If you’re headed out fishing, please do your part to keep yourself and others safe by following COVID-19 public health and safety guidelines. Go fishing only if you're feeling well. Practice proper social distancing (at least 6 feet away from people who don’t live in your household) and keep a face covering handy for when social distancing cannot be maintained. Frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer.

For those looking to do some ice fishing, law enforcement suggests: “If in doubt, don’t go out,” as both people and machines have gone through the ice in several areas around the state. Those heading out need to take a spud to check the ice ahead of them and never go out alone. 

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

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Boats are not able to get out. A couple anglers fishing the Metro Park Marina caught small perch and other panfish. 

Huron River: Anglers have caught a couple steelhead between the Flat Rock Dam and the mouth when using spawn or wax worms.    

Detroit River: A few boats were out targeting walleye and perch. Just south of the Detroit Edison Plant, open-water anglers fishing from the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Fishing Pier were getting lots of small perch along with a few keepers.    

Lake St. Clair: Some have ventured out on the main lake; however, ice conditions are still dangerous with the inconsistent weather and high winds. Those fishing in shallow waters reported good catches of perch. 

St. Clair River: Is currently experiencing heavy ice flows.

Saginaw Bay: The bay has ice; however, IT IS NOT SAFE TO TRAVEL OFFSHORE, AND TAKING MACHINES OUT IS NOT RECOMMENDED AS ANGLERS AND MACHINES HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ICE. Those perch fishing near shore report various ice thickness where new ice has formed. Much of the bay has ice piled very high from strong winds. Those heading out should take a spud to test the ice ahead of you. Perch were targeted north of Linwood up to the Pine River in 2 to 4 feet. The trick is to move around and avoid crowds where noise will spook the fish. No walleye catches anywhere on the bay, as ice thickness was not safe to travel any distance. Fishing on the east side was slow at Vanderbilt Park. There were pockets of open water in front of Sunset Marina. At Finn Road, anglers were still catching small perch at the boat launch. Watch for areas of open water between Sebewaing and Bay Port. Fishing was slow, with only a few small perch caught. Wildfowl Bay was hit or miss on perch, and most were small. 

Saginaw River: Ice was starting to form; however, EXTREME CAUTION NEEDS TO BE USED AS ICE THICKNESS VARIES GREATLY AND ANGLERS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ICE. Some were seen at almost all access points, but walleye fishing was slow and worth waiting until the ice firms up. Many sublegal fish were caught as well as a few keepers at First Street and downstream at Veterans Park. The mouth of the river had the best fishing, with anglers getting perch in the channel in 32 feet with perch rigs and minnows. 

Tittabawassee River: Is currently not fishable, with too much ice for boat fishing and not enough for ice fishing.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Most of the lakes north and east of Kalamazoo have people fishing on them. Anglers were getting out on the lakes in the southwest area of the region; however, there are still some lakes that had open water, and snowfall this week will slow the ice-making process. EXTREME CAUTION needs to be used, as anglers and machines have gone through the ice in some areas. 

Branch County: Those fishing the smaller lakes were taking panfish. Bluegill and sunfish were hitting wax worms and spikes. A few pike were taken on tip-ups.   

Kalamazoo County: Those heading out on the smaller, shallow lakes are getting some panfish. Of those out, way too many are not using a spud, which is a vital tool to help anglers test the ice ahead of them, so be sure to take a spud and a buddy, as no one should fish alone. 

Clinton County: Anglers have been out on Lake Ovid and Muskrat Lake targeting panfish. Motz Park in St. Johns also had some anglers out targeting walleye and panfish. The bite was light, so use light line and small jigs.   

Lake Lansing: Was producing a few decent-size pike. 

Grand River near Grand Rapids: With water temperatures dropping in the low to mid-30s, steelhead are holding in the deeper holes, and the bite is not as aggressive. Try spawn bags, beads or a jig tipped with wax worms. 

Muskegon River: Steelhead are being caught; however, the water is a bit low, clear and cold, making conditions tough.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Burt Lake: Anglers fishing along the east side reported slow catch rates for pike, walleye and perch.     

Lake Margrethe: Ice anglers are targeting perch, walleye and pike. Bluegill and rock bass were found in the weed beds. 

Higgins Lake: More anglers are starting to get out on the ice, though caution still needs to be used. Those heading out are getting brown trout, rainbow trout, pike and a few lake trout along with the occasional whitefish. Smelt and some decent-size perch have been caught.    

Houghton Lake: Ice fishing continues, though anglers will need to watch the pressure cracks and for ice movement caused by strong winds. Avoid the areas near the river and creek mouths also. Some nice bluegills, crappie and a few perch have been caught right at sunset using small jigs with wax worms, spikes and mousies, or try wigglers. Walleye slowed; however, the bite was best late at night. Bass fishing was good, and a few big pike were caught. 

Tawas: Fishing was slow at the access road near Jerry’s Marina, with only a few keepers taken along with undersize fish in 10 to 15 feet using jigs tipped with minnow heads. A lot of small perch and a few keepers were also caught. There is some newly formed ice beyond the older shelf ice, but no one is driving out there yet.    

Tawas River: Had no boats out because of too much ice in the river and out in the bay.

Au Gres: Anglers caught lake trout and pike when using tip-ups with golden shiners or suckers. The lake trout were full of gizzard shad. Near Standish, anglers were fishing north of the Pine River in 6 to 12 feet with minnows on jack hooks. Some limit catches were reported. A good number of anglers were seen inside Eagle Bay Marina taking pike on tip-ups. Small bluegill, perch and crappie were caught on jigs. 

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Crooked Lake: In Antrim County was producing a good number of pike on the east side, but most were undersize. Small perch were caught along with the occasional keeper. Pike were hitting on minnows and the perch were hitting wax worms.

Kalkaska County: Anglers are targeting walleye and perch, though the bite was slow on Manistee Lake. Cub Lake is producing bluegill and sunfish. 

Grand Traverse County: The ice continues to firm up on Duck, Green and Long Lake. Small perch were caught on Green Lake. Ice shanties were seen off the Betsie River Road launch, where anglers are no doubt targeting smelt. Smaller inland lakes in the area are providing panfish opportunities.   

Benzie County: Most of the smaller inland lakes had fishable ice. Catch rates were fair for bluegills and perch. 

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell: Ice fishing continues; however, the bite must have slowed, as not many anglers were out. 

Manistee River: There are some steelhead in the river; however, the water is low, clear and cold, which makes fishing much more difficult. 

Mecosta County: Bluegill, perch and crappie have been caught on Chippewa Lake. Panfish were caught on Pretty Lake.   

Pentwater River: With cold, clear water, anglers found steelhead in the deeper holes.

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Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw Bay: Ice was starting to form near shore. EXTREME CAUTION NEEDS TO BE USED, AS IT IS EARLY ICE. Anglers need to be aware of changing ice conditions, especially with a south wind.    

Little Bay de Noc: Ice conditions were widely inconsistent around the bay. Good ice at the head of the bay has created a false sense of safe ice, as it may be a foot thick in one area and less than an inch nearby. Several anglers have fallen through the ice recently, either walking or operating snowmobiles and ORV’s. EXTREME CAUTION NEEDS TO BE USED. Areas of special concern include Saunders Point, Hunters Point, the access site at Fayette and Ogontz, Farmers Dock, and near the mouth of the Escanaba, Days and Ford rivers. 

Munising: Ice anglers are out on the bay, and more ice shanties are popping up. ICE CONDITIONS ARE NOT CONSISTENT, SO ANGLERS NEED TO USE CAUTION, ESPEICALLY WITH MODERATE SNOWFALL AND STRONG WINDS IN THE FORECAST. Avoid the channels and Grand Island Access areas. There is a large pressure crack off Powell Point. Anglers are getting splake, coho, whitefish, burbot and perch, including some limit catches by those putting in the time. Fishing pressure was high in the mornings off the Anna River Access, the city docks and Sand Point. Splake were hitting jigs with minnows or wax worms in the bottom 6 feet. Coho were slow, with anglers getting maybe one fish per hour. Those spearing for herring reported slow catch rates. Those targeting burbot were seen off Sand Point and off the Anna River. 

Grand Marais: A few anglers have started ice fishing in the harbor for coho and Menominee, but no reports have come in. 

Cedarville and Hessel: There is ice fishing activity in Musky Bay, and a few anglers were out in Government Bay and the Cedarville Channel; however, ice conditions were unknown. Those out were taking 6- to 10-inch perch when jigging minnows. A few pike were caught. The ice in Hessel Bay was variable, with more on the east side than the west side. Perch fishing picked up with 7- to 10-inch fish caught when jigging minnows in 14 to 17 feet. A few splake ranging from 20 to 26 inches were also caught when jigging spoons in 10 to 16 feet.

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Fishing Tip: Four tips for fishing for northern pike in winter

Now may be the time to learn some tips and tricks for targeting northern pike through the ice:

1. Consider using a fluorocarbon leader, which will be practically invisible to any pike, as opposed to a steel leader.
2. Keep your bait lively by using both a well-aerated bait container and very sharp hooks to minimize injury.
3. Consider using something flashy with your bait, such as a small spinner blade, to entice pike in murky water.
4. Don’t be afraid to keep some slush around your hole in the ice to prevent pike from being spooked by your opening.

Want more information on fishing for northern pike? Visit the northern pike page on our website.

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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.