The 2022 license year goes into effect on April 1. We encourage anglers to check out this year's fishing guide for updates on regulations.

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

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Saginaw Bay: The rivers and cuts opened up and they were running high and muddy. Anglers were targeting yellow perch and bluegill. The Quannacasee River is open but there was ice at the mouth of the river.

Saginaw River: Some perch anglers were out in the lower Saginaw River and reported fast current, muddy water and a lot of debris coming downstream. Some anglers were jigging and trolling for walleye out of the river mouth around the manmade island with no success. Anglers who went out there reported they encountered muddy water, and a lot of ice still in the bay offshore making it difficult to venture out very far. The boat launch at the mouth of the Saginaw River is now open.

Geiger Road: Some of the tributaries around Fish Point were beginning to open but were running high and dirty.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Grand River (Lansing): Anglers were catching smallmouth bass on crankbaits in the late afternoon hours. There were some catches on nightcrawlers, but crankbaits performed the best.  

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Tawas: Anglers were catching a few perch in 15 to 20 feet off minnows. The Tawas River was open and a couple boats were fishing in the bay. They marked a few fish, but it was slow.

Pine River: There were a few crappies caught inside Eagle Bay Marina off minnows and plastics.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

There were reports of steelhead catches on the Muskegon, Pere Marquette, and Manistee rivers. This week’s weather should bring more steelhead in. 

Ludington: There were reports of some good catches of brown trout by trollers fishing off the port of Ludington.

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Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Perch anglers reported improved fishing success. Anglers were catching perch on wigglers and minnows. Areas that were targeted include deeper water out of Kipling, with ideal fishing depths of around 40 to 45 feet. The cove at Aronson Island was productive with many anglers sight fishing. Perch that were caught in deeper water have generally been larger fish.

Keweenaw Bay: There were good reports of catches of lake trout in deeper water. Most anglers hoping to catch deep lake trout were in depths below 200 feet fishing on the bottom. Pressure increased around river mouths, specifically the Falls River with anticipation of brown trout and steelhead moving into shallower water. There were low catch numbers reported from these areas. Lake trout were seen in depths ranging from 10 feet to 280 feet. Anglers were having success while using cut bait with lots of scent.

Munising Bay: Fishing picked up dramatically with anglers catching coho, splake and smelt. There were reports of some nice herring also being caught. Some nice catches of whitefish were also reported over the weekend. The coho were averaging around the 15 to 17-inch range. Some of the splake have been up to 20 inches. There were schools of smelt anywhere from 30 to 60 feet. Anglers were fishing from Sand point to Bay Furnace.

Les Cheneaux/Munuscong Bay: Anglers were catching perch in Hessel Bay and Musky Bay, using wigglers, wax worms and minnows. The fishing in the area has been very hit or miss. Anglers were targeting splake but only catching a few smaller ones. Anglers on Munuscong Bay were catching a few perch, mostly on the smaller side. The perch fishing at Conley Point was starting to pick up and anglers were doing well there.

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Fishing Tip:

After ice and snow cover melt on Michigan lakes early this spring, it may be more likely for people to discover dead fish or other aquatic animals. While such sights can be startling, the Department of Natural Resources reminds everyone that this is normal, since winter conditions can cause fish and other creatures such as turtles, frogs, toads and crayfish to die.

The public is welcome to report fish kills at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField; such reports are valuable to the DNR’s ability to manage the state’s aquatic resources. If you suspect a fish kill is due to non-natural causes, call the nearest DNR office or Michigan's Pollution Emergency Alert System at 800-292-4706.

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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.