Due to our seasonal creel clerks finishing up for the season, the Weekly Fishing Report will be suspended following next week’s report. Early next year, when ice fishing picks up and we begin to receive more reports, the Weekly Fishing Report will 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

Lake Erie: Anglers targeted yellow perch between Buoys 1 and 2 off the River Raisin to areas off Fermi in depths ranging from 18 to 24 feet of water. Average catches yielded approximately 20 fair-sized yellow perch per boat across all locations, with overall angling remaining slow. All perch anglers utilized live bait. A few anglers targeted walleye, though catches remained low. Water temperatures remained warm. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass angling was very good off Bolles Harbor along shoreline structure and underwater cover.

Lower Saginaw Bay: Anglers caught 9-to-12-inch yellow perch near Sparkplug Buoys 1 and 2. Walleye anglers trolled around the sailboat buoys with limited success, though a few walleye were caught at the mouth of the Saginaw River by anglers jigging spoons.

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Overall fishing pressure remained low. Shore anglers at Quanicassee caught yellow perch, though significant sorting was required to retain keeper-sized fish. Offshore yellow perch angling was spotty with minimal effort recorded. A few walleye were caught by anglers trolling body baits in the slot off Bay Port in 15 feet of water.

Wayne County: Anglers caught perch at the mouth of the Huron River. Anglers reported the walleye bite as slow. Warm water temperatures made for a slow bite.

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Southwest Lower Peninsula

Muskegon: Boat anglers located steelhead and immature Chinook salmon in 70 to 120 feet of water. Orange spoons fished in the top 50 feet of the water column proved effective. No steelhead were reported by anglers fishing from the breakwalls.

Grand Haven: Fair numbers of steelhead and Chinook salmon were caught in 80 to 120 feet of water. Orange and green spoons proved effective in the top 60 feet of the water column. Pier anglers reported slow action for steelhead.

South Haven: Angling effort was very low over the past week. Boat anglers targeting salmon experienced slow fishing. Salmon were marked in 80 feet of water, but anglers reported difficulty getting them to bite. Pier angling remained slow for all species. An occasional steelhead was caught, though overall fishing was slow. No yellow perch were reported.

St. Joseph: Salmon angling was very slow for all boat anglers, and pier angling was similarly slow. An occasional steelhead was caught, but overall fishing remained very slow. Yellow perch angling also slowed, with fish staying deep and widely scattered.

Eaton County: Anglers reported having little luck throughout the county, but some smallmouth bass were caught on the Grand River by anglers using spinners and flies. Angling on inland lakes throughout the county was reported to be slow by anglers targeting panfish with minnows under bobbers.

Calhoun County: Many panfish were caught on most local lakes. Smallmouth bass were caught on the river in good numbers.

Ionia County: A few salmon were seen in the Grand River. Crappie were caught on Sessions Lake.

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Northeast Lower Peninsula

Tawas/Au Gres: Few boats departed from Tawas over the past week. Pier anglers took walleye during evening hours. Boat anglers fishing out of Au Gres caught limits of yellow perch in the shipping channel. Shore angling for yellow perch remained slow. Anglers targeting bluegill and crappie in the Standish area experienced inconsistent results, though an occasional walleye was caught.

Thunder Bay River: Anglers continued targeting steelhead and Atlantic salmon. Drifting beads, spawn, and jigs yielded intermittent success. An occasional coho salmon was caught while casting spinners or small body baits. A few Chinook salmon were still being taken, though fish were well past spawning condition.

Cheboygan: Low numbers of steelhead were caught when floating spawn bags or beads.

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Northwest Lower Peninsula

Manistee: Boat anglers running south to Big Sable Point caught good numbers of Chinook salmon and steelhead in over 100 feet of water. Fishing along the piers and beaches remained slow, though a few steelhead and coho salmon were caught by anglers using spawn and casting spoons.

Ludington: Boat anglers trolling for salmon and steelhead experienced excellent fishing off Big Sable Point, targeting 80 to 160 feet of water with lines set 20 to 90 feet down. Steelhead angling on the piers remained very slow.

Charlevoix: Anglers targeting smallmouth bass in the Pine River channel reported an occasional fish using natural bait on the bottom. A few anglers reported catches while casting small plastics and spoons.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Cisco were caught by anglers trolling near Deepwater Point in 100 to 300 feet of water, with most success occurring while trolling spoons 50 to 70 feet down. Anglers fishing out of Elk Rapids also caught a few cisco while trolling 70 to 90 feet down in 110 to 140 feet of water, with orange, green, and white spoons proving effective. Lake trout were caught in the Elk River by anglers drifting beads or spawn bags.

West Grand Traverse Bay: A few smallmouth bass were caught by anglers targeting breaks and structure in 30 to 50 feet of water. Salmon along with an occasional steelhead were caught in the Boardman River by anglers drifting beads or spawn bags.

Leland: River angling slowed down, though fish remained near the dam in spawning condition. Anglers targeting Chinook salmon from the docks caught a few fish while drifting beads and casting lures. Boat anglers experienced good success targeting Chinook salmon near the crib in 100 to 300 feet of water, with fish taken on baits set 80 to 120 feet down. Super slim spoons and standard spoons in green and blue proved most effective.

Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Pier angling was slow, with anglers landing a few fish off the North Breakwall or the inner beach in low numbers. Boat anglers reported good catches directly out front and north to the point in 80 to 110 feet of water while trolling the top 40 feet with spoons. Steelhead were caught higher in the water column on orange spoons, while Chinook salmon were caught deeper.

Onekama/Lake Michigan: Anglers setting lines with spawn on the North Pier and the north beach reported catching a few steelhead, though fishing was generally slow.

Northport/Suttons Bay: Anglers targeting yellow perch reported having successful outings when using natural bait such as wigglers in Suttons Bay near Belanger Creek, as well as near the Northport buoys. A few anglers targeted smallmouth bass and reported good results in Omena Bay.

Newaygo County: Chinook salmon remained in the Muskegon River, though angling effort slowed. Trout fishing was good, with several brown trout taken over the past few weeks. Steelhead began moving into the system. Fall walleye and bass fishing was good on multiple inland lakes in Newaygo County.

Oceana County: Salmon angling slowed substantially, though a few fresh fish were reported near Pines Point. Anglers reported catching steelhead in the White River. Steelhead activity picked up for both stream and harbor anglers.

Grand Traverse County: A few salmon were caught on the Boardman River, though very few remained in good condition. Anglers also reported catching brown trout and steelhead.

Leelanau County: A small number of salmon remained in the Crystal River.

Benzie County: Anglers took a few remaining salmon in the Betsie and Platte rivers. Early reports indicated steelhead were beginning to move into both systems.

Manistee County: Salmon numbers in the Manistee River were low as the run slowed down. Steelhead catches were reported on the rise.

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Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: High winds rendered Little Bay de Noc too rough for angling throughout much of the week. Anglers who ventured out reported fair walleye and yellow perch fishing. Anglers targeted reefs near the head of the bay, as well as adjacent drop-offs. Anglers trolling utilized crawler harnesses with inline weights or bottom bouncers, while anglers casting used lures with erratic, darting action. Rear-finned, snap-style jigs worked well when paired with forward-facing sonar. Anglers reported catching yellow perch on minnows and worms, with the most success occurring from morning into late afternoon.

Munising: Angling activity slowed considerably. Anglers trolling the bay caught a few coho salmon, though the bite slowed compared to previous weeks. Anglers fishing off the Anna River reported slow fishing when targeting coho salmon but experienced a good bite for splake along with a few rainbow trout. Casting spoons and drifting spawn proved most effective.

Ontonagon River: Angling effort on the river remained extremely low over the past week. A few anglers attempted trolling for walleye, though outings yielded minimal success. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling effort from the Ontonagon, Silver City, and Union Bay access sites increased slightly over the past week. Inclement weather conditions limited lake access on occasion. Anglers experienced good success targeting lake trout when conditions allowed, with fish taken primarily by jigging in depths of 70 to 90 feet. Trolling in slightly deeper waters yielded similar results. Shore anglers reported minimal success. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.

Black River Harbor: The harbor experienced an increase in angling effort over the past week. Weather conditions slightly limited lake access on occasion throughout the week. When conditions allowed, anglers reported high catch rates of lake trout. Reports indicated that fish were caught by anglers trolling in depths around 120 feet of water. Shore anglers fishing from the breakwall and within the harbor reported no success.

Grand Marais: Anglers fishing off the mouth of the Sucker River reported a good fishing for rainbow trout along with a few coho salmon while casting spoons and fishing spawn.

Manistique: Anglers fishing the river reported catching a few chinook salmon, though remaining fish were in poor condition as the run neared completion. Anglers reported fair steelhead angling with consistent catches, primarily comprised of smaller-sized fish along with a few brown trout. Anglers drifted beads or artificial egg patterns.

Marquette: A few lake trout and coho salmon were caught off the end of the lower breakwall near the lighthouse during early morning hours and before sunset. Anglers trolling the river mouths from Lower Harbor continued to catch fair numbers of coho salmon and steelhead, along with an occasional Chinook salmon. Brown trout numbers remained higher than in previous years in both rivers and river mouths. Coho salmon catches were strong throughout the week, though numbers began to decline with rising water temperatures over the final two days. Anglers reported catching steelhead in the Carp River, as well as a few in the Chocolay River near the river mouth.

Au Train: A few anglers targeted lake trout on the west side of Au Train Island, as commercial nets were set in 20 to 50 feet of water in Au Train between the Brownstone boat launch and the Au Train River. Anglers trolling for salmon and steelhead utilized open water between the Au Train River and Scott Falls, as well as areas extending toward Five-Mile Point in 20 to 45 feet of water, and near the Rock River and Shelter Bay. Anglers targeting brown trout and salmon in 10 to 20 feet of water marked numerous fish and experienced good success when weather permitted following recent rain. Salmon remained active in shallow water in front of river mouths and near Scott Falls, with several chinook salmon reported.

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Fishing tip: Hunting and fishing – a perfect combo

After you get your deer – or if you just need a quick break from sitting in the woods – why not head out fishing?

Now can be a great time to target different species, especially on inland lakes, as they’re bulking up before the ice shows up! There probably won’t be too many other anglers out, so enjoy some fall fishing.

Still don’t have your 2026 Michigan fishing license? Make sure you pick it up before you head out! You can purchase your license instantly via the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app.

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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.