Looking for more information about your favorite fishing spot? Check out the Status of the Fishery Resource Reports, which contain the results of major fisheries surveys on Michigan lakes and rivers. Each report briefly describes the environment, resource and management of the body of water—including the fish species you can find there!

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lower Saginaw Bay: Anglers reported walleye being caught trolling out Infront of Linwood Marina in 20 to 25 ft of water using Crankbaits. Anglers found success trolling out in front of Bay City State Park in 17 feet of water with crawlers as well as near Callahan Reef at 17 to 20 feet of water. Shore anglers at Smith Park in Essexville reported mostly sheep head and catfish.

Saginaw River: Walleye were reported being caught from the shore at Veterans Park in Bay City casting jigs. In downtown Saginaw, anglers casting artificial baits caught a largemouth Bass and an occasional northern pike.

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Continuous windy weather kept most anglers off the bay until the holiday weekend. Anglers along the east side of the bay were catching 2 to 4 walleye per boat with a few boats doing well. Areas to try are Callahan reef in 10 to 14 feet of water, the slot in 12 to 15 feet of water, and out over the sand bar as it starts to drop off. Walleye were taken on both crawler harnesses and body baits with bright colors such as fire tiger, pinks, chartreuse, and purple having the most success. Anglers caught some bass along the east side nearshore on a variety of artificial lures.

Tittabawassee River: Smallmouth bass and an occasional walleye caught at Dow Dam fishing with night crawlers.

Lake St. Clair: Most areas on the lake were muddy and difficult to fish but there was an effort from anglers. Smallmouth bass fishing was slow, however north Anchor Bay seemed fair. Reports from shoreline anglers catching walleye in as little as 5 feet of water. Crawler harnesses had the most success. Muskie were reported caught on chrome-colored lures around Anchor Bay. Anglers reported bluegill and perch from the wall at Selfridge on live bait.

Lake Erie: Walleye fishing was found very successful. Anglers are having great success with most walleye fishing methods in 20 to 24 feet of water out from the coal power plant. Some boats using spoons even caught some steelhead. Yellow perch remained on the smaller side with worms being the bait of choice for anglers.  Largemouth bass and smallmouth anglers also found good success using artificial lures near shore.

Port Austin: Very little angling effort in the harbor. Some smallmouth bass were caught at the Pinnebog River casting small artificial lures, mostly tubes. The location with smallmouth bass success was the Willow River a few miles southeast of Port Austin. Popular bait used were leeches and casting lures.

Harbor Beach: Boat anglers trolling for salmon and trout were having a hard time marking any fish as they were scattered in from 20 to 60 feet of water. Smallmouth bass were reported caught from the break wall casting various lures.

Port Sanilac: Boat anglers trolling for salmon and trout did not have great success. Anglers reported salmon and trout being caught in various depths.

Lexington: Low angling effort from boat anglers. Anglers fishing around the beach area and boat launch were caught smallmouth bass and rock bass with night crawlers and a variety of small lures.

Macomb County: Bass and walleye fishing on Lake St. Clair was reported slow. Yellow perch and panfish were reported being caught in marinas along the lake. 

Washtenaw County: Reports of bass being caught on the Halfmoon chain of lakes.

Monroe County: Limits of white bass were caught near Summit St. along Halfway Creek. Anglers reported limits of walleye being caught north of the River Raisin in Lake Erie casting swim baits and trolling in about 15 to 20 feet of water.

Clinton County: Muskie were reported at Lake Ovid. Anglers also reported crappie and bluegills caught on Round Lake.

Eaton County: Panfish and bass activity picked up with most anglers having luck using worms and minnows on inland lakes.

Ingham County: Anglers reported good activity with several species caught in the Grand River.

Ionia County: Bluegill and crappie were reported on the inland lakes with anglers limiting out at Jordan Lake. Walleye, smallmouth bass, and catfish were reported in the Grand River.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: When weather permitted, lake trout anglers caught their limits at Poe Reef and Reynold’s Reef. Anglers were running lines with dodgers/flashers with spoons. Colors with good success were blues, greens, purples, and yellows. In the Cheboygan River, there was a large variety of fish caught. Steelhead anglers floated beads at the Cheboygan dam spillway with some success. A few Atlantic salmon were caught on small spoons or night crawlers between the Cheboygan dam spillway and the pedestrian walkway bridge by the baseball fields. Smallmouth bass anglers did great along the river when using night crawlers, flies, soft plastics, crank baits, and spinner baits. Live bait was most successful for bass. Boat anglers trolling for walleye found good success when drifting night crawlers. Carp, and pike were reported being caught as well.

Harrisville: Many lake trout were reported caught this week by anglers fishing in 60 to 100 feet of water using spin-n-glos and spoons. Coho salmon and steelhead were caught on high lines. Smaller coho salmon were caught in the harbor by anglers casting small spoons.

Tawas/Au Gres: Tawas saw little angling effort with very few fish being reported caught. Bluegill, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and bullhead were reported as most caught. In Au Gres, anglers reported walleye and perch being caught on both natural and artificial baits. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and white bass were reported caught on artificial baits.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Walleye fishing in the lower river remained steady. Drifting crawlers, jigging plastics and casting deep diving bandits/husky jerks all had success. Anglers trolling crawler harnesses and crank baits around the mouth of the river were also successful. Anglers fishing offshore reported lake trout with some boat anglers catching their limit. Anglers trolling spoons in 50 to 85 feet of water had good success with oranges and greens being popular colors. Anglers reported catching Atlantic salmon in the lower river with most being caught under a bobber while drifting a minnow.

Harrisville: Lake trout fishing remained excellent. Anglers reported limiting out trout are being taken in 50 to 80 feet of water. Anglers targeting the bottom while trolling spoons and spin-n-glos have found great success. Steelhead were reported being caught out of the harbor.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Little Traverse Bay: Fishing pressure across the entire bay was very limited. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass were reported being caught in shallow waters around the bay. Boat anglers reported success when targeting lake trout in deep water. Also reports of steelhead moving through the Bear River with most catches reported using spawn.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Reports of smallmouth bass picked up in the southern parts of the bay. Anglers had success in 10 to 30 feet of water. The water temperature warmed slightly hovering around 45 degrees. Anglers targeting cisco had luck in 30 to 60 feet of water while jigging spoons. Lake trout and steelhead continued to be caught on the Elk River while drifting spawn bags or minnows.

Manistee: Brown trout were caught in the harbor and along the shoreline using spoons or baits resembling gobies. Those who trolled for chinook salmon reported a few fish in deep water around 200 to 450 feet, as well as 80 to 100 feet down straight out and south near Big Sable Point. Lake trout were caught in 100+ feet of water while trolling spoons to the north.

Ludington: Cold water in the area made things difficult. Very little salmon activity reported with a few caught in deep water straight out from Big Sable point and south of Pentwater. Lake trout, steelhead and brown trout were caught at various depths while trolling.

Leland: Boat angling efforts were limited with cooler water temperature. Offshore anglers had success targeting lake trout by trolling deeper using spin-n-glos and spoons around the Manitou Islands. Pier anglers had great success targeting smallmouth bass when casting swim baits around docks.

Charlevoix: Fishing pressure on the Pine River Channel increased, leading to more fish being caught. Anglers reported one to two cisco and the occasional lake trout while casting spoons. More success was reported off the North Pier.

Frankfort: Lake trout were reported caught in numbers throughout the area on spoons as water temperatures moved back into the 40s and north winds were prevalent. Brown trout were reported along the shoreline and in close on body baits. Chinook salmon and whitefish were reported as well.

Onekama: Boat anglers trolling reported cooler waters and that baitfish had moved on that were seen previously.

Benzie County: Anglers reported catching lake trout, steelhead, brown trout and some cisco out of Frankfort. Bass, walleye, perch and some panfish were caught in the inland lakes.

Grand Traverse County: Some panfish observed being caught on Lake Dubonnet.

Wexford County: Rain made fishing in rivers difficult with mud and high waters.

Oceana County: Smaller inland lakes saw more panfish being caught with the warmer weather. Reports of slow for fishing in Lake Michigan out of Pentwater.

Newaygo County: Panfish were caught in shallow water on inland lakes.

Mecosta County: Walleye were reported being caught on the Muskegon River downstream from Davis Bridge.

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Upper Peninsula

St. Ignace: No known lake trout fishing activity due to weather. At the Carp River, walleye anglers floated night crawlers/leeches or used soft plastics. At the Pine River, boat anglers trolled night crawler harnesses with combinations of reds, oranges, and golds for walleye.

Grand Marais: Due to unfavorable weather, boat angling efforts were low. Anglers reported catching coho salmon trolling east of the break wall. Anglers targeting lake trout found success while trolling. Anglers fishing the break wall reported good numbers of whitefish and round whitefish.

Munising: Saw reduced fishing efforts due to inclement weather. During the weekend, boat anglers did well trolling the bay around Grand Island, catching good numbers of coho salmon and chinook salmon. Anglers fishing off the Anna River dock reported catching coho salmon and splake casting spoons and using spawn.

Ontonagon River: Angling efforts on the river were strong. Reports suggest that walleye were caught in good numbers. Trolling was the preferred method of fishing for most anglers with an occasional incidental reported catch of lake sturgeon.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Over the past week, these locations saw a good amount of angling effort. Reported catches consisted of coho salmon, chinook salmon, lake trout, and brown trout. These fish were caught in fair numbers by those trolling shallow waters.

Black River Harbor: Angling efforts from the harbor were fair over the past week. Boats trolling shallow waters reported mixed catches consisting of coho salmon, chinook salmon, brown trout, and lake trout in low numbers. Shore and dock anglers also reported catches of northern pike within the harbor.

Little Bay de Noc: Yellow perch fishing was reported as good. Anglers saw schools of perch in shallows, as well as on the deep side of the drop off. Anglers fishing in the shallows used bobbers with live bait, while those in deeper water used jigs. Walleye anglers reported catches with varying degrees of success, with the most success near dusk and dawn. Fish were also caught drifting and trolling, using crawler harnesses and crank baits. Popular spots were near the head of the bay, the mouth of the Escanaba River, and south of the Ford River. Smallmouth bass fishing was also good; anglers used drop shots, tubes, jerk baits, and other minnow-like soft plastics. Anglers reported that most of the large lake bass have moved out of the rivers but are still reporting good numbers in the rivers. Anglers bass fishing in the lake targeted reeds and shallow rock structures with good success. Anglers also reported catching a few large pike.

Big Bay de Noc: Anglers reported good smallmouth bass fishing. Anglers caught fish in bays and near islands with good fishing near reeds and rock structures. Anglers targeting walleye reported fair fishing, although a low number of catches per angler.

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers reported catching coho salmon and occasionally chinook salmon while trolling crankbaits, spoons, and flies in the upper portion of the water column. Anglers jigging for lake trout and whitefish saw limited success.

Marquette: Weather in Marquette finally settled, providing favorable conditions for anglers to return to the water. Water temperatures continued to rise, reaching approximately 45 degrees. The coho salmon bite around Marquette showed notable improvement in both size and quantity. The area east of the Chocolay River appeared to remain the most productive for anglers. Chinook salmon, sizable brown trout, and coho salmon were successfully caught between Sand River and Shot Point in depths ranging from 20 to 50 feet of water. Although lake trout were present in shallower waters, most anglers targeting them appeared to be fishing in deeper areas, around 150 feet of water. In Upper Harbor, there were a limited number of days when weather conditions were favorable, anglers reported moderate success catching lake trout while trolling or jigging near White Rock, or while trolling out toward the sand hole in depths of approximately 225 feet of water.

Au Train: There were few boats that headed out in Au Train this week due to adverse weather conditions and ongoing tournaments. The coho salmon and brown trout fishing was favorable. Chinook salmon and lake trout anglers were also doing very well, when anglers made it out. Several boats reported trolling around the river mouths or near the shoreline points, still at depths of around 30 to 50 feet, having success with both chinook salmon and coho salmon. Lake trout slowly made their way in from deep water with warmer weather, a few were caught in shallower waters around 40 to 50 feet.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers reported adequate catches of lake trout and whitefish while jigging in deeper than 100 feet of water. Anglers trolling crank baits and flasher/flies caught both coho salmon and chinook salmon, although in small numbers.

Alger County: Whitefish and coho salmon were reported caught at the break wall in Grand Marais. Walleye fishing was reportedly slow on Munuscong Bay. Walleye and northern pike fishing was reported good in the bays of Drummond Island.

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Fishing tip: Keep your hooks sharp!

A dull hook can cost you a catch. Make sure to replace or sharpen hooks regularly to ensure better hooksets and more landed fish.

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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.