The extremely warm weather helped improve fishing conditions especially on the inland lakes.  More anglers were out however catch rates were best in the early morning or evening when the heavy boat traffic slowed.  Bluegills are on or just moving off the beds.  The crappie action slowed as hot weather pushed the fish to deeper water.  Bass were caught along the shoreline and around structure.  Pike and carp could be seen in the shallows.      

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie:  A lot of boats were bringing in limits of walleye.  Out of Bolles Harbor, walleye were caught while trolling chartreuse, copper, and fire-tiger crawler harnesses in 22 to 24 feet at 50 feet back, silver and blue Bandits 40 feet back and between Bolles and the River Raisin with a redhead reef runner 12 feet down in 20 to 22 feet.  Around Buoys 1 and 2 off the River Raisin, walleye were caught in 23 feet with a red and purple crawler harness and bottom bouncers 30 feet back, around the Dumping Grounds with a purple and chartreuse harness in 22 feet and around the E-Buoy when drifting red and while Erie Dearies in 22 feet.  In Brest Bay, fish were caught on a crawler harness and bottom bouncer in 20 to 25 feet and 70 feet back or with planer boards 18 to 25 feet back.  Fish were also taken on fire-tiger crank baits higher in the water column.  Yellow perch were caught in 25 feet near Fermi when jigging minnows.  Crappie were caught around Toledo Beach in five to 11 feet when casting jigs.  Largemouth bass were caught around the Lost Peninsula Marina in three to five feet when casting.  Carp are spawning up in the shallows so those bowfishing did well around the launch at Sterling and in Maumee Bay.  Largemouth were also caught while casting black and white tube baits around Bolles Harbor in waters up to 10 feet deep. 

Detroit River:  Had a few anglers jigging for walleye at the mouth as most of the fish have dropped down into the lake.  Some white bass were still being caught.      

Lake St. Clair:  Had decent smallmouth bass fishing but anglers had to search for them as the fish seemed to be schooled together in dense areas.  Muskamoot Bay and off the Mile Roads were the better spots.  Walleye anglers had luck in six to eight feet in the early morning when trolling a crawler harness or casting crank baits in Anchor Bay and off Metro Beach.  Those fishing in the afternoon did best near the St. Clair Light.  Anglers caught good numbers of white bass and rock bass and there are plenty of pike especially around the weed beds and marsh areas off Fairhaven.  

Harbor Beach:  Some nice lake trout were still being caught straight out and north of the harbor.  Fish were caught in the bottom 50 of 80 to 100 feet with dodgers and spin-glo’s or 10 colors of lead line and offshore boards with spoons.  Best colors were silver with colored dots or a yellow, green and white combo with a red head.  A couple salmon and steelhead were caught north of the harbor in 50 to 90 feet with spoons off downriggers.  Use bright colored spoons such as silver, blue and green.  A few walleye were taken on small spoons closer to shore.  Bass were caught when casting or trolling close to shore with spoons and body baits.  

Saginaw Bay:  Walleye were still being caught including limit catches straight out from Eagle Bay Marina in eight to 15 feet, off the Pinconning and Saganning Bars.  Lots of limit catches from the B Buoy, Spark Plug, off Kawkawlin in seven to nine feet, Quanicassee and the Dumping Grounds.  Try crawlers and crank baits.  Purple, pink, and chartreuse were hot colors.  Bass are hitting on spinners and topwater plugs.  

Tittabawassee River:  Had good smallmouth action but the rain caused the water to rise and turn muddy.   

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Overall: The inland lakes finally had some good fishing.  The bluegills were spawning or just coming off the beds and were hitting on spiders or live baits.  Anglers have a caught a good number of bluegills, bass, pike, catfish and carp.  The crappie bite slowed as the fish moved back to deeper water because it has been too warm. 

St. Joseph:  Salmon fishing slowed but anglers were still taking a decent number of Chinook in 120 feet or more.  Coho and lake trout were also caught.  Spin-doctors and flies seem to work best.  Pier anglers caught catfish and freshwater drum.  Perch anglers were starting to catch some in 50 feet or so but fishing was still slow.  

South Haven:  Salmon fishing slowed here as well.  Boat anglers were still getting coho, lake trout and the occasional Chinook in 60 to well past 120 feet.  Spoons have caught the most but no particular color stood out.  Pier anglers are getting catfish and freshwater drum.  No perch to report.  

Grand Haven:  Salmon were caught 50 to 120 feet down in 170 to 250 feet.  Orange, blue and green spoons are working well along with green or white flies. Pier anglers using cut bait caught channel cats and freshwater drum.  

Grand River at Grand Rapids:  Walleye anglers are fishing around the bridges and the creek mouths.  Anglers were getting a good number of smallmouth bass so the opener should be good.  Pike were also caught.  

Grand River at Lansing:  The smallmouth action slowed at the North Lansing Dam.  The carp bite was excellent as the fish prepare to spawn.  

Morrison Lake:  Had good bluegill fishing.  Anglers were using red worms, wax worms and small flies.  

Lake Ovid:  Was producing a few crappie and lots of bluegills though many were small.     

Maple River:  Catfish were hitting on worms and live bait such as small bluegills.       

Muskegon:  Boat anglers have done well on salmon 45 to 100 feet down in 160 to 240 feet with green or white flies behind white flashers or bright colored spoons.  A couple smallmouth bass were caught by pier anglers using jigs.  

Muskegon Lake:  Bluegills were caught around the lake including just off the launch at the North State Park.  A few walleye were caught along the weed line between the State Park and the Bear Lake Channel.  Bass were caught near the docks.  Smallmouth were hitting on blade baits in the channel.  

Whitehall:  Boats trolling 40 to 80 feet down in 180 to 250 feet caught good numbers of Chinook and coho salmon along with the occasional steelhead. Blue or green flies and meat rigs along with spoons in orange, blue dolphin, and raspberry carbon all fished well. Pier anglers caught walleye in the channel in the early morning and late evening with body baits or soft plastic swimbaits.   

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan:  Anglers were getting limits of lake trout off Cordwood Point when trolling spoons and spin-glo’s in 45 to 80 feet.  The fish averaged five to nine pounds and were full of gobies.   

Cheboygan River:  Anglers were getting limits of walleye when drifting worms and leeches between the walkover bridge and the drawbridge.  Anglers were also casting crank baits at the dam.  Smallmouth bass and pike were caught on worms and crank baits.  Largemouth bass, rock bass, catfish, bowfin and suckers were caught when drifting worms.  Some were still targeting steelhead with spawn, beads and spinners up near the dam.     

Ocqueoc River:  A few suckers along with large and smallmouth bass were caught on worms.  Some steelhead were seen but none were caught.   

Rogers City:  A large midge hatch was underway with swarms on the lake and on shore.  Fishing picked up with lake trout suspended or on the bottom in 45 to 70 feet and hitting dodgers and cowbells with spin-glo’s or spoons fished around structure with rocks.  The fish are eating gobies and the gobies like the rocks.  Hot colors were green, blue, orange and chartreuse.  Chinook salmon have been caught.  Try the top half of waters 60 to 90 feet deep with bright colored spoons.  Atlantic salmon should start showing up soon.    

Alpena:  Those trolling are taking lake trout along with the occasional Chinook, Atlantic and steelhead throughout the water column in 50 to 80 feet.  The lake trout are hitting on flashers with flies or spin-glo’s and dodgers with spin-glo’s.  The salmon and steelhead were hitting on spoons up high in the top 40 feet.  Hot colors were green, orange, blue, chartreuse and other bright colors.  Try straight out of the harbor or around Thunder Bay Island and the Nine Mile Can.  Walleye anglers are trolling straight out from the city beach and marina to Grass Island inside 30 feet with body baits in the early morning or at night.    

Thunder Bay River:  The steelhead run is over but a few were still in the river.  Anglers are casting body baits or drifting flies and beads.  Atlantic salmon were feeding on eggs and minnows.  Rock bass along with large and smallmouth bass were caught on both live and artificial baits.  There is still a few walleye in the river.  Boat anglers were trolling body baits in the lower river from the turn basin to the mouth or jigging with leeches and minnows.  Early morning was best.  

Harrisville:  Those trolling between Harrisville and Sturgeon Point picked up good numbers of lake trout along with a couple steelhead, pink salmon, and Chinook salmon.  Fish were feeding on smelt and gobies and were caught anywhere from five feet off the bottom to 10 feet from the surface in 60 to 80 feet with spoons and flies with dodgers.  

Oscoda:  Anglers trolling between Oscoda and Greenbush have found lake trout, pink salmon and even a couple Chinook when trolling spoons in 60 to 85 feet.  Some lake trout were as shallow as 30 feet.  Most fish were found throughout the water column and were full of smelt so if you find the smelt, you have a good chance of catching fish.  Orange, chartreuse, blue and chrome spoons were effective.  Pier anglers found walleye when casting jigs and body baits or floating crawlers.  A few Atlantics were caught around the piers when casting a small twister tail jig or still-fishing with inflated crawlers.  Channel cats and carp were caught when still-fishing with leeches and crawlers after dark.  Freshwater drum and a couple smallmouth bass were caught on jigs, body baits and crawlers.   

Au Sable River:  Water temperatures were in the mid to upper 60’s.  Steelhead catches are winding down but anglers are still getting a few when drifting flies, mostly between Foote Dam and the High Banks Overlook.  Walleye caught when drifting crawlers and leeches or when floating them from shore.  Most walleye were caught in the deeper holes down near the mouth.  Carp, suckers, rock bass, and freshwater drum were caught when floating crawlers.  

Higgins Lake:  Lake trout have been caught in 80 to 100 feet when trolling or when jigging cast masters or Swedish pimples just off the bottom in the early morning.  The smallmouth bass action was good in 10 to 20 feet and rock bass are being caught everywhere.  Perch anglers are trying but catch rates were spotty.   

Houghton Lake:  Walleye were still being caught early morning and late evening.  Try crawlers or leeches on a harness or spinners.  The bluegill bite picked up with the warmer weather.  Some nice sunfish have also been caught.  Crappie slowed so anglers will have to fish deep as they do not like the hot weather.  

Tawas:  Boats are fishing in Tawas Bay near Buoys 4-6 or going to Alabaster and fishing 20 to 30 feet for walleye.  There were rumors of Chinooks salmon caught in 30 to 40 feet off the point.  Pier fishing was slow with a few smallmouth bass, pike or walleye taken at night.  

Au Gres:  Limits of walleye were taken straight out in 25 to 35 feet, towards the Steeples, Charity Islands and the humps south of Point Au Gres.  Smallmouth bass were caught on tube baits in the shallows.   

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Overall: No word on stream trout fishing but the hot weather should have brought some nice fly hatches and if so, anglers should do well. 

Charlevoix:  Some boats were getting limit catches of lake trout while others were doing as well.  Most of the fish were caught toward North Point and were hitting on spoons or spin-glo’s with flashers halfway down in 50 to 60 feet.  A few lake herring started to show up in the channel so anglers were jigging or casting anything flashy.  Smallmouth bass, suckers and a few perch were also caught in the channel.  There is a large midge hatch going on near the waterfront.    

Traverse City:  In the East Bay, lake herring were caught in 50 to 60 feet off Elk Rapids.  Lake trout were caught from the marina when jigging or trolling.    Lake herring were caught at various depths around Deepwater Point and north to the M-37 launch which was hit-or-miss.  Lake trout fishing was good south of the launch off the point in 100 feet.  Those trolling north of the launch also caught fish.  Bass were caught south of Elk Rapids towards Yuba Creek and in the shallows at the south end from Acme to the State Park.  Good bass fishing in the Elk River near the dam and the mouth.  Leeches, crawlers and tube jigs worked best.  A couple lake trout were caught in the early morning.  Walleye and rock bass were also in the mix.   In the West Bay, some perch were found in 30 to 40 feet in Bowers Harbor and north of Clinch Park or in deep water off Sutton’s Bay.  Good lake trout fishing south of Power Island towards the buoy, south of the M-22 launch and at the south end of Bryant Park.  Bass were caught in Bowers Harbor.    

Arcadia:  Had few anglers out on Lake Michigan.  Those that did go out caught a couple lake trout in front of the golf course.  

Arcadia Lake:  Anglers are doing very well on pike and bass.  Good numbers of bass were caught between the pier heads going out to Lake Michigan.  Anglers also caught a few perch and bluegill but the numbers were low.  

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell:  Inland lake fishing was very good.  The bass and bluegills are both spawning now as the hot weather really got things going.    

Manistee:  Surface temperature readings were about 52 degrees.  Pier fishing is slow.  The Chinook salmon are finally here and some good size fish have been caught to the south in 120 to 200 feet with spoons.  Coho, lake trout, brown trout and steelhead were also caught.  

Ludington:  Surface temperature readings were 50 degrees. Warm temperatures have brought the Chinook salmon in.  Anglers were taking limit catches of big healthy fish to the south in 120 to 200 feet or when heading north to Big Sable Point.  A small number of lake trout and steelhead were also taken.  Most are trolling spoons.  Pier fishing was slow.  

Pentwater:  Salmon fishing from the dunes down to Little Sable Point was excellent. Boats trolling 30 to 70 feet down in 110 to 180 feet caught Chinook, coho and steelhead on spoons, flies and meat rigs.  Spoon colors were orange, pink or the blue dolphin and fly colors were blue, green or white.   

Pentwater Lake:  Panfish anglers caught bluegills and pumpkinseed when floating red worms in three to eight feet.  Bass anglers caught both large and smallmouth on jigs tipped with soft plastics or body baits in three to 10 feet.   

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Upper Peninsula

Lac Vieux Desert:  Panfish anglers continue to see a good number of crappie, bluegills and sunfish in the shallows.  The action was fast and furious using artificial or natural baits but be prepared to do some sorting.  Perch anglers did decent but the fish are moving around the lake and were difficult to find at times.  A few walleye were caught but success was limited when jigging soft plastics and minnows in deeper water.  The largemouth bass were starting to move onto the beds and were caught when targeting panfish.  Muskie fishing pressure was low and not many fish were caught. 

Little Bay De Noc:  Still had fair to good walleye catches.  Best areas were the mouth of the Whitefish River when trolling a crawler harness or stick baits in 12 to 32 feet, and the mouth of the Escanaba River using the same along the weed lines.   Fish were caught throughout the bay as well.  The smallmouth opener was off to a good start.  Most were fishing in and around the Ford River.  Most were casting spinners, crank baits or plastics along the shoreline and rocky areas.  Good catches were reported in Gladstone Bay in the shallows, along Garth Point and into the Whitefish River.   Several nice catches of perch were taken off Gladstone Beach when using minnows or crawlers in 33 feet.  Lots of pike were reported throughout the bay.    

Big Bay De Noc:  Walleye catches were down some but still good overall out from the Fish Dam River and between Kates Bay and the “Boot” when trolling a crawler harness in 18 to 26 feet or off Indian Point in 16 to 25 feet.  Some limits were reported.  Good smallmouth catches near Ogontz, St. Martins Island, Nahma, Garden Bay and the South River area in four to 12 feet with spinners, crank baits and plastics.  Pike were abundant throughout all areas.  

Munising:  Boat anglers targeting lake trout reported slow action with only a few caught which could be because of the large number of smelt in the area.  Those targeting salmon and steelhead reported slow catches with only a few coho taken along with the occasional brown trout.  A few younger Chinook salmon were caught.  Shore and pier anglers report spotty catch rates for splake and most were undersize.  Those trolling need to watch for the marked buoys which indicate commercial nets in the area.  

Grand Marais:  Boat anglers targeting coho and steelhead reported slow catch rates east of the breakwall in 20 feet or less.  A few brown trout were caught.  Good lake trout action along the “Banks” and towards Au Sable Point.  Water temperatures were in the low 40’s.  Those trolling need to watch for commercial nets in the area.  Pier anglers did well for whitefish with a single egg.  Most were getting limit catches but the average fish was only 12 to 14 inches.  Suckers are slowly staging as they prepare to spawn.  

Detour:  Limits of lake trout along with Atlantics salmon have been caught.  A few Chinook were taken at the Detour Reef.  All salmon and trout were hitting up high in the water column.  For the Atlantics, anglers were using watermelon and chrome colored spoons when long-lining or planer boards in 60 feet with baits set 12 to 20 feet down.    Dodgers are also working well at eight to 12 feet down in 50 to 60 feet between Fry Pan Island and the green buoy just west of the lighthouse.  Salmon and trout were taken upstream of the Detour Lighthouse.  

Cedarville and Hessel:  Smallmouth bass fishing was excellent at the mouth and along the shoreline in Duck Bay when casting or jigging amber colored crayfish in four to six feet.  Panfish anglers did well in Flower Bay with wigglers and small worms in four to six feet just off the cattails.  Good catches of pike in the Moscow Channel.  Fish 25 to 29 inches were hitting on red and white spoons in six to eight feet.  At Hessel, a few yellow perch were still being caught with small worms and minnows off the finger docks.  Schools of perch were still moving in and out of the marina, you just have to be there when the fish are.  Splake fishing slowed but pike were caught along the outside of the pier when still-fishing with creek chubs or when casting spoons at the end of the pier.    

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Fishing Tip: Fishing for muskellunge is a premier challenge

Known as “the fish of 10,000 casts,” muskellunge are a tremendous game fish native to the lakes and streams of Michigan. They are a prized catch to many anglers, but present many challenges when trying to do so. But if you do your research and are patient – you too could possibly land a big one!

Muskie anglers can choose from a variety of methods such as trolling, casting or still fishing with live bait. Tackle requirements for muskellunge are stouter than equipment generally used for walleyes and bass. Larger, bulkier lures and fish that exceed 30 pounds or more call for heavier lines and stronger rods. It should be noted that muskie fishing success usually requires more dedication and persistence than for other species. 

For more information on muskellunge in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/muskie. 

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Note:

This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from Fisheries staff and 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.