Due to our seasonal creel clerks finishing up for the season, the Weekly Fishing Report will be temporarily suspended following this week’s report. Early next year, when ice fishing picks up and we begin to receive more reports, the Weekly Fishing Report will resume. In the meantime, for fishing reports you can 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.

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake St. Clair: For the next few months, perch, pike and muskie will likely be the primary catch. Largemouth bass, along with the occasional smallmouth bass, may be catchable as well.

Saginaw Bay: Perch and walleye will be the main catches for the next few months.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Muskegon: Anglers reported catching a few lake whitefish while jigging in the channel. They also noted that small jigging spoons seemed to be most productive.

Muskegon River: Reports indicated that steelhead numbers were light and that they were scattered throughout the system. Anglers also reported that trout were still around in some stretches of the river.

Grand River: Anglers reported steelhead fishing as being slow. They noted that fish were around; however, they lacked in size.  

Whitehall: Anglers jigging in the channel were starting to report catching a few lake whitefish, with small glow jigging spoons working best.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Au Sable River/Upper Manistee River: Trout were reported to be on beds in both rivers. On the Upper Manistee River, anglers reported that brown and brook trout were looking for gravel.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Pere Marquette River: Anglers reported seeing a fair number of brown trout and were able to catch a few. Using flashy patterns as well as black and olive colors was reported to work well.

Boardman River: Anglers expected streamer fishing to dominate due to the temperatures, rain, snow and cloudy conditions.

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Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers reported good perch fishing, specifically when fishing in the morning and late morning hours. However, there were also some reports of worthwhile evening trips. Minnows on perch rigs seemed to be the most productive. Overall, the perch bite was variable day to day, but most days saw good action. Anglers reported that finding the fish was a challenge, but once they were located, there were good results. Walleye anglers reported slow to fair fishing. Most anglers were trolling; however, some had luck casting. The walleye that were caught were reported to have the typical chunky fall build. Anglers seemed to have the most success after dark.

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Fishing tip:

Everyone knows muskellunge are a difficult species to catch, but as the temperatures cool, does it get even harder to find them? Not so, according to some anglers!

In the fall, many anglers use larger lures and slow the speed of their presentations. They will often search for muskies in shallower and warmer water and take advantage of this fish’s larger appetite that comes prior to winter’s arrival.

Want even more insight on targeting muskellunge – during all times of year? Check out the muskie page on the DNR website.

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.