Due to our seasonal creel clerks finishing up for the season, the Weekly Fishing Report will be suspended following this week’s report. Early next year, when ice fishing picks up and we begin to receive more reports, the Weekly Fishing Report may resume. In the interim, we recommend calling your local bait shop for information on current fishing conditions.

All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.

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Southeast Lower Peninsula

No reports available.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

No reports available.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

No reports available.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

No reports available.

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Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Angling activity was limited due to weather conditions. Anglers fishing the upper bay reported fair yellow perch fishing alongside slower walleye action. Walleye anglers targeted drop-offs near the Escanaba River, along the east bank, and near Saunders Point. Anglers casted snap-style jigs similar to jigging raps, typically removing the front treble hook to allow bottom contact with fewer snags. Jig heads tipped with minnows produced some fish. Trolling crawler harnesses yielded few results.

Manistique: Steelhead angling was fair to good. Most shore anglers reported catching multiple fish while drift fishing egg-pattern lures in orange, pink, and chartreuse. Anglers reported catching a variety of year classes, with the average size of rainbow trout trending smaller.

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Fishing tip: Hunting and fishing – a perfect combo

If you decide to target steelhead on Michigan’s rivers while in a boat, there are two options you can turn to. Consider offering bait underneath a centerpin style reel. The line will come off smoothly, allowing for float-suspended baits to work long distances downstream, plus it offers drag-free drifts.

If you’re not confident on a centerpin style or you’re a novice angler, try a level-wind reel. It allows you to drop the float behind the boat and wait for the strike. It will take care of the hard work while reeling in your catch by guiding the line on properly.

Now is the perfect time to target steelhead! For more information, visit the Michigan.gov/FishID.

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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.