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Fishing conditions improved this week for a variety of species for boat and shore anglers. Large and smallmouth bass fishing has been good statewide. The bass opener on Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River is this coming Saturday, June 20. 

All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Those able to venture out near the Ohio waters did take some limit catches of walleye in 22 to 24 feet. Limit catches were also taken off Fermi in 20 to 24 feet. Those fishing near the mouth of the River Raisin caught small fish.

Detroit River: Though the walleye largely have moved out into Lake Erie, a few still hanging around were caught on a crawler harness. White bass are hitting on minnows.  Some nice smallmouth bass were caught along the rock dike of the shipping channels when using plastic worms or lures.

Lake St. Clair: The Clinton River Cut-Off launch is still closed due to dredging. The smallmouth bass bite slowed but should improve this week. Walleye still are being caught trolling out in the shipping channel in 20 to 30 feet. Musky anglers are struggling to get fish. Many have been spotted, but they are not very eager to strike.

St. Clair River: Had good walleye fishing. The bluegill bite was also good. 

Saginaw Bay: Shore fishing for bass at the end of Linwood Road was still productive when casting soft plastics or spinners. Walleye were caught early in the morning when trolling crawlers 1 to 2 miles east of the Spark Plug. Shore anglers at Smith Park in Essexville caught a good number of catfish and freshwater drum. The Slot was producing good numbers of walleye between Sunset Bay Marina and up past Sebewaing in 17 to 18 feet. Most were trolling a crawler harness or Hot-n-Tot. A few fish could still be found in shallow water about 10 feet deep.   

Port Sanilac and Lexington: After strong northeast winds shut fishing down, boat anglers are once again heading back out and trolling for trout and salmon. Fish were last reported in 60 to 80 feet; however, they may be scattered a bit after the strong winds.     

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Bluegills are pretty much done with spawning in this region. The top water bite has been good. Not a lot of crappie being caught, but the catfish bite has been good. 

St. Joseph: Boat anglers targeting salmon reported slow catch rates as the fish seem to be scattered. Pier anglers are catching lots of catfish and freshwater drum with crawlers on the bottom. The occasional steelhead continues to be caught by those using an alewife under a bobber. Perch fishing was slow. 

St. Joseph River: Decent numbers of walleye have been caught in the lower river by those trolling or drifting. 

South Haven: A mixed bag of trout and salmon were caught by boat anglers. The fish were scattered in 60 to 140 feet. Perch fishing is improving south of the piers in 35 to 45 feet. Pier anglers caught a couple steelhead with shrimp on the bottom, but fishing has slowed.    

Holland: Boats are finding good numbers of lake trout on the bottom in 100-150 feet with green or yellow spin-glo’s. The occasional salmon and steelhead were caught in 80 to 150 feet. Pier anglers reported slow steelhead action. Freshwater drum were caught on silver spoons. 

Port Sheldon: Salmon were caught 30 to 80 feet down in 80 to 140 feet with orange or green spoons. 

Grand Haven: The Harbor Island boat launch is closed. Pier anglers caught catfish on minnows. 

Grand River near Grand Rapids: Boat and shore anglers are getting smallmouth bass and panfish. Catfish anglers had success at the 6^th Street Dam and near Johnson Park.    

Grand River near Lansing: Anglers are reporting scattered catches of smallmouth bass when using a spec minnow under a bobber. Fish were caught at Tecumseh Park.    The catfish bite was slow. The carp are active and were caught below the dams. 

Lake Ovid: Was producing a few smaller panfish.   

Little Clinton Lake: At Motz Park near St. Johns is producing a good number of bass for those using crawlers.     

Muskegon: Boat anglers reported slow fishing, with only a few salmon taken 30 to 90 feet down in 90 to 140 feet with orange spoons or white flies. Lake trout were caught on the bottom in 110 to 150 feet with yellow spin-glo’s. 

Muskegon Lake: Was producing bass, bluegill and catfish. 

Muskegon River: Those fishing Hardy Dam Pond have picked up a few walleye and smallmouth bass. 

White Lake: Was producing bluegill along the south shore and some bass. 

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: Anglers have been getting limits of lake trout trolling spoons and cowbells in 45 to 60 feet off Reynolds Reef. Bass anglers casting soft plastics in Duncan Bay and along the south end of Bois Blanc Island had little to no success as the fish were not on the beds yet.   

Cheboygan River: The dam had only two chutes open and the current was slower.  Anglers have caught walleye, pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass and freshwater drum when drifting and bottom bouncing worms between the walkover bridge and the drawbridge. A few smallmouth bass were caught when casting soft plastics near the Coast Guard and up near the drawbridge. Pike anglers casting spinners and crankbaits found fish up to 34 inches.    

Rogers City: Boats need to be on the lookout for submerged trees and sticks when running at high speeds. Anglers have reported a lot of debris in the water.  Lake trout fishing has been phenomenal, with plenty of limits being taken. The better fishing has been during the morning hours until about 4 p.m., especially on bright, sunny days in 45 to 80 feet near the bottom but also up higher in the water column. Most fish were hitting on dodgers or cowbells with spin-glo’s and spoons. Good colors were green, blue, orange and chartreuse. Those trolling faster picked up a few Chinook.  Atlantic salmon should be around as well. Fish the top 15 feet with bright spoons.   

Presque Isle: Boat anglers need to watch for floating debris. Lake trout anglers have done very well with limit catches coming in 45 to 90 feet. Dodgers or cowbells with spin-glo’s near the bottom or 15 to 20 feet up did best. Green, blue, orange or anything bright were hot colors. A few Chinook or steelhead were caught throughout the water column. Atlantic salmon were caught on bright spoons in the top 20 feet. 

Alpena: A few good catches of lake trout were taken when trolling spoons and spin-glo’s in 50 to 100 feet off Thunder Bay Island. Walleye were still hit or miss, but those putting in the time did manage a couple good catches when trolling a crawler harness or body bait early or late in 20 to 50 feet in front of the harbor, off the north shore and down near Sulphur Island. Pike, smallmouth bass and freshwater drum also were taken on a crawler harness. 

Thunder Bay River: Those using crawlers caught a few smallmouth bass, walleye, freshwater drum, channel cats and rock bass. Walleye and smallmouth were also taken when casting crankbaits, jigs and soft plastics. Pike were caught on crankbaits.  

Oscoda: Anglers found the occasional Atlantic salmon, steelhead and pink salmon when trolling dodgers and spoons with spin-glo’s in 55 to 110 feet between the river and Au Sable Point. Most lake trout were within 15 feet of the bottom. Pier anglers caught smallmouth bass, rock bass, freshwater drum and channel cats with crawlers. 

Au Sable River: Hex hatches are occurring on the mainstream below Grayling and Mio.  A few nice browns and rainbow trout were caught by those using hex patterns, brown drakes and streamers. A few fish were also taken on spinners below Mio. Those drifting or still-fishing crawlers below Foote Dam caught a few walleye, channel cats, freshwater drum, smallmouth bass, rock bass and crappie. The occasional walleye or pike was taken when casting jigs and crankbaits. Walleye were quite slow, but a couple were found in the holes between the mouth and Foote Dam.    

Higgins Lake: Anglers are still getting brown trout and rainbow trout in 30 feet or so near the west side launch and along the south end of the lake. Those targeting lake trout continue to find fish on the bottom in 80 to 130 feet with downriggers and cowbells, spoons or body baits. A fair to good number of smallmouth bass and rock bass are being caught. 

Houghton Lake: Shore anglers are catching walleye at night when casting a rapala.  Boat anglers are trolling a purple crawler harness. Though the bite was hit or miss, bluegills and a couple crappie were caught in shallow waters less than 7 feet. 

Tawas: Atlantic salmon and lake trout were caught on spoons in 80 to 90 feet. 

Tawas River: At Gateway Park, those using crawlers or lures caught largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum and catfish. 

Au Gres: Some limits of walleye were caught on crawlers in 25 to 35 feet anywhere from Pt. Lookout all the way down to Eagle Bay Marina. Pier anglers caught freshwater drum and a few rock bass with crawlers on the bottom. 

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Harbor Springs: A few lake trout were caught 90 feet down north of the port. Many boats were targeting smallmouth bass, and overall catch rates were good. Most were casting soft plastics along the shoreline and the beds in 5 to 10 feet.    

Petoskey: Lake trout were found about 110 feet down near the bottom as well as 70 to 90 feet down. Near the mouth of the Bear River, those fishing the Bobber Hole and D Pier may find smallmouth bass, rock bass, walleye, pike, catfish, freshwater drum, suckers or carp. Try worms with or without a bobber, minnows or crankbaits.

Charlevoix: Boat anglers did well for lake trout north and south of the port. Fish were found at various depths, anywhere from 20 to 90 feet down. One boat did well for cisco when casting or jigging. Cisco were still running in the channel, though the action was starting to slow. The better fishing was in the morning with a Swedish pimple, kastmaster or spoons. Other species such as lake trout, steelhead, pike, smallmouth bass and even the odd walleye were caught by those heading out early. 

Traverse City: The south end of the East Bay produced good numbers of smallmouth bass. Cisco and lake trout were caught when trolling in 50 feet, especially north of Deepwater Point. A few smallmouth bass and rock bass were caught on leeches in the Elk River. In the West Bay, anglers have taken limit catches of cisco and some lake trout off the tip of Mission Peninsula when casting jigs in 20 feet. A few lake trout were caught when trolling or jigging around Marion Island as well as along the west side of Suttons Bay. Smallmouth bass were caught throughout the bay. 

Frankfort: Those trolling in 150 to 200 feet caught Chinook salmon, but water temperatures were on the cool side. Lake trout were hitting 30 to 40 feet down in 50 to 80 feet. Alewife were reported around the pier heads. 

Onekama: Anglers heading straight out to 250 feet and working the top 60 to 80 feet picked up a few Chinook salmon on green spoons. 

Portage Lake: Had a mayfly hatch in the area, so the bite was slow.   

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell: Were producing crappie and bluegills.

Manistee: Fishing was hit or miss, as the Chinook salmon were scattered. A couple salmon and lake trout were found on the Shelf in 100 to 250 feet when trolling spoons.  Salmon were in the top 50 feet. 

Manistee River: Fly hatches on the trout streams should start this week with the warmer temperatures. Look for the Hexagenia mayflies to start hatching along the upper river. Some big brown trout were caught. 

Ludington: Chinook salmon were found in 125 feet or deeper off Big Sable Point. A couple Chinook and lake trout were caught straight out or south of the harbor. Trolling spoons worked better than meat rigs. 

Pere Marquette River: Trout anglers should look for fly hatches to get started this week.

Pentwater Lake: Was producing panfish. 

Lake Mecosta: Bass fishing was fair, while bluegill and perch fishing has leveled off.

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Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw Bay: Those able to get out caught a few Chinook, coho, steelhead and lake trout. Very few reports have come in from Huron Bay, but those going out did find lake trout. A 39-inch fish was caught recently.    

Marquette: Lake trout action was hit or miss. A few boats did say they were marking lots of fish, but they did not want to bite. Some fish were suspended 30 feet down in 60 feet near Picnic Rocks. Some nice steelhead and brown trout were caught. The Sand Hole, Little Presque Isle and Shot Point had slow action as well. 

Little Bay De Noc: Walleye action was good, mainly at the mouth of the Whitefish and Escanaba Rivers when trolling or drifting crawlers. Perch anglers reported the best catches off the mouth of the Days River with crawlers in 16 to 20 feet and just east of Butler Island in 24 feet. A few fish were caught in the Gladstone Beach area. Good northern pike action near Kipling with spinners and crankbaits in and around 12 feet.  The smallmouth action was still good in most areas, including Squaw Point, Hunters Point and Garth Point when using plastics in 2 to 10 feet. 

Manistique: Chinook and lake trout catches are picking up, with the best action between Barques Point and the buoy with flies or spoons 40 to 60 feet down. Anglers reported a lot of baitfish in the area, and several salmon over 20 pounds were caught.

Manistique Lake: Was producing bluegills and crappie on South Manistique. Fishing picked up when trolling a crawler harness for walleye or drifting worms for perch. 

Manistique River: The number of anglers targeting steelhead and brown trout has tapered off. Walleye and smallmouth bass anglers reported spotty catches.

Au Train: Had reports of slow salmon action. The few targeting lake trout found fish near Wood Island Reef. 

Munising: Boat anglers trying for Chinook and coho reported little action within the bay.  Lake trout anglers had fair to good catches off the White Rocks and toward Wood Island Reef when trolling or jigging in 120 to 180 feet along the banks and drop-offs. Good action was reported near Grumps Hump northeast of Grand Island. Pier anglers report slow fishing, with very little splake or coho action.

St. Marys River: Was producing good walleye catches on the north side of Lime Island, which is 2 miles from the Raber Bay boat launch. Try the underwater humps and grassy weeds beds just off the shipping channel in 8 to 14 feet with a crawler harness or shad-colored crankbait in the early morning. Those trolling in the shipping channel on the southwest side of Lime Island caught a few Atlantic salmon with two to three colors of lead core and a gold and orange spoon. In Munuscong Bay, good walleye catches were reported by those trolling a small 2-inch crankbait 8 feet behind the boat in 4 to 6 feet.  Hot colors were brown and orange or black and chrome. 

Detour: Mild weather improved the bite for Atlantic salmon at the Detour Reef and lighthouse when using an orange and gold 3-inch spoon 20 to 55 feet down, as the fish were hitting baits up high in the early morning. For both Chinook and Atlantic salmon, try from the lighthouse east to the first red buoy and for lake trout try 2 miles south of the lighthouse along the 90-foot flat when using flashers with chartreuse and white spin-glo’s behind a 26-inch leader. 

Cedarville and Hessel: The boat launch on Meridian Road is open. There has been no yellow perch effort in Cedarville Bay. For young anglers that want to shore fish, try off Hill Island Road at the new bridge where sunfish, rock bass and largemouth bass can be caught on worms or when casting spinners. For Hessel, the pike action was good at the marina fishing pier in the early morning when using chubs and large minnows two cranks off the bottom in 8 feet. Mackinaw Bay, which is east of the Hessel Marina, was producing good catches of large and smallmouth bass when casting spinners in 4 to 6 feet. 

St. Ignace: Pike anglers casting spoons at the mouth of the Carp River had no luck. Those drifting worms and leeches caught walleye and pike. The walleye were 14-18 inches, and the pike were 20-29 inches. Walleye were also caught in the Pine River when drifting crawler harnesses and leeches. 

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Fishing Tip: Taking great catch-and-release photos

Are you an avid catch-and-release angler? Do you like to take photos of the fish you catch, prior to returning them to the water? Do you know the safest way to take these photos so you ensure the fish can live to be caught another day?

Here are some steps you can follow:

1. Wet your hands before you handle the fish; that way you won’t remove any of the protective mucus (or slime) that coats the fish’s body.
2. Remember fish can’t breathe out of water, so they will become uncomfortable rather quickly. Keep the fish in the water until your camera is ready to take the shot.
3. Take the photo with the fish fairly close to the water, so if it squirms out of your hands it will land in the water and not on a hard surface.
4. While holding the fish, don’t pinch or squeeze it and don’t stick your fingers in its gills.
5. Be mindful of the different kinds of fish that have teeth and/or spines that could stick you.

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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.