A reminder that walleye, pike and muskellunge season on the Upper Peninsula Great Lakes, inland waters, St. Marys 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 Greats Lakes, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and the Detroit River.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Boats were out trolling for walleye but anglers will need to watch for floating ice. Fish were caught on crank baits in 13 to 21 feet. Shore anglers caught perch in the cut on the north end of the Metro Park.

Huron River: Was producing some steelhead up near the dam. Anglers were using fresh spawn or a jig tipped with a wax worm.

Detroit River: Shore anglers were getting some perch in the cuts, canals and marinas when using minnows, worms, red spikes and wax worms.

Saginaw Bay: Boat fishing along the west and south end of the bay was not possible due to ice that blew back in, although a few boats did get out by Spoils Island and took some walleye by vertical jigging in the ship channel. Shore anglers fishing the lower Kawkawlin River near Castaways and the cuts at Thomas Road and Kirk Road were taking a few small perch. There was not much happening on the lower Quanicassee River except for the odd crappie or a few perch caught from the Old State Road Bridge. Shore anglers caught a few perch and a couple pike in the lower Sebewaing River. The cut at Bay Port also produced a few perch. At Mud Creek, a few fish were still being caught in the early morning but tapered off quickly. A few walleye were also caught while perch fishing. Anglers are reminded that the inland walleye regulations call for a minimum size limit of 15 inches (not 13) and a daily possession limit of 5 fish (not 8). Shore anglers at Caseville were taking a few perch in the marina by poking a hole through the soft ice and fishing from the docks.

Saginaw River: Had a lot of activity at the Rust Avenue ramp and at the Zilwaukee ramp. Boat anglers did well for walleye upstream from the Zilwaukee Bridge in 15 feet when vertical jigging and near the St. Mary’s Health Building in downtown Saginaw. Boats from Rust Avenue were going upstream to the confluence of the Shiawassee and Tittabawassee rivers and did fairly well. Most were vertical jigging with a chartreuse jig tipped with a blue, purple ice or black ice plastic tail. Boats trolling for walleye in the lower river were not doing very well. The bite slowed with the cold temperatures but should pick back up as the weather improves.

Tittabawassee River: Fishing was slow but a few were taken while casting jigs or vertical jigging from boats. The water was still a little high and a little dirty but very fishable. The better walleye fishing was centered around Gordonville Road and upstream to the Dow Dam. Shore anglers did pretty well casting jigs with minnows or twister tails in the area from the Gordonville Road access site upstream as far as the train bridge. Boats were working both upstream and downstream. Almost all the walleye caught were smaller males; as the spring run has not yet started.

Back to Top

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Overall: Coho salmon were starting to show up in the southern portion of Lake Michigan. New Buffalo and St. Joseph would be good places to start. Steelhead movement was good in the large river systems. The inland lakes were ice free for the most part.

St. Joseph River: Staff cleaning out the fish ladders reported good numbers of steelhead using the ladders at Berrien Springs and Niles.

Kalamazoo River: Had good steelhead movement.

Grand River at Grand Rapids: Water levels are coming down and the river is fishable. Anglers were getting a good number of fish up near the Sixth Street Dam. Steelhead were hitting on spawn and a couple walleye were taken on a jig with a rubber tail, minnows or flatfish.

Rogue River: Was also producing some steelhead.

Grand River at Lansing: Very few anglers were out. The walleye bite slowed. A few pike were caught on minnows or crank baits in the downtown area.

Muskegon Lake: Is ice free except for the area off Cottage Grove. The State Park launch on the north end and most of the city launches on the south end are open. Boat anglers were getting some perch in 40 to 50 feet on the west end. A few walleye were caught in the channel and near the river mouth.

Muskegon River: Water levels continue to drop. Anglers will need to watch for debris coming down which is hard to see when the water is stained. Those casting have caught some very nice steelhead.

Mona Lake: A few perch were caught near the Henry Road Bridge.

Back to Top

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Burt Lake: Fishing pressure slowed as some were having a hard time finding fish. A few walleye were taken in seven to 18 feet. Some perch were caught but many were small. Spear anglers were seeing small pike along the weeds in eight feet. Ice at the access sites was showing some damage and there was open water. Ice thickness varies. Anglers need to use caution near the river mouths and near the pressure cracks which have started to buckle.

Higgins Lake: With the shoreline ice broken up, the North State Park access site is the only place to get on the lake now. Avoid the area around Treasure Island and off Point Detroit. Smelt anglers are walking out from the State Park. The fish were hitting in 20 to 30 feet in the late afternoon and after dark. Lake herring were also caught. Lake trout were found in 100 feet or more. Perch were caught in 20 to 30 feet but many were small and keepers were few.

Houghton Lake: Still has ice fishing. Be sure to watch for old spearing holes which may not be visible because of snow cover. Use caution near the pressure cracks, the Middle Grounds and near any inlets. The bluegill, sunfish and crappie bite were good with limit catches reported for those using tear-drops. Green, white and purple were good colors. Walleye fishing slowed so anglers downsized and were using anything small such as a small Swedish pimple. Pike fishing continues to be good.

Tawas: Boats launching from the lower river were heading down off Alabaster and catching lake trout in 10 to 20 feet when trolling spoons.

Tawas River: Shore anglers in the lower river caught a couple walleye or steelhead.

Au Gres: Boat anglers were heading out but no walleye were caught.

Au Gres River: Shore anglers targeting walleye were not having much luck. A few did manage to catch the odd pike.

Back to Top

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Overall: There was still some ice fishing taking place however those heading out need to use extreme caution. Steelhead fishing was so-so.

Anglers are catching a few winter fish, but the main spring run has not showed up yet. Reports have come in of brown trout caught off the piers along Lake Michigan.

Lake Charlevoix: Still had anglers fishing the South Arm. Perch fishing was decent in 20 to 30 feet.

Traverse City: Anglers were getting a few perch along the south end of the West Bay.

Betsie River: Was producing some steelhead.

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell: Ice fishing season is over. Any remaining ice should not be considered safe.

Manistee: When they could get out, boat anglers trolling for trout and salmon caught brown trout. A few coho were also mixed in. Those vertical jigging in the channel caught a few walleye.

Big Manistee River: Some chrome colored steelhead were taken in the lower section of the river.

Ludington: Boat anglers were getting some nice catches of brown trout and a few coho when trolling along the beach in 10 to 15 feet. Pier anglers caught brown trout.

Pere Marquette River: Anglers were getting steelhead though the return of cold weather will slow the bite. Try fishing the deeper holes until it warms back up.

Back to Top

Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw Bay: The ice stops a few miles out near Pequaming and over to the red rocks. Lake trout fishing was slow with limited success off the Whirl-I-Gig. Some were fishing near the edge of the ice however anglers should not go that far because the ice could break free at any time. A few coho and splake were caught out from the Falls River. Smelt fishing has been very good. Anglers were taking fair catches off the Baraga Marina and Sand Point during the day but the catch rates go up after dark when using a light in the water. Try a small spoon with a teardrop jig tied above it and wax worms.

Little Bay De Noc: Still had ice in many areas but was also showing signs of receding and areas of open water have appeared in various spots. Anglers will need to use caution as some vehicles have broken through the ice in shallow areas. Walleye anglers reported few catches. Those fishing the Ford River reported stained water with no visibility. The best reports came from the head of the Bay in 14 to 22 feet and out from the Escanaba ship docks just south of the Escanaba River in 30 feet when jigging rapalas or using tip-ups.

Perch catches were low for those targeting the Kipling flats in 23 to 30 feet with minnows and wigglers. Those looking for the large perch were using small rapalas in deeper water. Several anglers caught whitefish while jigging for perch. Pike were the most caught fish whether targeting them or not. Spearing around Butler Island was good with many fish in shallow waters four to 10 feet deep. If anglers plan to head up for the last weekend of walleye season, it would be a good idea to ask the locals about ice conditions before venturing out.

Marquette: When the bubblers were free of ice, good numbers of coho along with the occasional brown trout or splake were caught. The ice blew in last Saturday afternoon and anglers were no longer able to access the bubblers by boat or the ice as it was not safe to walk on.

Au Train: Had very little fishing pressure around the area.

Munising: Ice fishing pressure was high on the weekends. Catch rates for coho and smelt were slightly less than the previous week but anglers continue to do well overall. Catches varied from group to group with some reporting no fish while others reported fair catches. For coho, they are using a Swedish pimple or assorted jigging spoons. Schools of smelt were more prevalent late afternoon into the evening but a couple anglers did well during the day. The best option for smelt is a Hali jig or a tear-drop jig tipped with wax worms. Whitefish catches remain low however most anglers were targeting coho and smelt. Most fish appear suspended anywhere from 10 to 40 feet depending on where the schools of smelt are. Night anglers reported fair catch rates for burbot with most running 22 to 24 inches.

Brevoort Lake: The bite slowed but anglers were still finding some perch and walleye.

Cedarville and Hessel: Fishing had picked up some around the Les Cheneaux Islands with perch anglers getting eight to 16 inch fish on spikes, mousies, wigglers and minnows in 12 to 18 feet. Some 26 to 34 inch pike were also taken on minnows. One 44 inch muskie was harvested. Anglers need to use caution where there is a strong current and around the island points which had open water or bad ice. 

Back to Top

Fishing Tip: Storing your ice fishing equipment for next season

It’s about that time when you’ll need to get ready to store your ice fishing equipment. The key is doing it properly so you’ll be ready to hit the ice next winter! Here is a checklist of things to do:

1. If you have an auger, check it for any damage and then dry all 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 if they leak. 

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 pests at bay. 

4. Take a full inventory of your rods, reels and tackle to see what you might need/want to purchase next year. Also remove all bait or line from your hooks and lures for storage and make sure everything is dry. 

By the time everything is properly stored you’ll be itching to get out on your favorite stream, river or lake for some spring fishing! 

Back to Top