The Weekly Fishing Report will be temporarily suspended starting Nov. 8 until early next year, when ice fishing picks up and we begin to receive more reports. For fishing reports, call your local bait shop to inquire about current conditions. We look forward to seeing you again in 2024!

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

Buy your license ►

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Anglers reported catching a few walleye on artificial lures in 17 feet of water out in Brest Bay. Overall, walleye fishing seemed to be better in shallower water. Yellow perch fishing was reported to be very hit or miss. Anglers who managed to find them, despite battling the east winds, caught them in 20 feet of water out from Stoney Point when anchored and fishing with minnows. Largemouth and smallmouth bass were caught near shore on artificial lures. 

Lake St. Clair: Anglers caught walleye in the Delphine Channel in 14 feet of water while trolling with crawler harnesses. Good numbers of perch were caught in front of the Grosse Point Yacht Club and near the dumping grounds in 12 to 14 feet of water. Anglers reported catching muskie near the spillway and in front of 9 Mile in approximately 12 feet of water. Small numbers of smallmouth bass were caught at the same depths near 9 Mile and in Anchor Bay.

Saginaw Bay: Poor weather kept the majority of anglers off the east side of Saginaw Bay. A few anglers tried shore fishing from Quanicassee to Caseville and had a few small panfish and perch to show for their efforts.

Lower Saginaw Bay: Anglers reported catching limits of walleye in the lower part of the Saginaw River. There were also reports of yellow perch being caught at the old shipping channel as well as by Spoils Island.

Port Sanilac: Anglers fishing for salmon reported the catch to be sporadic. Steelhead were reported to be caught on artificial lures and live bait such as wax worms. 

Harbor Beach: High winds and rain slowed fishing down a little, but there were still reports of high numbers of coho salmon in the harbor. Anglers who caught these coho were casting spinners, cleos or other types of spoons.  

Lexington: High numbers of Atlantic salmon were reported to be in the harbor. Anglers had luck catching these fish when casting artificial lures and jigging. A few steelhead were caught with a bobber and wax worms, as well as casting small lures.

Back to top

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Muskegon: Steelhead fishing was slow for both pier and shore anglers. Poor weather conditions have prevented boat anglers from going out.

Grand Haven: Pier anglers reported catching a few steelhead when using spawn

Back to top

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Alpena: Fishing pressure has been very low. A handful of walleye anglers went out but had very little success. Perch anglers around the harbor caught a few fish from shore using minnows and crawlers. Those casting from the pier reported catching only a few walleye after dark while using crankbaits. Steelhead, coho and Atlantic salmon can be expected to start showing up in the harbor.

Thunder Bay River: Anglers reported seeing walleye in the river; however, they were not successful in catching these fish. Only a fish or two were caught on crankbaits and minnows in the early morning hours. Perch anglers reported the bite as slow, with only a few being caught when using minnows and crawlers. A fair number of Atlantic salmon were reported to be in the river. Spoons, spinners and spawn all caught a few fish, with orange, silver/blue and green being the most productive colors. Fishing for Chinook and coho salmon was winding down. Although a few fresh fish were still being seen, the majority of them were well beyond table fare. Anglers reported that steelhead were showing up and being caught on fresh spawn and by drifting beads. Some nice brown trout were still being caught on crankbaits and spoons. 

Rogers City: Due to high winds and rough water, anglers were not able to make it out fishing.

Ocqueoc River: A few anglers tried for salmon but had little success. Most of the Chinook salmon were reported to be past table quality, but there were still a few stray coho around. Fishing with spawn under a bobber seemed to work well for anglers. 

Tawas/Au Gres: A few anglers in Au Gres reported catching crappie and bluegill in the cut. Those who targeted bass saw both largemouth and smallmouth. A few small perch, a handful of pike and some catfish were also reported to be caught.

Cheboygan River: Though Chinook were being caught, they were looking quite dark and were not biting very well. Anglers reported that skein was still the best bait, and that a crankbait was the best lure. Steelhead numbers were increasing, but they still were running small. However, there were a few larger fish present.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers were still catching Chinook and coho salmon in the river system. Coho were reported to be in the river from the mouth all the way to Foote Dam. Steelhead and a few Atlantic salmon were reported to be interspersed in the river as well. Using spawn bags and spinners seemed to work best when fishing for salmon and steelhead.  Walleye were reported to be caught in the evening through the night.  

Back to top

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Petoskey/Harbor Springs: Anglers fishing the Bear River reported slower numbers of salmon in the system. Anglers did report a slight increase in steelhead numbers both at the dam and at the mouth of the river. Bouncing beads and spawn had the most success, while a few anglers had some success casting crank baits in the 'bobber hole.’ Boat anglers targeting perch in Harbor Springs reported very slow numbers.

West Grand Traverse Bay: Perch were caught out in front of Elmwood Marina and the Grand Traverse Yacht Club. No limit catches, but enough for dinner, with good-sized perch. Smallmouth bass fishing was slow, with only single-digit numbers caught in 20 to 40 feet of water. Some cisco were caught on the southeast corner of West Bay. 

East Grand Traverse Bay: The cisco fishing was hot. Anglers reported limit or near-limit catches of cisco throughout East Bay. Trolling with small spoons was best; very few people were jigging. Smallmouth bass fishing was slow, with most anglers only reporting around 10 bass per trip. The smallmouth bass were still deep in 20 to 40 feet of water.

Elk River: Anglers reported the river as being slow, with very few fish caught. A few coho and Chinook were left in the river, but not many. Only a handful of steelhead seemed to be in the river.

Manistee/Ludington: Due to poor weather conditions, fishing pressure was very low as it was too rough for anglers to effectively fish.

Back to top

Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers reported good yellow perch fishing. Perch rigs, drifting with minnows or still fishing was the common presentation. Walleye anglers reported fair fishing when trolling crawler harnesses. Some anglers reported contacting walleye outside of the bay in areas farther south between the Ford River and Seagull Point.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass anglers reported good numbers of bites and some quality-sized fish. Some anglers had success when drifting with the waves and dragging live sucker minnows or casting soft plastic baits. Yellow perch anglers caught fish, with some reports of limits. Anglers used minnows while fishing closer to bottom when either drifting or anchored.

Carp River: The Carp River was not producing many fish. Anglers were most likely to catch steelhead, though Chinook, coho and pink salmon were still present. Anglers reported spinner baits as the best lure to use.

Nunns Creek: Anglers reported a large amount of Chinook salmon stacked up right near the bridge. These fish were looking quite dark and small, but an occasional large and fresher salmon was reported. Anglers had more success with small lures compared to larger ones.

Grand Marais: A few anglers were shore fishing at the Sucker River but reported very slow fishing. There were a few scattered reports of coho; however, most appeared to have been spawned out.

Munising Bay: Due to gusty winds, fishing activity was slow. Anglers who were casting and still fishing off the dock at the Anna River reported no action. Anglers reported that it appears as if the coho run is done for the season.

Marquette: Anglers reported catching increased numbers of coho salmon, especially on the rivers and in boats trolling the mouths of the rivers and the break wall in around 40 to 70 feet of water. Individuals going out on the break wall did well when fishing for lake trout. The best time to fish seemed to be early morning and at dusk. Anglers also reported catching good numbers of steelhead in the rivers. Chartreuse, bright orange and glow spinners were all good colors to use, as well as plain worms puffed up with a syringe.

Au Train: Due to poor weather, fishing pressure was low. Boat anglers who did make it out did not have much success.

Ontonagon River: Fishing on the river was fairly slow. Anglers had some luck in finding the occasional walleye. This success occurred at all times of day. Reports show that the methods of jigging and trolling yielded similar results.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: While the marina in Ontonagon saw limited fishing efforts, the Union Bay Launch stayed busy. Anglers brought in great numbers of lake trout, with most obtaining their limits. Reports show that many had luck when jigging lures in shallow waters. Trolling these shallower waters also yielded good numbers of fish. Anglers had luck catching fish at all times of day. 

Black River Harbor: Fishing efforts out of the harbor were very low. The few anglers who made it out on the lake were successful in finding some lake trout. Reports show that fish were caught in a variety of depths when trolling artificial lures. Successful trips occurred at all times of day.

South Portage Canal/ Superior Big Traverse Bay: Anglers had continued luck fishing for lake trout around shallower waters when weather was sufficient to get out. Most fish were caught on artificial presentations. Anglers were mostly trolling; however, some anglers who were casting found success as well.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers had some continued luck fishing from shore for steelhead, brown trout and coho salmon. In boats, anglers had luck casting in shallow and nearshore waters for lake trout and northern pike. Anglers who trolled with crank baits and spoons in a variety of depths covering most of the water column had luck. The most successful fishing was done with artificial baits; however, anglers were catching fish on natural baits as well. Overall, fishing near shore from the bank or in a boat seemed to work well for anglers.

Les Cheneaux/Detour: There were a few Chinook salmon swimming around in the marina, but nothing was caught. A few anglers went out looking for perch and smallmouth bass but did not have much luck.

Back to top

Fishing tip:

Did you know simple mistakes can make or break your fishing adventures? Check out these basic things to avoid if you want to have better success on the water:

• Make sure your reel is filled with line – don’t wait until it gets to half-empty and risk losing a great catch due to an inadequate amount of line.
• Check your knots – monitor their strength and durability after each fish. If the strength gets compromised, cut the line down a few feet and start again.
• Set the hook – don’t forget to do this each time you even think you’ve got a bite. Why waste a great catch just because you forgot to set the hook?
• Want more tips for fishing in Michigan? Visit Michigan.gov/Fishing.

Back to top

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.