Get a better feel for the body of water you will be fishing with one of our many inland lake maps before heading out on your next fishing adventure. These inland maps provide depth as well as vegetation information to give anglers a better idea of where to target fish. 

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Those who targeted yellow perch found a few out deep around the spark plug and in the slot between Sunset Marina and Sebewaing. Anglers had to move around to find perch and do some searching for larger fish. Few anglers targeted walleye. Those who did target walleye reported slow fishing, with only a few per boat.

Western Saginaw Bay: Anglers found some perch in the shipping channel in 17 feet of water and fished from there to the Spark Plug Buoy in 23 feet of water. Other perch anglers went out to the end of the shipping channel to Buoys 1 and 2 in 28 feet of water. Anglers found six to 12 perch per boat on average. Walleye fishing was slow. Most anglers fished the same areas as the perch anglers, plus off Linwood in 17 feet of water and out to the dumping grounds. Most fished night crawler harnesses, but fishing was slow, with only one to three walleye per boat on average.

Port Austin: Smallmouth bass were caught from boats casting artificial lures in 15 to 25 feet of water just to the west of the harbor.

Harbor Beach: A few coho salmon were reported in the harbor, and some were caught from the break wall, casting mostly spinners. Northern pike and smallmouth bass were also caught casting artificial lures.

Port Sanilac: A few coho salmon and steelhead were caught casting a variety of artificial lures and spinners. Northern pike were caught as well from both the north and south break wall.

Oakland County: Slow activity, very low angler success.

Macomb County: The lake was warm, and the weeds were getting taller. Anglers reported catching bass, walleye, and pike from shore and trolling along the weed beds.

Monroe County: Perch activity picked up with the colder nights cooling the water down. Perch were caught near the dumping grounds in Lake Erie.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

South Haven: Boat anglers targeting salmon reported good fishing. The best fishing was found very deep, but the fish had started moving into shallower water, with the most consistent bite around 120 feet of water. Spoons were the most productive method for catching these fish. The catch consisted mostly of Chinook salmon, with some steelhead mixed in. Pier fishing was slow due to the warm water in the area. Perch fishing was slow.

St. Joseph: Boat anglers reported good fishing this week. The best bite was well beyond 120 feet of water. Spoons worked best. The catch was a mixed bag of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and lake trout. The piers were very slow for all species. Perch fishing was mostly slow—there were some good catches, but the fish were very inconsistent. The most productive depths were around 30 feet of water.

Muskegon: Boats found the salmon to be scattered from 70 to 250 feet of water. Anglers still caught some mature Chinook salmon 50 to 120 feet down in 70 to 130 feet of water. Boats heading offshore caught immature salmon along with a few steelhead and lake trout. Green or blue glow spoons and white flasher flies worked well. Pier anglers casting spoons for salmon were unsuccessful.

Grand Haven: Boat anglers found a mix of immature and mature Chinook salmon 60 to 120 feet down in 70 to 140 feet of water. Glow spoons worked well in low light conditions. Pier anglers caught a few Chinook salmon casting spoons early in the morning or late in the evening.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: Boat anglers targeting salmon between the Cheboygan County Marina and the buoy markers caught anywhere from 0 to 4 fish per trip. Anglers trolled J-plugs and spoons 15 feet down. Salmon anglers fishing off the pier cast glow spoons or glow stick baits. Those fishing the Cheboygan Dam spillway caught Chinook salmon along with the occasional coho salmon or steelhead. Anglers drifting or bottom bouncing spawn had the most success, but deep-diving stick baits also caught fish. Anglers had similar successes when fishing in the morning and at night. There were lots of salmon surfacing at the mouth of the Cheboygan River.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers fishing the pier head found moderate success while targeting salmon, with some mornings being more productive than others. Glow spoons or glow Arctic spinners used before daylight caught a handful of coho salmon. A few walleye were also caught off the pier head by anglers casting bandits or deep-diving body baits early in the morning. Boat anglers trolling 4-inch J-plugs in 20 to 30 feet of water out from the pier heads picked up coho salmon and the occasional Chinook salmon. The salmon bite slowed down as the weather and water warmed up during the week.

Harrisville: A handful of coho salmon and a few Chinook salmon caught out of the harbor this week. Pink Arctic spinners and blue/silver Little Cleos caught coho salmon at daylight. Skein fished a few feet off the bottom produced a few salmon as well.

Presque Isle: Fishing was good here as well. Anglers caught a mixed bag of lake trout, a few Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and the occasional steelhead. Good places to fish were straight out of the harbor between the lighthouses and south toward Stoneport and False Presque Isle. Effective depths were 60 to 90 feet. Lines were run all over the water column. Anglers used a mix of spoons, J-plugs, flasher flies, and flashers with spin glows for lake trout. Good colors included greens, blues, oranges, yellow, black and white, and glow patterns early and late.

Rogers City: Chinook salmon were staging off Swan Bay. Anglers fished from the bay out to 90 feet. They used a mix of spoons, J-plugs, and flasher flies, running lines all over the water column for the best results. Anglers also fished straight out and up the lake toward 40 Mile Point, reporting catches of lake trout, a few Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead. Good colors included greens, blues, oranges, black and white, purple, and glow patterns early and late.

Tawas/Au Gres: Fishing was slow, with anglers targeting yellow perch having little luck. Those fishing for walleye caught zero to three fish per boat. Chinook salmon started to move into the Tawas River but getting them to bite with the warm weather. Fishing for walleye and yellow perch was slow in Au Gres. Anglers tried crawler harnesses and a variety of artificial baits for walleye, but no limits were caught using either. Yellow perch fishing had yet to pick up in the Standish area. Anglers were able to find a handful of keepers.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Recent weather pushed most Chinook salmon into the river system as anglers reported very good numbers in holes throughout the Bessie. Some Chinook salmon and a few coho salmon were still staging out front in 50 to 80 feet of water, with anglers reporting good minnow and bait activity. Pier anglers saw slower catches casting spoons and setting spawn. Anglers venturing to Platte Bay reported marking good numbers of coho salmon but found the bite slow.

Leland: A temperature increase this week changed the water column. Anglers reported the surface temperature was 67 degrees straight down to 120 to 150 feet of water. They had a hard time finding cooler water. Lake trout were found to have moved south near Good Harbor Bay. Anglers using cowbells and spoons found success in 200 feet of water, with baits set at 130 to 190 feet. The first bank was still producing a few smaller Chinook salmon in 120 feet of water. Pier anglers did not report any success this week.

Northport/Suttons Bay: A few pier anglers reported some success casting small spoons off the long pier in Northport early in the morning. Boat anglers targeted lake trout and salmon throughout Suttons Bay and found minimal success. A few lake trout were caught near Stoney Point.

West Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers trolling in front of the Boardman River caught salmon between 60 and 80 feet down in 90 to 120 feet of water. Those casting crankbaits or spinners at the mouth of the river were also reported Chinook salmon and the occasional coho salmon. Salmon were caught in the Boardman by those drifting skein.

East Grand Traverse Bay: The recent increase in water temperatures caused the salmon bite to slow down this past week. Those who had the most success trolled in the southern areas of the bay, 60 to 80 feet down in 110 to 140 feet of water. White trolling spoons, as well as green and blue flasher/fly combos, were effective baits to try. A few lake trout were also caught by those jigging around Deepwater Point in 100 to 130 feet of water. Anglers drifting spawn in the Elk River caught a few salmon and lake trout early in the morning.

Charlevoix: Anglers targeting salmon had success trolling shallow water near Medusa in 100+ feet of water. Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and lake trout were reported in slow but steady numbers. Boats reported water temperatures in the low 60s from the surface down to 100 feet of water. Those targeting salmon near the mouth of Medusa Creek found success using spawn/skein or casting body baits.

Little Traverse Bay: Anglers targeting salmon found success trolling 75 to 150 feet down, with reports of water temperatures in the low 60s from the surface down to 100 feet. Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and lake trout were all reported in slow but steady numbers. Those fishing in or near the Bear River reported the occasional bite early in the morning or late in the evening. Drifting spawn produced the best results.

Manistee: Warmer temperatures and calm weather slowed things down that week. Pier anglers reported very few Chinook salmon while jigging and casting. Those trolling outside the harbor with plugs and spoons caught a few Chinook salmon in the early morning and late evening hours, but fishing was generally slow. A good number of Chinook salmon were up the river at that time. Anglers found mostly immature fish straight out in 180 to 220 feet while fishing 60 to 120+ feet down. A few pike were caught by salmon anglers trolling in the harbor.

Ludington: Warmer air and water temperatures in the area slowed down the action outside the pier heads and in the harbor. There were no salmon to report from the pier; however, smallmouth bass were caught off the stub pier in low numbers. Those trolling reported slow fishing, with limited numbers of salmon and steelhead at Big Sable Point in 80 to 120+ feet of water, while fishing 60 to 85+ feet down with spoons and meat rigs. A good number of fish moved into the river system, leaving few mature Chinook salmon in the big lake to be caught.

Onekama/Lake Michigan: Water temperatures were still on the warm side, pushing anglers out to deeper waters to land a few immature Chinook salmon and steelhead.

Benzie County: Betsie River had a strong start to the salmon run with large push of silver fish up to Homestead Dam. Anglers did very well with thunder-sticks at first light and very well on skein the rest of the day. In the Platte River, fishing was slow, very few pods of fish moving up the river.

Grand Traverse County: Bite for salmon was decent, fish were starting to appear in the Boardman River.

Lake County: Fall fishing activity was slow due to the hot weather and lack of rain.

Oceana County: Salmonstarted to enter the Pentwater River. They started to school up in the shallows in Lake Michigan with the lake turning over. Large schools of alewife were close to shore in Lake Michigan.

Newaygo County: The water was cooling off and trout were caught consistently on many baits on the Muskegon River downstream from Croton Dam. Water levels were still low on the river. Salmon had not yet started to run on Muskegon River.

Mecosta County: Walleye fishing was slow on the Muskegon River. Panfish and perch were good near Brower County Park. Anglers caught a few perch on inland lakes.

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Upper Peninsula

Ontonagon River: The river saw low fishing efforts over the past week. Anglers reported that walleye were caught in low numbers by those fishing with natural baits.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Ontonagon experienced fairly high levels of fishing effort over the past week. Efforts from Union Bay and Silver City were even stronger. Recent angler reports included good numbers of lake trout catches. Occasional catches of coho salmon and Chinook salmon were also reported, though less frequently. Reports suggested that anglers had the best luck when trolling in water depths of approximately 100 feet.

Black River Harbor: Angling efforts from the harbor were fair over the past week. Reported catches consisted of lake trout in fair numbers. Occasional catches of coho salmon and Chinook salmon were also reported, though less frequently. Reports suggested that anglers had the best luck when trolling in water depths of 80 to 100 feet.

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers fishing the Escanaba River and near the river mouth reported catching coho salmon on crankbaits, spinners, as well as using salmon spawn. Slow to fair perch fishing was reported. Anglers had success on perch rigs near Kipling, The Narrows, and near Aronson Island. Those perch fishing reported schools being chased around by northern pike. Anglers reported limited success when targeting walleye. Smallmouth anglers caught fish on the bottom and on top of drop-offs.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass anglers reported fair fishing. Smallmouth bass began to transition to fall patterns and were targeted in areas with deep water access. However, some anglers reported success fishing near shore area vegetation. Perch anglers reported slow fishing.

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers reported fair to good numbers of salmon being caught. They caught coho salmon and pink salmon while trolling spoons and flasher/flies in the upper portion of the water column. Anglers also reported fair lake trout fishing while trolling in 70 to 120 feet of water.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers reported fair to good lake trout fishing, as well as a few coho salmon being caught. Lake trout anglers reported that trolling near the bottom in 60 to 90 feet of water with spoons and flasher/flies was the most productive. Anglers also reported that targeting depths of 25 to 50 feet around nearshore structure and river mouths yielded the most success when fishing for salmon.

Grand Marais: Boat anglers reported doing well on lake trout both jigging and trolling for them.

St. Ignace: Boat anglers fishing between St. Martin Island and Nunn’s Creek reported low numbers of salmon being caught. They trolled J-plugs, spoons, cut bait, and flasher-fly combinations. Others casted spoons from their boats. Shore anglers at Nunns Creek waded out roughly 100 yards from the mouth of the creek. Their efforts produced between one and five salmon per group while casting spoons or stick baits. Those starting a few hours before sunrise or after dark were the most successful. Salmon anglers fishing off the cement footing pier by the mouth of the Carp River had little success. There were limited numbers of fish surfacing.

Munising: Boat anglers targeting salmon caught a few coho salmon in the bay but reported the bite to be very slow. Boat anglers did well targeting lake trout by trolling and jigging west of Grand Island. Anglers also had some success catching coho salmon and splake while fishing off the Anna River mouth, with spawn being the most effective bait.

Marquette: Anglers reported another great week of weather and success, both trolling and jigging for lake trout. Numerous boat anglers caught their limit or came close to it. Lake trout were still caught consistently north of White Rocks in 120 to 160 feet of water. Anglers trolling from northwest of the White Rocks out toward north of Granite Island continued to do well in both deep and shallower waters. It seemed that most of the fish were finally starting to move into shallower water as the water temperature decreased. Lake trout fishing remained strong, but it appeared that salmon numbers had decreased with the rising temperatures in both the lake and rivers. Coho salmon were caught in both the Carp and Chocolay rivers, as well as in the lake off the Upper Harbor Lighthouse, out toward Black Rocks.

Au Train: Many anglers reported having good success targeting lake trout. Most were heading northwest of Au Train Island out to the flats, in around 120 to 160 feet of water. Both trolling and jigging were effective. Anglers reported better success with lake trout this past week compared to the previous couple of weeks. Anglers who were willing to make their way out on the water were rewarded with good fishing. Many boats limited out on lake trout. These anglers were either trolling in 120 to 180 feet of water or jigging off the flats.

Les Cheneaux/DeTour: Anglers in the Les Cheneaux area caught perch within Cedarville Bay, as well as at the end of Hessel Bay. Pier anglers were also picking up a few perch, along with smallmouth bass and small pike. However, with the warm temperatures, splake were not active. In DeTour, anglers did well catching lake trout by jigging and trolling through the flats, close to the bottom. Some anglers reported having success with perch and walleye north of DeTour, around the islands.

UP Counties: Salmon started to show up in the rivers. Inland lakes were still producing good numbers of walleye. Salmon began to trickle into the Manistique River. Perch and walleye were still being caught on Indian Lake. Inland lakes showed mixed reports, with lakes near the northern Alger County/Schoolcraft County line showing more success for pike, bass, and panfish than those farther south. Walleye and bass were being caught at the head of Little Bay de Noc. Salmon and steelhead were being caught on Lake Michigan, but the size of the fish appeared to be getting smaller as the season progressed. Pink salmon had started to be caught near Sault Ste. Marie on the St. Mary’s River.

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Fishing tip: Salmon run

As salmon begin their fall run into rivers, focus your efforts near river mouths and tributary inlets. Early in the run, trolling spoons or plugs near the surface during low-light hours can be effective. Once they move into shallower water, switch to casting crankbaits or drifting skein under a float. Don’t overlook scent—adding a bit of bait or attractant can make the difference when the bite is tough.

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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.