  Lake trout anglers fishing the west channel reported slow catch rates.  

Cedarville and Hessel:  Those fishing around the Les Cheneaux Islands reported slower fishing.  Anglers were seeing lots of smelt, perch and splake with little to no harvest.  Some perch about eight inches were caught on minnows, wax worms wigglers, spikes or artificial soft baits in 10 to 15 feet.  Splake were seen in 15 to 20 feet but no word on fish being caught.  Anglers need to use extreme caution near any pressure cracks, moving ice and in areas where there is a current.  

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Fishing Tip: Factors to think about when fishing for walleye in winter

Walleye are a popular target of ice anglers with many jigging for this aggressive species. But did you know weather can play an important role in your opportunity to catch them?

While you might not be able to notice the wind whipping outside your shanty, walleye under the ice notice it. When the wind shifts it impacts things under the water, including the current and silt. This might mean you’ll need to change locations on the ice to find what you’re looking for.

Fish are very sensitive to air pressure and when it’s consistent you’ll find the fish can be very active. But if the pressure drops you’ll also see a decline in bites.

Along with pressure you’ll see changes in activity thanks to temperature. Many anglers gravitate to their favorite spots on warmer days, only to find not much activity under the ice. Temperature drops affect the air pressure which turns many species off. 

Check out our Michigan Fish and How to Catch Them website for even more information on fishing for walleye.

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