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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: With the recent cooldown, yellow perch fishing had picked up a bit. Some better-sized perch had moved into the dumping grounds off Luna Pier in about 20 feet of water. Anglers were fishing near the bottom with minnows to catch them. Pink was a good color for beads on perch rigs. Perch fly rigs with minnows and feathers were also effective. Walleye remained scarce in Michigan waters. Largemouth bass were active on rubber worms in shallower water.

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Very windy weather kept boats off the bay and there are no reports from the east side of the bay for walleye or yellow perch.

Lake Huron: High winds put a stop to most fishing activity along the thumb area. A couple of places had a little bit of pier fishing. Port Sanilac had a few anglers fishing from the breakwall that caught an occasional coho casting a variety of different lures.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

South Haven: The lake was very rough last week. Very few boats made it out onto the water. The rough weather made it difficult for any boats that ventured out. Pier fishing was also hampered by the lake conditions. There were a couple of days when anglers managed to get out. A few kings and steelhead were caught, but overall, fishing was slow. Most of the fish were caught by casting spoons. No perch boats made it out during the week.

St. Joseph: The lake was very rough last week. The wave conditions kept most boats off the water. The few boats that did make it out experienced tough fishing. Pier anglers had a hard time accessing the piers during the week. The days that were fishable weren’t very productive.

St. Joseph River: There were salmon and steelhead moving in the river system.  Anglers caught some Chinook salmon in the lower river as well as at the Berrien Springs dam.

Black River: There were some steelhead and salmon in the river. Shore anglers and boat anglers caught a few salmon, but fishing was a little slow.

Muskegon: Strong winds over the past week prevented most boats from getting out. When boats were able to get out, they found a mix of immature and mature salmon in 150 to 220 feet of water. Green or white flies fished 70 to 150 feet down worked best. Pier anglers casting for salmon found the action slow.

Grand Haven: Boat anglers had a difficult time getting out due to the winds. Most success was found 70 to 140 feet down in 150 to 200 feet of water. White flasher/fly combinations worked well, along with green or blue glow spoons. Pier action was slow for anglers targeting salmon. A few were caught on gizzard shad or while casting glow spoons.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: Salmon anglers trolling J-plugs and spoons 15 feet down between the Cheboygan County Marina and the buoy markers had some success. Those casting glow spoons before sunrise or after sunset off the Cheboygan pier did well on salmon, especially on overcast days. Anglers fishing the Cheboygan Dam spillway caught Chinook, with the occasional coho salmon and steelhead. These anglers either cast deep-diving stick baits or used spawn while floating or bottom-bouncing. Anglers were equally successful when fishing before daylight and after sunset.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers targeting coho salmon off the pier picked up a few early in the morning. Pink Arctic spinners and blue/silver spoons produced Coho salmon throughout the week. Occasionally, Chinook salmon were caught off the pierhead; anglers casting glow spoons at night and during the early morning hours had the best luck. A handful of Walleye were also caught by anglers casting Bandits or deep-diving body baits off the pierhead.

Harrisville: A handful of coho salmon were caught in the harbor by anglers casting spoons and arctic spinners, pink or white have been good colors. Spawn fished under a float also produced a few nice coho salmon.

Presque Isle: Multiple species were reported caught, including Chinook salmon, lake trout, steelhead, walleye, coho salmon, and the occasional Atlantic salmon. The best depths ranged from 60 to 120 feet of water. Anglers were running lines throughout the water column for the best results. Plenty of bait was reported, and anglers were targeting areas around the baitfish. Spoons, along with flashers and flies, had been producing good results. Productive colors included greens, blues, oranges, white, black, purple, and glow patterns, especially early and late in the day. Good fishing spots included the area between the two lighthouses, north off North Bay and Black Point, or south toward Stoneport and False Presque Isle.

Alpena: The lake did not see many boats, but a few brought in less than their limits of Chinook salmon. Fishing on the river picked up, with anglers targeting salmon, and many Chinook salmon could be seen jumping in the river. A few anglers near the 9th Street Dam brought in less than their limit of Chinook salmon.

Rockport: Early in the week, fishing was productive at Rockport with anglers trolling catching their limits for lake trout and less than limits for Chinook salmon and walleye.

Rogers City: Salmon had been staging off Swan Bay in waters 40 to 80 feet deep. Anglers were running lines throughout the water column. Spoons, J-plugs, meat rigs, and flasher flies had all been effective. Good colors included greens, blues, blacks, white, and glow patterns—especially early and late in the day. First light and last light were the most productive times for salmon. Anglers fishing outside the bay, in deeper water, out front of the marina, or farther up the lake were catching a mixed bag of a few salmon, lake trout, and walleye. There had been plenty of baitfish in the area, and anglers were focusing their efforts around them for the best success. The most productive depths ranged from 60 to 85 feet, depending on the location of the baitfish.

Tawas/Au Gres: In Tawas, there was very little to no boat traffic. Shore anglers at Gateway Park caught an occasional Chinook salmon casting plugs and spoons. In Au Gres, a few boat anglers have been trolling for walleye, but unfortunately with the high winds over the weekend fishing has been very slow.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Anglers were restricted to the harbor and the channel due to high winds, but reported very good numbers. Trolling and jigging produced good catches throughout the day. Anglers who ventured out to 80 to 100 feet of water in the early mornings landed a few mature and immature Chinook salmon trolling the top 60 feet on spoons and plugs. The evening bite was a bit more productive. Coho salmon were reported in Platte Bay staging out front, but the weather did not cooperate.

Leland: Weather conditions kept all boat anglers off the big lake this week. Pier fishing pressure started to increase. Those floating skein found some success, catching a few coho salmon. Alewives were also seen throughout the harbor.

Suttons Bay: No reports of Yellow Perch in Northport or Suttons Bay. Salmon have not yet entered Northport's Marina.

West Grand Traverse Bay: Poor weather conditions had kept fishing pressure low this week. Anglers trolling in front of the Boardman River caught salmon between 45 and 60 feet down in 70 to 100 feet of water. Those casting crankbaits at the mouth of the Boardman River had caught a few Chinook salmon along with the occasional coho salmon. Salmon were also caught in the lower sections of the Boardman River by anglers drifting skein under a float or casting spinners.

Charlevoix: High winds kept fishing pressure to a minimum. Those who made it out had some success near Medusa Creek fishing shallow water. Trolling body baits, floating spawn, and casting spoons produced salmon and the occasional steelhead. Those fishing in the Pine River Channel reported limited action.

Little Traverse Bay: Anglers targeting salmon in the Bear River reported slow numbers of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead. Bottom bouncing beads, spawn, and flies produced results near the dam. Those fishing the mouth of the river had limited success floating spawn. Boat anglers in the bay reported inconsistent numbers due to high winds over the past several days. Those who made it out found salmon 60 to 80 feet down in 120 feet of water, trolling flasher flies and spoons.

Manistee: High winds over the weekend kept most anglers off Lake Michigan. Boats jigging and trolling in the river channel and Manistee Lake caught chinook salmon in the early mornings and at night. Early in the week, a few salmon were caught inside and outside the pier heads while jigging and trolling glow plugs and spoons. The piers were slow, but a couple of Chinook salmon and coho salmon were caught while casting spoons, Thundersticks, and jigging spoons.

Ludington: High winds and large waves kept most anglers off the big lake this weekend. PM Lake had decent catches of Chinook salmon while jigging, trolling, and drifting skein, but the action slowed down early in the week. On Lake Michigan, a few Chinook salmon were caught northwest and just south of Big Sauble Point in 100 to 110 feet of water while fishing 60 feet down with green plugs and spoons. Pier fishing was very slow.

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Upper Peninsula

Ontonagon River: Angling efforts on the river were low over the past week. Recent rain showers left the river water very dirty. Walleye were caught in low numbers by those fishing with natural baits.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Over the past week, Ontonagon experienced low fishing effort, primarily due to frequent harsh weather conditions, including heavy rainfall and strong winds. Angling effort from Union Bay and Silver City was also low. Recent reports included fair numbers of lake trout, along with occasional catches of coho salmon and Chinook salmon.

Black River Harbor: Angling efforts from the harbor were low over the past week. Inclement weather, including heavy rain and strong winds, frequently made conditions too poor for reasonable fishing activity. Recent reported catches were mixed bags, consisting primarily of lake trout in fair numbers. Catches also included coho salmon and Chinook salmon on fewer occasions.

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers targeting walleye reported good catches at the bottom of drop-offs, in areas 24 feet deep and beyond. Some anglers reported catching them near Portage Point, Black Bottom, and south of Gladstone. They were casting jigs or trolling crawler harnesses. Anglers also reported fair perch fishing when using minnows or worms. Perch were caught near the narrows, the mouth of the Escanaba River, and areas near Ludington Park. Anglers reported good smallmouth bass fishing, with some catching fish in deeper water than in previous weeks. Hair jigs, tubes, and swimbaits were successful that week. Pike were caught throughout the bay.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth anglers reported fair fishing in Ogontz and Garden Bays. Some pike catches were reported

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: The bays saw little fishing pressure due to weather. Those anglers who were able to get out only saw little success, reporting a few lake trout and fewer salmon throughout the week.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: There were few reports from these ports due to wind and weather. The handful of anglers who did fish reported fair lake trout catches, as well as a few coho salmon being caught. Anglers targeting water depths of 25 to 50 feet saw the most success when fishing for salmon.

Grand Marais: Bad weather this past week produced minimal fishing activity for boat and shore anglers.

St. Ignace: There was limited fishing pressure at the Carp River cement footing pier near the mouth of the river. There were reports of salmon being caught at Nunns Creek by anglers casting spoons before daylight and after sunset. Overcast days were the best times to fish.

Munising: Bad weather this past week produced low fishing activity. Shore and Pier anglers had some success targeting splake and Coho salmon using spawn in the bay. boat anglers trolling the bay reported catching Coho salmon and splake as well.

Marquette: Great weather and success for anglers, both trolling and jigging for lake trout. Lake trout were caught consistently north of White Rocks in 120 to 200 feet of water. Anglers trolling from northwest of the White Rocks out toward north of Granite Island did well in both deep and shallow waters. Most of the fish moved into shallow water as the water temperature began to drop. Coho salmon were also caught out from the Upper Harbor Lighthouse toward Black Rocks and near the Clay Banks west of Granite Island, in around 60 feet of water. They were caught at various depths from 80 to 180 feet, depending on where anglers were fishing, but 120 feet was the most frequently reported depth this week, especially for lake trout.

Au Train: Most anglers went northwest of Au Train Island out to the flats, in around 120 to 160 feet of water. Anglers reported doing well targeting Lake Trout last week compared to the previous couple of weeks, and it helped that most of the nets had been taken out — though it is still important to keep an eye out for them. It had been paying off for anglers who were willing to make their way out. They were either trolling for Lake Trout in 120 to 180 feet of water or jigging off the flats in 80 to 100 feet.

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Fishing tip: Water clarity

Keep an eye on water clarity after rough weather. Stirred-up, muddy water can make fishing tough, especially for sight-feeding species like steelhead or Chinook salmon. When visibility is low, switch to brightly colored or noisy lures (like chartreuse or orange spoons with rattles) to help fish locate your presentation.

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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.