The number of anglers heading out continues to decline. Windy conditions have hampered fishing along the Great Lakes. Good walleye fishing was noted on both Saginaw Bay and the Saginaw River. Ice was starting to form on the inland lakes however there is no safe ice to report.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: When they could get out, anglers caught a few walleye east of Stony Point and out near the Michigan/Ohio boundary waters.

Detroit River: Perch anglers were still getting some fish in the cuts and canals as well as in the mouth just south of Gibraltar Bay.

Lake St. Clair: Muskie anglers are catching some big fish when they can get out. A few docks were still in at the boat launches. Bluegill and perch were caught in the canals and marinas.

St. Clair River: Those handlining and jigging were still getting some walleye especially in the upper river near the Bluewater Bridge. Blue ice was a hot color.

Saginaw Bay: When anglers could get out, bigger walleye were being caught by those jigging.

Saginaw River: Word has it the river is full of walleye, but anglers are sorting through a lot of smaller ones to get the keepers. Most say you can’t get a jig down to the bottom without a hit, but then you get 5-6 small ones for every legal fish caught.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Grand Haven: Pier anglers were still taking a couple whitefish along with the occasional steelhead.

Muskegon: Pier anglers caught the occasional lake whitefish when they could get out. Try a small jig with a wax worm or single egg.

Muskegon Lake: A few boat anglers caught the occasional walleye when casting or jigging. Most fish were caught after dark.

Muskegon River: Steelhead are still being caught though catch rates are spotty. Leech patterns are working in the deeper holes.

White River: Those casting or drifting spawn and beads continue to catch the occasional steelhead or brown trout.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Alpena: Had no reports however walleye anglers should find fish when trolling diving crank baits or when casting from the harbor walls.

Thunder Bay River: A good number of Atlantic salmon have moved off the beds and were more willing to bite. Some were still up near the dam however a good number were dropping back in the river. Atlantic salmon along with a couple steelhead and brown trout were caught by those drifting or floating spawn, wax worms and beads, casting spoons, stripping streamers or drifting nymphs and egg flies. The steelhead action was relatively slow. The harbor had skim ice.

Oscoda: Lake trout and walleye were caught by pier anglers casting spoons, crank baits and jigs. Lake trout were also caught when still-fishing with spawn.

Au Sable River: Atlantic salmon have moved off the beds and could be found in the holes and around current breaks and structure like downed trees. Only a small number were still on the beds and spawning. The Atlantics were taken when drifting or floating spawn bags, beads, spinners, wax worms or egg flies. The steelhead action was slow with only a few caught. Walleye were taken when casting crank baits near the mouth.

Tawas: Pier anglers continue to catch whitefish off the State Dock. Most are still-fishing with a small hook and wax worm or a single egg.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Overall: Though inland lakes in the area are making ice, there is no safe ice to report. Ice information has been very spotty, and the freezing process has not been uniform by any means. In fact, a large area of Lake Mitchell opened with the windy conditions a couple nights ago and it was still open water. So, even though there is some ice, it could be 5-inches thick in one spot and only 1-inch thick one step over. Anglers need to stay off the ice.

Manistee River: Those braving the cold caught steelhead, but the bite was slow.

Pere Marquette River: Had a slow steelhead bite.

Pentwater River: Some big steelhead were caught however the bite slowed.

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Upper Peninsula

Little Bay De Noc: Walleye anglers reported good to excellent catches with many doing best in the "Narrows" when trolling stick baits in and around 30 feet. Some limit catches were reported. Those fishing the reefs off Kipling reported good catches in 25 to 35 feet. Boat anglers need to use caution and watch for floating ice. Most fish were between 16-22 inches. Ice season is looking to be very good this year.

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Fishing Tip: It's coming! The 2019 Winter Free Fishing Weekend!

The 2019 Winter Free Fishing Weekend – February 16 & 17 – provides a perfect time to get more individuals and families out trying the sport of ice fishing.

As part of this weekend, all fishing license fees are waived for the two days with residents and out-of-state visitors allowed to enjoy fishing on all waters for all species during their respective open seasons. Please note all regulations still apply during that time.

To encourage involvement in the 2019 Winter Free Fishing Weekend, organized activities are often offered in communities across the state. These activities are coordinated by constituent groups, schools, parks (local/state), businesses and others. Will you be joining them and planning an event?

We’ve compiled numerous resources to help you plan and execute an event in your community. Simply visit Michigan.gov/freefishing and look through the Free Fishing Weekend Event Planning e-Toolkit.

Come fishing with us this February!

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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.