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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lower Saginaw Bay

Walleye were caught trolling northwest of the dumping grounds in 18 feet of water on crawlers and crank baits. Shore anglers at Smith Park in Essexville caught sheepshead, catfish and smallmouth bass.

Saginaw River

Walleye were reported caught by shore anglers at Veterans Park casting jigs. Reports of crappie from boat anglers around the marina docks in Bay City fishing with a small tube jig under a bobber.

Eastern Saginaw Bay

Angling efforts on the east side of the bay were limited with windy conditions and kept boat anglers on shore. Walleye were caught in the slot off Sebewaing trolling crawler harnesses. Walleye were caught around the inner bay from Quanicassee to Sebewaing. Successful starting points were Callahan Reef, the slot, the bar and the shallows in 8 to 12 feet of water.

Lake St. Clair

Anglers reported catching fair amounts of smallmouth bass. Some of the bass were found both on and off beds. In the Selfridge and Anchor Bay area, anglers caught fish in 8-12 feet of water near the mile roads area. Anglers reported many catches in 12 to 15 feet of water with green and brown being popular colors. Top water lures and crank baits along with tubes had good success. Walleye anglers reported success trolling with crawler harnesses between Metro Park and 400 Club, as well as at the north channel mouth. Anglers reported white bass, northern pike and rock bass in good numbers. The perch bite was reported slow.

Lake Erie

Walleye were found scattered due to the wind. Anglers with the most success were in 20 feet of water east of Fermi near the Ohio line, bottom bouncing with crawler harnesses. Anglers also found success where the Michigan, Ohio and Canada lines meet. Orange and yellow harnesses had good success. Those with an Ohio license saw success near West Sister Island in 27 feet of water. Yellow perch were still on the smaller side and have not yet been targeted in mass. Many anglers enjoyed the state park for Michigan’s “Three Free Weekend” and caught largemouth bass, catfish and even northern pike in the lakes at Sterling State Park.

Port Austin

Anglers fishing from the break wall and docks along Bird Creek reported catching smallmouth bass with night crawlers and casting small lures.

Harbor Beach

The veterans fish outing took place over the weekend with a lot of boats trolling for both salmon and trout. Most boat anglers were trolling in 80-100 feet of water and catching good numbers of lake trout, steelhead and coho salmon using downriggers with spoons.

Lexington

Anglers were fishing along the docks and beach area inside the harbor, mostly with night crawlers. Rock bass, bluegill and crappie were all reported.

Port Sanilac

Boat anglers trolling for salmon and trout reported catches in 40 feet of water with steelhead in 10 to 15 feet of water using downriggers with spoons and 2-3 color lead core.

Quanicassee

Shore anglers reported catching some channel catfish on night crawlers. Anglers caught good numbers of walleye trolling in the slot off Fish Point in 15-17 feet of water using both night crawler harnesses and flicker shads. Anglers caught good numbers of walleye in 20 feet of water.

Sebewaing

Walleye were reported caught off Maisou Island in 16 feet of water. Bass anglers did well, reporting good numbers of largemouth bass and a northern pike fishing the mouth of the Sebewaing River casting artificial baits in 1-3 feet of water.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

South Haven

Boat anglers targeting salmon reported fair fishing. Anglers were targeting mostly from 65-85 feet of water. Spoons were reported working best, with a few steelhead reported. Perch fishing was slow with the best water to target being 70 feet of water.

St. Joseph

Boat anglers had much slower fishing than last week; the water with the most success was around the pier heads or well beyond 120 feet of water. The boats fishing around the pier heads targeted steelhead with spoons. Pier anglers reported slower fishing for steelhead. However, some steelhead were caught on shrimp.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan

Lake Huron boat anglers were targeting lake trout anywhere there is structure. There was not one location that did better than the others; Popular locations include Cordwood Point, Poe Reef, Reynold’s Reef and the east side of Bois Blanc Island. The best depths to target were anywhere between 50 and 80 feet of water. Spoons in the 3-inch to 5-inch range with dipseys or flashers/dodgers did the best. Try using attractors with chartreuse or green being the primary color. Good colors for fishing lures are orange and green, blue and silver, and green and silver. The walleye bite in the Cheboygan River was best just before sunrise. Walleye boat anglers drifted night crawlers, whole shore anglers used deep-diving crank baits or were floating night crawlers. Good locations for fishing for walleye were anywhere downstream of the Cheboygan Lock to the drawbridge. Anglers fishing the Cheboygan Dam reported catching large smallmouth and rock bass.     

Oscoda/Au Sable

Anglers targeting lake trout did well offshore in 60-100 feet of water while targeting the bottom 5-10 feet of water. Silver fish are being caught on 2-5 colors of lead. Those targeting walleye in the deeper water below U.S. 23 picked up a few fish while hopping paddle tails off the bottom or drifting a crawler. Anglers targeting catfish found a great number of catches. Those targeting Atlantic salmon found success while fishing minnows with light line just below the surface.

Harrisville

Lake trout fishing remained steady with limits being taken by those fishing off the bottom in 70-110 feet of water. Spoons and spin-n-glos were popular. Chinook salmon and steelhead were taken on high lines with spoons.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Little Traverse Bay

Fishing pressure along Bear River increased with reports of steelhead, smallmouth bass and walleye being caught. Walleye and smallmouth bass were caught by casting jig heads with artificial imitation minnows. Steelhead were caught by drifting spawn bags or artificial beads through fast-moving water. Boat anglers reported increased catches of smallmouth bass along Little Traverse Bay with white casting, bottom-oriented rigs or deep-diving swimbaits.

West Grand Traverse Bay 

Smallmouth bass were reported cruising the shallows as the water temperature warmed to the mid-50s this past week. Anglers had some success targeting smallmouth bass when casting tubes and swimbaits in 5-10 feet of water, though the bite was slow. Smallmouth bass have moved into the Boardman River. Those drifting worms or casting spinners were catching some fish in the deep holes. There were still a few steelhead reported swimming around the gravel beds.

East Grand Traverse Bay

Lake trout were caught in 40-80 feet of water while trolling off deep-water point with moderate success. Anglers targeting lake trout reported marking plenty of fish but reported limited catches. Cisco were caught while jigging out of Elk Rapids in 50-70 feet of water on jigging spoons. Gold and white were both good colors to try. Smallmouth bass fishing picked up throughout the bay as the water warmed to the high 50s in the southern areas. Most smallmouth bass caught were in 3-10 feet of water caught by anglers casting swimbaits and dropshots. Lake trout were caught below the dam on the Elk River while bottom bouncing spawn bags or minnows. Those targeting smallmouth bass in the river reported catching good numbers while drifting leeches or casting swimbaits.

Manistee

Anglers trolling for Chinook salmon reported very few, smaller fish in 270-300 feet of water straight out and south, while fishing 25-40 feet down. Anglers reported using spoons but flasher fly combos had good success as well. The lake trout bite was fair in 125-140 feet of water while fishing close to bottom. A couple sheepshead were reported from the piers.

Ludington

A few smaller Chinook salmon were caught to the southwest and at Big Sable Point in 250-300 feet of water fishing 25-30 feet down with spoons. Anglers also reported steelhead, Chinook salmon and coho salmon.

Leland

Fishing pressures increased with warmer water temperatures. Lake trout fishing produced high numbers of harvestable fish. Trolling the first bank produced consistent lake trout around 57 feet with spoons, spin-n-glos and cowbells. Chinook salmon were reported to be in large schools around the south, north Manitou Islands as well as the crib. Chinook salmon were caught anywhere from 150-300 feet of water. Orange and/or blue spoons early morning along with meat rigs later in the day seemed to be successful for most anglers. Pier fishing for smallmouth bass slowed down.

Charlevoix

Fishing pressure along the Pine River Channel leveled off with good reports of cisco, lake trout and walleye. Lake trout and walleye were caught in the early morning between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., with some reports of walleye late at night closer to midnight. The few cisco that were caught were caught using bright-colored, 3/4- to 1-ounce spoons. A higher catch rate was reported on the North Pier and the walkway by the ferry docks on the east side of the bridge. Boat anglers reported good success jigging for cisco in 50-100 feet along the drop-off outside the channel using the same spoons. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass had luck using bottom-oriented rigs or deep-diving swimbaits in 7-14 feet of water.

Leland/Lake Michigan

Fishing pressure continued to be slow; shore anglers reported having good success off first bank trolling for lake trout. Blue baits were found to be most successful. Pier anglers reported catches of smallmouth bass using plastic swim baits.

Frankfort/Lake Michigan

Water temperatures moved into the 50 in some areas which is where most anglers found chinook salmon. Those targeting chinook salmon found success trolling in 100-140 feet of water and setting up in 30 to 60 down with green and blue spoons working best. Steelhead were also reported in the same areas hitting on orange medium spoons. Lake trout anglers had good success off the point bouncing bottom with spin-n-glos.

Onekama/Lake Michigan

Anglers reported low numbers of lake trout in the Barrel but good numbers if they run out to the shelf and a bit deeper. Walleye were still reported in the Channel.

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Upper Peninsula

St. Ignace

Lake trout anglers had success off Round Island or the east side of Bois Blanc Island with the best depths being between 40 and 70 feet of water. Small spoons with orange and green did the best. Dipseys or dodgers/flashers with green/chartreuse or green and silver also gave good results. At the Carp River, there were no reports of walleye being caught. However, those targeting walleye while floating night crawlers or leeches have been catching suckers, catfish and bass. At the Pine River, walleye anglers caught a few legal-sized fish. Early morning between 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. was the best time for walleye. Anglers using deep-diving crank baits or drifting leeches/night crawlers have found the most success. Those using crank baits have also been catching pike or bass. Anglers using night crawlers/leeches caught perch, catfish and bowfin as well.

Grand Marais

Anglers fishing off the break wall did well on lake whitefish and round whitefish, with reports of using worms for round whitefish and spawn for lake whitefish. Late evening and early morning were reported as the best times for them. Boat anglers reported lake trout while trolling and jigging.

Ontonagon River

The river saw good angling efforts over the past week. Reports indicated that walleye were caught in good numbers. Trolling was the preferred method of fishing for most anglers, while some also found success when jigging. Anglers found the best success when fishing in the early morning hours.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay

These ports saw fair amounts of angling efforts. Common catches consisted of lake trout and coho salmon. Catches of Chinook salmon and brown trout were also reported. These catches were fair to low in numbers and caught trolling in shallow waters.

Black River Harbor

The harbor saw a low fishing effort. Reports consisted of coho salmon, brown trout and lake trout in low numbers. Anglers found the most success when trolling across a variety of water depths.

Little Bay de Noc

Walleye anglers had varied results. Walleye fishing was slower, anglers casted and trolled near drop-offs. Some anglers reported good success going slowly with crawler harnesses. Perch anglers reported fair fishing while northern pike anglers report good fishing. Smallmouth anglers reported casting the shallows and on the edge of drop-offs.

Big Bay de Noc

Smallmouth anglers report good fishing near rocky areas, casting soft plastics. Walleye anglers report slow fishing.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay

The bays saw a great increase in angling due to the fishing tournament. Anglers reported catching coho salmon in good numbers and occasionally Chinook salmon while trolling spoons and flies. Those targeting lake trout were successful when trolling and jigging.

Marquette

The water temperatures have continued warming to around 45 to 50 degrees even out toward White Rocks and Granite Rock. The coho salmon and Chinook salmon bite around Marquette continued to hold steady in the size and amount of fish caught. Most anglers are traveling out to Shot Point and trolling for salmon and brown trout in about 40 to 60 feet of water. Reports showed the fish liked a little faster trolling speed, so try 2.8 to 3.0 if you are not connecting at lower speeds. Upper Harbor continued to produce coho salmon, Chinook salmon and brown trout around White Rocks. Lake trout were reported when trolling from the end of the break wall out toward east of the White Rocks jigging in 100 to 130 feet of water. Only a handful of anglers made it out toward Granite Rock and the Clay banks, nut reported good success.

Au Train

The Brownstone Boat Launch is dredged and cleaned up for both boaters and anglers. The coho salmon and brown trout fishing in Au Train was good again this week for anglers who made it out. Lake trout were caught in good numbers with anglers reporting they did well jigging or trolling northeast of the Au Train Island. With warmer weather, a few lake trout were caught in shallower water by anglers targeting salmon from Scott Falls out toward 5 Mile point in 40-60 feet of water.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry

Anglers reported catches of lake trout while jigging between 100 and 150 feet of water. Anglers reported good success when using natural bait. Anglers trolling spoons and flasher/flies reported catching lake trout as well as coho salmon and Chinook salmon in small numbers.

Les Cheneaux Islands/DeTour

Anglers in Hessel struggled catching perch although there were many reports. Mayflies were found hatching in Cedarville. Smallmouth bass were targeted hard with good numbers being caught. The biggest smallmouth bass caught during the tournament was 6.68 pounds, with the biggest largemouth bass being 4.64 pounds. Smaller northern pike were reported caught in the Hessel area as well. In DeTour, anglers were trolling and jigging in the flats and having success with lake trout when the weather cooperated. There were good numbers of smallmouth bass being reported from all around Drummond Island this past week. Anglers also caught some Atlantic salmon in the top 20 feet of the water column.

Munising

Boat anglers did well trolling the bay, with reports of coho salmon and Chinook salmon. Around Grand Island, boat anglers reported adequate catches of Chinook salmon and lake trout. Anglers fishing off the dock on the mouth of the Anna River reported good amounts of splake with the use of spawn.

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Fishing tip: Adjusting to seasonal patterns 

As we transition into mid-June, fish behavior is influenced by rising water temperatures and seasonal changes. Understanding these patterns can enhance your fishing success.

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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.