Michigan fall fishing preview

Have you been eagerly waiting for fall fishing? We have too and now it's here!

Some of Michigan's best fishing opportunities can be found over the next month - before the really cold weather sets in and the snow and ice arrive. Why not take advantage of them?

Whether you like to fish the Great Lakes or inland waters - we've got some spots for you to try this October. We've covered every part of the state below!

Southeastern Lower Peninsula St. Clair System & Lake Erie: Opportunities are plentiful for bass, walleye and yellow perch (especially on Lake Erie). Check out the Roadmap to Southeast Michigan Great Lakes Fishing for specific ports to try! Inland: Try Lake Hudson (Lenawee Co.) or Lake Diane (Hillsdale Co.) for muskellunge; Union, Cass or White lakes (Oakland Co.) for walleye; Lake Orion (Oakland Co.), Devils Lake (Lenawee Co.), Stony Creek Impoundment (Macomb Co.) or Independence Lake (Washtenaw Co.) for northern pike; and Wamplers Lake (Lenawee Co.) or Cass and Pontiac lakes (Oakland Co.) for bass.

Northeastern Lower Peninsula Lake Huron: You can find Atlantic salmon, steelhead, lake trout, walleye and other species at several ports on the sunshine coast. For more information, download the Roadmap to Fishing Lake Huron! Inland: Look for yellow perch in Mullett and Burt lakes (Cheboygan Co.), walleye in Black Lake (Cheboygan Co.), and northern pike in Fletcher Floodwaters (Alpena Co.)!

Western Lower Peninsula & Southwestern Upper Peninsula Lake Michigan: Enjoy the fall colors while targeting Chinook and coho salmon, as well as lake trout and steelhead at several spots throughout the big lake. Plan a trip by reviewing the Roadmap to Fishing Lake Michigan!  Inland: There’s not shortage of opportunities here – for yellow perch why not try Big Glen Lake (Leelanau Co.), Hayward Lake (Menominee Co.), Fremont Lake (Newaygo Co.), Lake Macatawa (Ottawa Co.), Coldwater Lake (Branch Co.) or Boney Falls Basin (Delta Co.)? Looking for bass? Try Crystal Lake (Montcalm Co.), Big Pleasant Lake (St. Joseph Co.), Gogauc Lake (Calhoun Co.), or Murray Lake (Kent Co.). For northern pike you could visit Lake Emily (Iron Co.), Fife Lake (Grand Traverse Co.), Big Star Lake (Lake Co.) or Diamond Lake (Cass Co.). These are just a sample!

Northern Upper Peninsula  Lake Superior: Enjoy fall fishing for brown trout, Chinook and coho salmon, lake trout, steelhead and so much more! Don’t know where to begin? The Roadmap to fishing Lake Superior can help with that! Inland: Target muskies on the Tahquamenon River (between Newberry and the Upper Falls) or in the Thousand Island Lake Chain (Gogebic Co.). You might find yellow perch in Muskallonge Lake (Luce Co.), Au Train Lake (Alger Co.), Lake Independence (Marquette Co.), Lake Gratiot (Keweenaw Co.), lakes Roland and Gerald (Houghton Co.) or Lac Vieux Desert (Gogebic Co.). Fish for northern pike on Blind Sucker Flooding or Bodi Lake (Luce Co.), Hoist Basin (Marquette Co.) or Otter Lake (Baraga Co.). Love walleye? Why not try the Lower Ontonagon River?