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For those fishing or paddling in the 12-county disaster area encompassing Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle counties, please be aware that waterways may contain new obstructions, including downed trees and branches. Please also be aware of possible boating access site closures.

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lower Saginaw Bay: Due to bad weather conditions over the weekend, boat anglers were confined to the Saginaw River and did not have any success fishing for walleye. A few smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were caught in the marinas casting artificial baits.

Saginaw River: Fishing was slow overall, with high winds making it more difficult. A few walleye were caught from shore around Independence Bridge and Veterans Bridge. In Bay City they were caught casting jigs from shore. Elsewhere, fishing pressure was low, and fishing was pretty slow.

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Constant north and northeast winds have kept anglers off the bay and unable to get out and try for walleye along the east side. A few anglers fishing near shore caught a few bass from Quanicassee to Caseville on a variety of artificial baits.

Tittabawassee River: A few walleye were caught in the vicinity of Bailey Bridge in Mapleton casting body baits and also drifting night crawlers. Elsewhere on the Tittabawassee, fishing was slow. White bass have not shown up yet in big numbers, but likely will with the warm weather forecasted later in the week.

Lake St. Clair: Smallmouth catch rates decreased with high winds that muddied the water. Anglers caught fish in the middle of Anchor Bay, on Big Muskamoot Bay, and in Ford Cove in 5 to 7 feet of water. Darker colors worked well along with green and yellow which were hot colors. Bluegill and crappie were being caught on Ford Cove by anglers fishing with live bait. Other anglers caught crappie from the canals near Selfridge. Walleye anglers are catching fish in front of the Metropark while trolling with crawler harnesses. Largemouth in the canals near Selfridge are voracious and hitting on nearly everything and every color.

Lake Erie: Walleye catch slowed slightly in Michigan waters with the Sunday winds causing low visibility in the lake. Those fishing east of Estral beach in 18 feet of water had the best results. Many seeking large walleye launched from Sterling St. Park and went into Canadian waters by the windmills. Crawler harnesses and artificial crank baits had the same effectiveness this week, with neither out competing the other. Largemouth bass were still being caught heavily in the hot ponds of the coal plant. Anglers were casting with artificial lures to catch them. 

Lake Huron: Another week of high winds, at the end of the week there were a couple of days anglers had okay fishing conditions. The most successful area was Harbor Beach, which saw a good number of coho salmon, lake trout, and some steelhead. King salmon were caught trolling 30 to 60 feet of water using mostly spoons with downriggers and a few on dipsy divers. Strong winds started again Sunday, stopping any fishing activity.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Muskegon: Fishing off the piers was very slow this week. The north wind cooled the lake temp down a bit with the channel having warmer water than the lake. A fair number of Chinook salmon were caught with a few coho salmon and brown trout, along with steelhead mixed in. Boats trolling in 40 to 50 feet of water, 13 feet down did well. A few boats caught fish right in the channel. Blue, green, and orange spoons all did well along with crankbaits.

Muskegon Lake: There were reports of decent catches of yellow perch. Anglers had success in shallower water using minnows. A lot of sorting through smaller fish was necessary, though. Nice catches of panfish were also reported.

South Haven: Fishing continues to be pretty good; boat anglers are catching fish from 15ft to about 80 ft of water. Boats have been catching mostly coho salmon, lake trout and king salmon. Spoons and small crankbaits are catching most of these fish. Pier anglers are also still catching some coho salmon. Fishing has slowed down, but fish are still being caught. Spawn and shrimp were catching most fish, but a few were caught casting spoons. No perch reports.

St. Joseph: Anglers had another pretty good week of fishing. Boat anglers had fishing slow slightly from last week. The Chinook salmon and coho salmon have spread out a little bit. Boat anglers have been fishing in 45ft out past 100ft of water. There are also some coho salmon still yet along the beach. Anglers caught mostly Chinook salmon and coho salmon. Small flashers and flies and spoons have caught most of the fish. Pier fishing has slowed. Coho salmon and a few steelhead were still being caught. Shrimp fished under bobbers caught most of the fish. No perch reports.

Grand Haven: Pier fishing remained relatively slow with a few coho salmon being caught. Anglers reported that the catch improved around mid-day to the afternoon when water temps are in the high 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Fish were caught on shrimp and minnows successfully. Perch fishing out of Grand Haven has picked up. Boats have had success both south out of Grand Haven in 50-70 feet of water, and straight out of Grand Haven in 55 feet of water using spikes, wigglers, and minnows. The Chinook salmon catch has been good, with some coho salmon and brown trout mixed in. Success was found fishing the mudline from the Grand River in 40 to 55 feet of water; fish were found 30 to 40 feet deep pulling meat rigs and spoons. Good colors have been black with white, greens, and oranges. Boats going south towards Port Sheldon also found king salmon in 65 to 75 feet of water.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: All boat launches are available for use, but the cleaning station is closed. Steelhead anglers still had some luck with drifting beads at the Cheboygan Dam spillway. Walleye anglers had the best luck when drifting live bait or jigging soft plastic minnows. Good spots to target walleye were at the Cheboygan Dam spillway, the drawbridge nearby the DNR field station, and nearby the pedestrian walkway bridge. Pike, smallmouth bass, and suckers were caught in the mix as well. Lake trout anglers were running lines all over the water column while trolling dodgers or dipseys with spoons. Greens and silvers produced the best results.  

Rockport: Lake trout fishing was reported as very good with a few Atlantic salmon being caught. Short lead core lines with spoons in 20-40’ were productive. Watermelon, orange, and green colored spoons worked best from stone port to middle island. A few northern pike were taken on spoons from shore anglers. 

Alpena: Boat anglers targeting walleyes have had decent results trolling 10 to 16 feet of water. Low light conditions have been most productive while trolling shallow diving crank baits in black/gold, purples, and chartreuse. Those jigging have reported hit or miss action while using blade baits and plastics. Anglers seeking lake trout had good success in depths of 40-60’ from north point to Thunder Bay Island. Orange, green/gold, and white spoons worked well through the water column. Orange and gold spoons ran high and accounted for a few Atlantic salmon in the same waters. Pier anglers reported a mixed bag of bass, pike, walleye, and a few Atlantic salmon while casting spoons and crank baits. Blue/silver, black/gold, and chartreuse were all productive.

Thunder Bay River: A few steelhead remain in the river and were caught while drifting beads near the 9th Street dam. A handful of Atlantic salmon were also caught while casting orange spinners. Those targeting northern pike had success while casting spinnerbaits in white, chartreuse, and yellows, while walleye anglers reported the fishing as slow. A good number of smallmouth bass were caught while jigging plastics and casting swim baits.

Oscoda / Lower Au Sable River: Anglers targeting walleye on the pier caught a handful of fish while casting deep body baits along with 3/8-1/2oz jigs tipped with plastics or crawlers. Boats trolling outside the pier heads have also been catching walleye while trolling deep body baits (bandits and thunder-sticks). A few Atlantic salmon have also been caught this week by anglers casting orange/gold spoons and floating minnows a few feet under the surface. The steelhead bite has been hit or miss but there are a lot of steelhead in the river. Bottom bouncing beads and flies is what has been taking most fish. 10mm yellow/orange beads and black stone flies have been popular choices when bottom bouncing.

Tawas/Au Gres: Walleye fishing seems to have slowed down with not many fish being taken from the pier nor from the Tawas River. Not many boats have been able to get out on the water due to high winds, and those that were able to get out reported slow fishing. Only a few walleye, northern pike, and occasional smallmouth bass have been caught. Not many boats have been going out from Au Gres or Standish due to weather. Perch fishing has slowed. Smallmouth and largemouth bass, bowfin, and carp are being caught by shore anglers.

Au Sable River: The Hendrickson hatch is in full swing across the Au Sable River, both above and below Mio Dam — thus signaling the unofficial kickoff to prime dry fly season. If you have been waiting for surface action, now is the time. Trout are starting to rise consistently in the afternoons, especially on warm, overcast days. Keep an eye out for spinner falls in the evening and have your go-to Hendrickson patterns ready.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Little Traverse Bay: Steelhead fishing in Petoskey has slowed down; Many of the steelhead are dark, and suckers have been consistent. Bouncing beads, floating spawn, and casting flies has produced results. Those targeting lake trout in the Bay have reported slow numbers, finding fish anywhere between 50 and 125 feet of water. Trolling spoons and flies have produced some results. Harbor Springs public boat launch has pushed in all slips.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Lake trout were reported being caught with 100-140ft of water being the sweet spot. Anglers that were finding cisco reported them to be shallower in about 70-100ft of water. Steelhead continue to be caught in the Elk River downstream of the dam. The water temperature in the bay is still cold hovering at about 37 degrees. 

West Grand Traverse Bay / Boardman River: Success has been slow due to the cold-water temperatures still hanging around west bay. Few anglers were finding success while jigging spoons and tube jigs for lake trout with a couple cisco also being caught. On the Boardman River, steelhead continue to be caught although the run is starting to slow down. Drifting spawn bags and beads behind the gravel beds is producing the most bites for anglers.

Northport/Suttons Bay: Very limited boat activity, colder water temperatures still throughout the bay. Water temperatures at 38 degrees, boat anglers that did go out in search for yellow perch found no luck.

Manistee: Those fishing the piers for brown trout and steelhead still caught a few on spawn. Anglers trolling for brown trout and king salmon reported limited success while fishing body baits and spoons 40ft and in. Lake trout were caught in 120-140ft of water on spoons. 

Tippy Dam/Manistee River: A nice push of fresh fish was reported to have made their way up the river recently. Anglers reported that lots of steelhead were caught.  

Ludington: Boat anglers caught mostly lake trout in 50-100ft of water straight out and at Big Sauble Point, spoons worked well. In the mix came a steelhead and very few king salmon. Brown trout fishing slowed down, but a couple were still caught from boats trolling the harbor and near the Lincoln River mouth. No action to report from the piers. 

Lake Michigan/Frankfort: Catches reported were above average with several limits of lake trout and brown trout being reported. Anglers trolling the shoreline south with body baits and in the harbor were most successful. Anglers setting up in 60-80 feet of water straight out front running mostly spoons are picking up the lake trout with reports of king salmon.

Onekama/Lake Michigan: Anglers fishing the pier were reporting the occasional steelhead and brown on spawn. 

Charlevoix: Water temperatures remained at or below 40 degrees. Those fishing in the Pine River Channel reported very slow numbers of walleye and pike. No cisco were reported.

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Upper Peninsula

St. Ignace: Lake trout anglers were successful trolling down riggers off the Wawatam lighthouse and in front of Mackinac Island. Down riggers with dodgers or dipseys with spoons with green and silver displays produced the best results. Jigging crank baits with similar colors did well, too. The DNR boat launch at the Pine River has not been put in yet. 

Grand Marais: The coho salmon fishing was great this past week, boating anglers had the best success when trolling east of the break wall for these fish, with a few steelhead and chinook salmon mixed in. On the break wall, anglers caught a good number of both whitefish and coho salmon. Anglers going out early in the morning were the best with the use of spawn. A few Boating anglers were doing well jigging for lake trout. 

Munising: Boating anglers did very well catching coho salmon by trolling the bay in Munising. Anglers pursuing lake trout have found some jigging near Grand Island. There was some limited success off the fishing dock on the Anna River, with anglers reporting a few coho salmon and whitefish with the use of spawn bags. Shore anglers fishing Bay Furnace reported a few steelhead in the past week. 

Ontonagon River: All three launch docks are now in the water at the Ontonagon Marina Boat Launch. Over the past week, the river saw very little pressure from anglers. Reports suggest that very few fish were caught.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: All three launch docks are now in the water at the Ontonagon Marina Boat Launch. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is now open. The Silver City boat launch dock remains out of the water. Fishing efforts from these ports were fair over the past week. Shore anglers in Union Bay have had some luck when targeting coho salmon and brown trout. Those fishing from boats have had luck in catching mixed bags of coho salmon, lake trout, brown trout, steelhead, and chinook salmon. These fish have been caught in low numbers by those trolling shallow waters.

Black River Harbor: Over the past week the harbor experienced a good amount of angling efforts. Anglers fishing from the harbor break walls were successful in catching coho salmon in low numbers. Boats trolling shallow waters reported mixed catches consisting of coho salmon, Chinook salmon, lake trout, steelhead, and brown trout in fair to low numbers.

Little Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass anglers reported good fishing in relatively shallow areas. Anglers used jerk baits and soft plastics, close to the bottom. Perch fishing was good using minnows in the upper portion of the bay.

Big Bay de Noc: Anglers fishing Garden Bay reported slow fishing for yellow perch. Anglers targeting bass did well, reporting good number of catches, as well as large fish.

Les Cheneaux Islands: Anglers in the Hessel area were fishing for splake and perch. There were a few splake caught at the marina fishing on bottom with dead smelt but people have been putting in long hours trying to get something to commit. The perch started to move in but were difficult to get to commit to anything, with anglers using minnows, worms, wigglers, and even shrimp. The boat anglers have been going out into the big waters coming in with some nice catches of lake trout. Anglers were also trolling for splake but not having much luck. There were good numbers on bass and northern pike caught in the area as well; however, those seasons remain closed.

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Fishing tip: Be sure to check the weather

It is important to check weather conditions, as they can play a pivotal role in how active fish are. Fish tend to be more active during overcast days or right before a big temperature shift and less active during days that include high winds or large amounts of rain. It is also important to be aware of weather conditions for your own safety.

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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.