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Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Yellow perch and walleye fishing remained very slow. Heavy rain and high winds restricted angler access and degraded water clarity across the lake, while a harmful algae bloom continued to spread. Yellow perch catch rates were reportedly very low. However, anglers targeting smallmouth and largemouth bass in local channels experienced strong results using soft plastics, particularly in areas north of Lake Erie Metropark.

Lower Saginaw Bay: Over the past week, fishing was very slow, with only a few yellow perch caught on the east side of Spoils Island in 15 feet of water.

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Fishing was generally slow due to high winds across all areas. A few yellow perch were caught near the Spark Plug mark in the shipping channel midweek. Boat anglers also caught a few largemouth bass over the weekend in Sunset Marina while casting various artificial baits.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Muskegon: Boat anglers caught a few mature Chinook salmon while trolling in the basin and off the breakwalls. Glow and chrome/red-head plugs were most effective. Pier anglers also landed a few Chinook salmon while casting glow spoons.

Grand Haven: Chinook salmon and coho salmon were caught 35 to 90 feet down in 100 to 170 feet of water. Orange and green spoons as well as green flies were effective. A few Chinook salmon were caught off the pierheads on glow plugs, while pier anglers landed a few salmon casting spoons.

South Haven: Pier fishing remained decent. Most Chinook and coho salmon were caught by anglers casting spoons and spinners. Boat anglers experienced slower fishing, with most boats staying near the piers.

St. Joseph: Pier fishing was fair, with anglers catching a decent number of Chinook salmon on crankbaits. Fishing pressure remained high. Boat anglers caught a few salmon while trolling the pierheads, and the anglers fishing in approximately 100 feet of water had good mixed-bag catches.

St. Joseph River: Boat anglers fishing the lower river caught a few salmon, though fishing was generally slow. Fishing conditions near the Berrien Springs Dam were similar, with anglers catching a few salmon amidst overall slow activity.

Black River: Shore anglers caught Chinook salmon and coho salmon while casting spoons. A few fish were also taken by anglers trolling.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Tawas/Au Gres: Fishing remained slow overall, and windy weather kept boat anglers off the water. Anglers fishing from the pier in Tawas caught rock bass, largemouth bass, and an occasional walleye. A few salmon were caught out of the Tawas River, while channel catfish and an occasional walleye were landed in the Au Gres River.

Alpena: High winds hampered angler effort over the past week. When anglers were able to get out, a mixed bag of Chinook salmon, Atlantic salmon, walleye, and occasional steelhead was caught. The best results were in 30 to 50 feet of water throughout Thunder Bay. Spoons in a variety of colors were productive throughout the water column.

Thunder Bay River: Anglers had success targeting Chinook salmon while drifting spawn and beads near the 9th Street Dam throughout the day. Casting stickbaits and spoons was also productive in the evening and after dark. Boat anglers had some success trolling deep-diving crankbaits and spoons. A few Atlantic salmon and coho salmon were taken as well.

Cheboygan: Anglers at the Cheboygan Dam spillway primarily caught Chinook salmon, along with an occasional coho salmon, pink salmon, or steelhead. Catch rates varied daily. Rain early in the week brought a fair push of salmon to the dam, where anglers caught up to three salmon per day. The bite slowed significantly as the week progressed, with weekend anglers averaging fewer than one fish per trip.

Salmon and trout were taken on cast small spoons and minnow-style crankbaits, as well as drifted or bottom-bounced beads and spawn. Small walleye, smallmouth bass, and rock bass were also caught between the Cheboygan Dam and the State Street drawbridge while floating nightcrawlers.

Rogers City: Adult chinook salmon were present in good numbers in 20 to 30 feet of water off Swan Bay, though the bite was late. Anglers trolled plugs and body baits off planer boards.

Outside the bay, up the lake, and straight out from the harbor, anglers caught lake trout, immature Chinook salmon, and an occasional steelhead, coho salmon, or walleye. Successful anglers ran lines throughout the water column near baitfish. Spoons in standard and slim sizes were the most effective lures. Productive colors included white, green, blue, orange, yellow, and glow patterns during early morning and late evening hours.

Presque Isle: Angling effort was light due to rough, windy weather. When anglers were able to get out, lake trout were caught off Stoneport and between the lighthouses. An occasional Chinook salmon was also caught off Stoneport, False Presque Isle, and off the Grand River outlet north of the marina. Steelhead, coho salmon, and walleye were caught on occasion. The most productive depths were 45 to 80 feet of water, with lines run throughout the water column. Anglers fished a mix of J-plugs and spoons in white, green, blue, orange, and glow patterns early in the morning and late in the day.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Manistee: Pier fishing remained slow, with very few Chinook salmon reported over the weekend. Anglers caught a small number of Chinook salmon from the pier using spoons and jigging spoons. On Lake Michigan, anglers targeting Chinook salmon found fish in 90 to 250 feet of water while trolling 40 to 80 feet down with plugs and spoons, along with a few coho salmon and steelhead in the mix. Anglers also reported a few salmon from the channel and Manistee Lake, as well as northern pike and smallmouth bass.

Ludington: Pier fishing remained very slow. Anglers trolling for Chinook salmon off Big Sable Point caught fish in 140 to 170 feet of water while running plugs 45 to 80 feet down. Most salmon were scattered throughout the water column.

Charlevoix: Boat anglers targeting salmon reported low catch numbers despite marking a decent number of fish. Water temperature rose, holding around 80 feet down. Anglers targeting salmon near Medusa Creek reported slow action while trolling and drifting skein.

Little Traverse Bay: Anglers targeting salmon in the Bear River reported salmon and an occasional steelhead while fishing beads, flies, and skein. Anglers fishing off the piers and breakwall in Petoskey reported slow but steady action casting spoons in the early morning. Boat anglers trolled primarily in 30 feet of water or less using plugs and body baits. The thermocline was reported around 80 feet down.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers fishing out of Elk Rapids caught lake trout while trolling 80 feet down in 110 to 140 feet of water. A few ciscoes were also caught, with most caught higher in the water column around 45 feet down. Anglers heading south of the Center Road launch caught mixed bags of lake trout, cisco, and salmon while trolling in 80 to 140 feet of water.

Leland: Boat activity was minimal. Anglers targeted Chinook salmon on the first bank with little success. Water temperatures near the harbor pierhead were in the low 60s, with a few salmon entering the harbor. Pier anglers had the best success catching Chinook salmon before sunrise while floating skein.

Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Mature Chinook salmon were still landed out front and off the shelf in 120 to 160 feet of water, but overall numbers remained low due to warm water temperatures. Anglers jigging as well as pier anglers reported low catch numbers, as most Chinook salmon moved into the Betsie River. In Platte Bay, coho salmon fishing was moderate for anglers jigging skein near the bottom.

Northport/Suttons Bay: Boat anglers began targeting yellow perch in Suttons Bay, Omena Bay, and Northport. A few anglers had successful trips when using natural bait. Lake trout anglers were trolling near Ballenger Creek in depths ranging from 80 to 120 feet of water.

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Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye fishing was fair to good. Anglers caught fish casting jigs tipped with live bait or artificial bait featuring glow paint, using erratic, darting presentations to trigger strikes. Anglers trolling reported success using crawler harnesses or slender diving baits. Yellow perch fishing yielded mixed results with some anglers near the Escanaba River and harbor having successful outings, locating schools remained difficult. Minnows fished along deep-water structures and flats produced the best results. Coho salmon were frequently observed, but action was generally slow. Trolling artificial lures such as spoons and crankbaits yielded little success, and anglers using forward-facing sonar while jigging also encountered a tough bite. Early morning and low-light periods near or after dark offered the best opportunity for coho salmon.

Munising: Boat anglers reported catching a few coho salmon and splake while trolling the bay. Anglers fishing off the mouth of the Anna River also caught splake and a few coho salmon. Spawn and spinners were the most effective baits.

Ontonagon River: Over the past week, the river saw minimal angling effort. Anglers reported low catches of walleye, primarily caught by jigging. Trolling proved largely ineffective. Inclement weather throughout the week hindered overall fishing conditions.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: The access sites at Ontonagon, Silver City, and Union Bay each saw low angling effort over the past week. High winds and frequent rain showers continued to limit lake access on multiple days. However, fair-weather days produced good fishing, with anglers reporting solid catches of lake trout along with lesser numbers of coho salmon. Fish were taken by trolling across depths ranging from 40 to 150 feet.

Black River Harbor: The harbor saw low angling effort over the past week due to inclement weather limiting lake access. When conditions allowed, anglers reported mixed catches of brown trout, steelhead, coho salmon, and lake trout in low to fair numbers. Lake trout comprised most of these catches. Fish were taken by trolling in depths ranging from 30 to 150 feet.

St. Ignace: Following early-week rain, some additional Chinook salmon moved into the Carp River and the mouth of Nunns Creek. Anglers caught up to two fish per trip when casting small spoons and minnow-style crankbaits, or drifting spawn. The bite slowed heading into the weekend, with anglers experiencing low success rates despite significant effort. Pink salmon were reported in the rapids upstream of the Carp River fishing pier near the river mouth.

Grand Marais: Fishing activity was slow, though boat anglers reported success targeting lake trout when jigging and trolling. Anglers fishing off the breakwall reported a slow salmon bite.

Manistique: River anglers reported catching pink salmon and Chinook salmon. A small run of Chinook salmon entered the river, with fish observed near the mouth and up near the dam. Anglers trolling and casting crankbaits downstream of the paper mill and rapids reported occasional catches, though Chinook salmon fishing was slower overall. Shore anglers landed a few fish drifting skein, egg sacs, and beads, while other anglers caught fish casting shallow-running crankbaits during low-light periods at dusk and into the night.

Marquette: Most anglers continued to troll north of White Rocks toward Granite Rock and the Clay Banks in 80 to 160 feet of water for lake trout. Anglers reported catching lake trout throughout the water column, primarily near the bottom using downriggers. A few anglers trolling near the mouth of the Chocolay and Carp rivers from Lower Harbor caught coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and brown trout at depths around 30 feet in 60 feet of water. Catch rates appeared to increase as water temperatures cooled.

Au Train: Angler participation increased out of Au Train on calm weather days. Lake trout fishing was productive, with several angler limits. Trolling near the bottom in 140 to 180 feet of water out toward the Flats northeast of Au Train Island yielded steady success. Anglers jigging near the bottom off Au Train Island in 40 to 80 feet of water landed lean lake trout weighing 7 to 10 pounds. Anglers targeting brown trout and salmon in 40 to 60 feet of water marked numerous fish on electronics, though no catches were reported. Activity near river mouths and Scott Falls is expected to increase over the coming weeks as water temperatures cool.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers reported fair fishing, with catches consisting of coho salmon, lake trout, and splake, along with a few larger Chinook salmon taken by trolling spoons and flasher-fly combinations. Anglers jigging for lake trout experienced fair action using both natural and artificial presentations in 100 to 140 feet of water. Shore fishing remained slow, though anglers casting from shore managed to catch a few coho salmon.

Lake Independence, Big Bay: Fishing activity slowed, with most anglers targeting walleye and yellow perch. Anglers had the best success jigging in 15 to 20 feet of water using natural bait.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers reported fair to good lake trout fishing while trolling spoons and flasher-fly combinations around structure in 50 to 100 feet of water. A few coho salmon and steelhead were also caught while trolling, though overall numbers remained low. Anglers jigging for lake trout reported good action when using natural presentations, with most fish caught in 80 to 120 feet of water.

Les Cheneaux/DeTour: Anglers in the Les Cheneaux area caught yellow perch in the Cedarville and Government Bay areas, sorting through smaller fish to keep a full limit. Very few splake were present in the Hessel area. Smallmouth bass fishing was good around the islands near Hessel. In DeTour, when weather permitted, anglers had good success trolling for lake trout on the flats while also taking a few pink salmon.

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Fishing tip: Go “hunting” for fish this fall 

Autumn can be one of the best times of year to seek out your favorite fish species for a day of fun angling. Several species to target this October and November include walleye, perch and trout.

Walleye are thought to be in their best condition in the fall and can often be found in the river mouth areas of larger, inland lakes. They’re gathering there to take advantage of baitfish that like to hang out as the weather cools off. Set your sights on 10 to 12 feet deep to find these guys.

Perch will also populate around these same river-mouths, but these fish will likely be much closer to the river than walleye. Check out depths as shallow as 4 feet to find them.

Trout will be available in some of these larger lakes as well during this time period and can be found in the same areas as the walleye and perch.

Try your luck at some great angling this fall. For more information on the numerous opportunities to fish this autumn, visit Michigan.gov/Fishing.

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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 nearly 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.