Michigan weekly fishing report for 8/25/2016

Southeast Lower Peninsula  Southwest Lower Peninsula  Northeast Lower Peninsula  Northwest Lower Peninsula  Upper Peninsula  Great Lakes Temperature Map Water levels are up in the rivers and streams that saw significant rainfall over the last week.   Anglers will want to be cautious and watch for floating debris in the rivers and the Great Lakes where those rivers flow into. Confused about selecting bait when going fishing? Our latest How-To video can help! Check it out on YouTube!

Southeast Lower Peninsula Lake Erie:  Yellow perch fishing was good but slowed for a few days due to weather.  Anglers doing well were fishing perch rigs and spreaders with whatever minnows were available (preferably emerald shiners) in 24 to 27 feet straight out from Stony Point and Sandy Creek, 22 to 25 feet near the mouth of the River Raisin or straight out from La Plaisance Creek.  Those fishing the dikes around Pointe Mouillee caught decent numbers of largemouth bass with soft plastics in shallow water in the evening.  Shore anglers in Luna Pier caught freshwater drum and a couple yellow perch on crawlers or a few largemouth bass on soft plastics.  Shore anglers at the Hoffman Memorial Access site caught pumpkinseed, bluegills and white perch on crawlers.  Huron River:  Is producing smallmouth bass.     Detroit River:  Anglers are getting a few walleye in the lower river in front of Horse Island when jigging with a crawler.  Anglers were getting enough perch for dinner around the islands but the bigger schools of fish are still in the lake.  Bass anglers are doing well and shore anglers are getting some catfish.   Oakland County:  Bluegills were caught around the thermocline in about 20 feet or so with crawlers and wax worms on both Union and Cass Lake.  The better fishing on Union Lake was at various depths and along the drop-offs.  Bass fishing on both lakes was best in the early morning or late evening in eight to 10 feet.   Lake St. Clair:  Smallmouth bass have been caught straight out from the Clinton River Cut Off launch in 18 feet when casting crank baits and tube baits, around the Firecracker in 16 to 18 feet while drop-shotting or around the Mile Roads in 17 feet with crank baits. Muskie were caught around the St. Clair Light while trolling a muskie train lure, around the Dumping Grounds in 15 feet and near the Clinton River Cut Off launch while casting a variety of lures. Yellow perch were caught just north of the St. Clair Light in 19 feet while still-fishing with a simple hook and sinker with minnows and worms.  Perch were also caught in the Shipping Channel by Buoy 26 in 15 feet while jigging with perch minnows.  Walleye and smallmouth bass were caught while drifting from 9 Mile to the mouth of the South Channel on a silver with black crawler harness with red beads and no weight because of heavy weed cover.  Yellow perch, channel catfish, drum, and rock bass were also caught while drifting minnows in the same area.  Walleye were caught near the mouth of the South Channel in 17 feet with a purple crawler harness and just south of the Firecracker in 19 feet with a pink and purple crawler harness.  On the north end, strong winds stirred up Anchor Bay.  Walleye were caught in 12 to 13 feet around Strawberry Island when trolling a crawler harness.  Those drop-shotting tube baits did well for smallmouth bass near the Harley Ensign launch.  Those traveling straight out from the Selfridge caught walleye in 13 feet.  Some sizable catfish were caught around Strawberry Island and straight off Selfridge.   St. Clair River:  Walleye fishing remains very good above the Bluewater Bridge. Anglers are catching fish with crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers in the Algonac and Harsens Island areas.  White bass are still showing up in the lower river.  Water temperature was 73 degrees.  Those fishing halfway up the Middle Channel caught large and smallmouth bass along the banks.  Small muskie were also caught due to the high water levels.  Try white spinners and black crank baits.   Lexington to Port Sanilac:  Boat anglers caught lake trout, steelhead, Atlantic salmon and walleye in 40 to 60 feet or in 80 feet and deeper.  Spin-glo’s at the bottom caught lake trout while orange and gold spoons at various depths took other species.   Harbor Beach:  The wind and storms will have the fish scattered for a while.  For lake trout, try working the bottom with dodgers and spin-glo’s or spoons 50 to 120 feet down.  For Chinook, coho and Atlantic salmon try 15 to 70 feet down in 80 to 130 feet with spoons and offshore boards as well as 5, 7 and 10 colored leads.  It might also be a good idea to start running some J-plugs as it is that time of year.  Steelhead were taken along the mud lines in 80 to 120 feet with bright colored spoons.  A couple walleye hit on small spoons, thunder sticks and crawler harnesses in 70 to 100 feet.  Those casting small body baits and spinners near shore caught bass.   Grindstone City:  Those trolling had good success with a mix of steelhead, lake trout and even walleye taken straight north in 100 to 140 feet with small spoons, downriggers and lead core.  Port Austin:  Had little action except for several smallmouth bass anglers catching and releasing several fish.  Pier fishing was spotty with assorted panfish and the odd pike or white bass caught.   Saginaw Bay:  Had some fair perch catches off Gambil’s Marina near Pinconning in 13 to 15 feet.  The fish ranged eight to 11 inches.  A few were taken near Buoy H but the action was hit-or-miss with lots of sorting to do.  A few walleye were taken off Linwood by boat anglers trolling black and silver crank baits.  Catfish were taken from the Hot Pond.  The east side of the bay was generally slow.  A couple good catches of perch were taken from the deep side of the Bar which is just lakeward past the Callahan Reef.  Boat anglers from Sebewaing and Bay Port found walleye outside of the islands in 10 to 14 feet.    Back to Top

Southwest Lower Peninsula St. Joseph:  Wind and rain have hampered fishing.  The few boats that have made it out found slower fishing with only a few Chinook caught in 70 to 120 feet.  Perch fishing was on the slow side.  The fish moved deeper and were caught in 50 to 60 feet.  Pier fishing was also slow.  Boat anglers should watch for debris coming out of the river.   St. Joseph River:  Water levels were very high and there is a lot of debris floating in the river.  Boat anglers will need to use caution to avoid the debris.    South Haven:  Between the rain and high waves fishing pressure was low.  Boat anglers did catch a few lake trout in 90 feet.  Perch and pier fishing was slow.     Black River:  Water levels were very high and there is a lot of debris in the river.  Boat anglers will need to use caution.     Grand Haven:  Boat anglers are catching salmon 50 to 120 feet down in 100 to 150 feet with green or yellow glow plugs with red, yellow and green meat rigs.  Pier anglers caught catfish on shrimp or minnows.   Grand River at Grand Rapids:  Anglers are still getting a few walleye below the dams.  Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good throughout the river.  Those fishing at night have taken catfish.   Grand River at Lansing:  Most of the action has been for smallmouth bass.  Anglers have done well with tube baits and spinners.  Some good size bluegills were caught above Moore’s Park but anglers will have to do some work to find the holes where the fish were holding.   Muskegon:  Boat anglers caught salmon 55 to 120 feet down in 80 to 150 feet with glow plugs, meat rigs and flies in a variety of colors.  No pier fishing to report.    Whitehall:  Salmon and steelhead fishing has been good 30 to 90 feet down in 60 to 130 feet with plugs, paddles and flies.  Pier anglers caught a few bass, freshwater drum and the occasional channel catfish.  White Lake:  Both large and smallmouth bass have been caught by those trolling body baits along the drop-offs.   Back to Top

Northeast Lower Peninsula Mackinaw City:  High winds made fishing a challenge but those that could get out did manage to take a few salmon and lake trout when trolling around the Straits.   Cheboygan:  Boat anglers did catch good numbers of lake trout and a fair number of pink and Chinook salmon when the weather allowed.   Cheboygan River:  Continues to produce a mixed bag of pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, rock bass and freshwater drum.  Only a few keeper size walleye were caught by shore anglers but those targeting smallmouth bass did well with crawlers and leeches.  No salmon in the river yet.   Mullett Lake:  Fishing remained slow.  Most walleye anglers were struggling to find fish and those that did were trolling Hot-n-Tots.  Steelhead fishing was best 30 to 40 feet down in 90 to 120 feet with orange spoons and downrigger.  Perch anglers are still finding a lot of small perch scattered throughout but very few keepers.     Rogers City:  The number of adult Chinook salmon being caught continues to improve.  Anglers are taking a mixed bag of Atlantic, coho and pink salmon, lake trout, steelhead and walleye south towards Swan Bay, Adams Point and Calcite Harbor.  Try 45 to 120 feet with 50 to 85 feet the best.  Fish the entire water column and pay close attention to the bottom where the baitfish were when trolling spoons, J-plugs, flashers with squid, flies and cut bait.  Hot colors were green, blue, white and red, white and black, orange, silver or glow early and late.  Walleye were caught recently by those salmon fishing.      Presque Isle:  Anglers are getting a nice mixed bag of trout, salmon and some walleye in 45 to 130 feet with the better catches in 50 to 90 feet.  Target the entire water column north of the harbor between the two lighthouses or south towards Stoneport and False Presque Isle with spoons, J-plugs, and flashers with squid, flies or cut bait in the same colors as Rogers City.  The key is fishing near the bottom.  The Chinook salmon anglers have done best about one hour before daylight or as the sun goes down.  Walleye were hitting on crawler harnesses and body baits in the top 30 feet.   Oscoda:  Had more pier anglers than boat anglers.  One boat did find a steelhead in 80 feet.  Pier anglers fishing near the mouth did catch some catfish, freshwater drum and one walleye off the bottom with crawlers.  Higgins Lake:  Lake trout are still being caught in 80 to 100 feet.  Most fish were hitting on spoons or jointed body baits about 40 feet down which is where the thermocline was.  Not much on perch but a few anglers did manage to catch enough for a meal.  Rock bass are being caught everywhere and this is a great fishery for young anglers. Houghton Lake:  Bluegills were hitting on leeches, crawlers and wax worms in eight to nine feet.  The bigger fish were taken on leeches near the bottom.  Those trolling a harness with crawlers or leeches caught a few walleye in 12 feet.  Hot colors were green, purple and blue.  A few crappie were taken on a pink or purple jig with a small minnow.    Tawas:   Those trolling in 50 to 65 feet off the “Crib” at Alabaster did well for walleye with crawler harnesses and lures.  A couple limit catches were reported.  Fishing pressure was light and success was even lighter for pier anglers.   Au Gres:  Had light activity with only a few boats getting a couple walleye north of the Big Charity Island.  No perch action to report.     Back to Top

Northwest Lower Peninsula Harbor Springs:  Anglers are catching lake trout from Harbor Point to the north.  Some were suspended at 140 feet down in 170 feet however warmer water might push the fish deeper. Petoskey:  Boat anglers caught Chinook, coho and lake trout.  Recent high winds pushed warm water back in so water in the lower 70’s could be found 90 feet down.  The warm water temperatures have driven the fish to much deeper waters.  Pier anglers are still catching some smallmouth bass, rock bass and pike.  Try worms or spoons.   Charlevoix:  Boat anglers caught a couple lake trout about 150 feet down in 250 to 300 feet near the cement plant.  Undersize smallmouth bass and some rock bass were caught off the piers when fishing the channel.  Most are using crawlers or leeches.    Traverse City:  Those targeting salmon were doing well along the south end of both the East and the West Bay.  They caught Chinook and a few coho.  Lake trout were caught around Deepwater Point and south of the M-37 launch in the East Bay.  A handful of smaller sized perch were caught south of Elk Rapids.  The Elk River continues to produce smallmouth bass, rock bass and freshwater drum.   Boardman River:  Was still slow with only a couple smallmouth bass caught.   Frankfort:  Boat anglers fishing the Herring Hole have landed a good number of Chinook salmon in the early morning but strong winds last weekend rolled the lake over and finding the thermocline is more difficult.  Anglers are landing fish in the harbor when trolling or jigging.  The fish are starting to turn dark and are staging so J-plugs, meat rigs and flies have been more popular.  Coho in Platte Bay and the surrounding area are hitting as well.   Onekama:  Those trolling and working the top 40 to 60 feet in 120 to 150 feet and fishing the area around the Barrel have caught a few Chinook salmon.  Most fish were caught on plugs and meat rigs in the early morning.   Portage Lake:  Still had some bluegills hitting in 18 to 25 feet.   Manistee:  Surface water temperatures were near 72 degrees.  Chinook and coho salmon were still being caught in 70 to 150 feet.  A small number of steelhead and lake trout were also caught.   Manistee Lake:  Chinook salmon are starting to trickle in.  The lake had a lot of fishing pressure for them but catch rates were slow.  Anglers had the most success at the beginning of the channel from Lake Michigan and directly in front of the DNR Stronach boat launch.    Big Manistee River:  Tippy Dam to High Bridge has started producing a few walleye for those trolling crank baits in the deeper sections.  Chinook salmon are just starting to show up and a few were caught by those floating spawn. Ludington:  Anglers were still taking a good number of Chinook and coho along with a small number of lake trout and steelhead when trolling in 70 to 150 feet.   Pere Marquette Lake:   Those trolling are still picking up some Chinook salmon.   Pentwater:  Had good salmon and steelhead fishing 30 to 100 feet down in 70 to 150 feet with plugs, paddles, flies and meat rigs.   Pentwater Lake:  Those targeting smallmouth bass in the channel caught fish near the bottom with crawlers and leeches.  Bullheads were caught from Longbridge Road at night when using crawlers and perch minnows.    Back to Top

Upper Peninsula Lake Gogebic: Fishing slowed with the recent weather changes, but the better walleye fishing was for those trolling crawler harnesses or stick baits in deeper water or when bobber fishing with crawlers and leeches along the deeper weed beds.  Most of the perch were caught out deep and along the weed beds as well.  A decent number of pumpkinseed were caught in the weeds around Bergland Bay.   Menominee River:  Still had a decent walleye bite.  Early morning and evenings were best when using both live bait and stick baits. Little Bay De Noc:  Walleye were caught by those trolling crawler harnesses in and around 20 feet between the Second and Third Reefs but many were undersize.  Those fishing the southern bay caught fish on stick baits in eight to 17 feet between the “Fingers” and Round Island.  A few were still going as far south as Seagull Point and getting fair to good catches when trolling crawler harnesses or stick baits in 16 to 28 feet.  Smallmouth bass anglers were not getting a lot of fish but those caught were good size.  Try drop shots, crank baits, tube baits or spinners in eight to 20 feet near Hunters Point, Squaw Point, and near Round Island.  Perch fishing was spotty at the mouth of the Escanaba Yacht Harbor along the break and just south of the “Narrows” in 23 feet with minnows or crawlers.  Good pike fishing near Kipling when trolling crank baits, spoons or spinners in 10 feet.  Very slow salmon action for those trolling 40 to 105 feet down in 70 to 135 feet.   Big Bay De Noc:  No walleye reports this week. There was some perch action in Garden Bay for those drifting crawlers in 10 to 12 feet but many were small.  Smallmouth bass anglers in Ogontz and the head of the Bay reported a lot of undersize fish.  The better catches of large fish were taken off Garden Bluff in 18 to 25 feet, Ansell’s Point in 12 to 20 feet and the Nahma Golf Course in 10 to 14 feet with minnows or artificial baits.  At Fairport, salmon anglers had little to report but the action should pick up this week with the cooler temperatures.  Most are still fishing the “Gap” when trolling spoons or artificial cut bait 65 to 100 feet down in 100 to 140 feet.   Marquette:  Lake trout fishing was moderate when boat anglers could get out.  The better fishing was near the Sand Hole and the white rocks.  Shore anglers caught smallmouth bass near the mouth of the Dead River.      Munising:  A few lake trout were caught in Trout Bay and near Wood Island.  Salmon action should pick up if the weather cooperates.  Try trolling in 40 to 60 feet in Trout Bay and off Miner’s Beach and look for baitfish.  The strong winds and rain brought cooler water temperatures to the shoreline areas which made fishing better especially near the Anna River pier.  Heavy weed cover makes casting more difficult so try surface lures.     Grand Marais:  When they can get out, boat anglers reported good lake trout fishing near Big Reef and towards Au Sable Point.  Boat anglers should watch for floating debris after the rain and strong winds.  Water temperatures here will see a cool down this week.  Salmon fishing should start to pick up in the next week or so.  Look outside the harbor breakwall and east between the campground and Lonesome Point when trolling in 60 feet or less.    Detour:  Anglers reported Atlantic and Chinook salmon moving upstream of the Detour Lighthouse.  Catches of small salmon were reported between the lighthouse and Fry Pan Island.  Chinook ranging six to eight pounds were caught 65 feet down in 80 feet on flashers and dodgers with black and raspberry colored spoons.  Pink salmon and lake trout were reported a couple miles south at 60 to 75 feet down in 90 feet with spin-glo’s.   Cedarville and Hessel:  Yellow perch fishing was very slow throughout Cedarville Bay and Government Bay.  A few were eight to nine inches but most were undersize.  For panfish, try over the weed beds in six feet near Hill Island, Island #8 and just north of the Middle Entrance with small worms and shiners.  Pike action was very slow.  Trout and salmon fishing out of Hessel was a bit slower but those heading out did catch a mix of pink salmon, lake trout and a few splake along the east and west side of Goose Island.  Try three inch spoons 65 feet down in 80 feet.  Hot colors were orange, gold and green.  Pike were caught by those casting red and white spoons or still-fishing with chubs in the early morning.  Rock bass and sunfish were caught under the docks throughout the Les Cheneaux Islands.  For smallmouth, Duck Bay and just off Snows Channel were productive in the early morning when casting a gold willow blade spinner with a white or yellow skirt in six to eight feet.   St. Ignace:  When they can get out, boat anglers found good numbers of lake trout, some pink and a few Chinook salmon.  Walleye fishing on the Pine River has slowed dramatically with only a few fish taken on a crawler harness.  Perch and pike were also caught.  Walleye fishing on the Carp River was better early or late.  No Chinook salmon in the river yet.  Boat anglers will need to pay close attention and watch for commercial nets off Nunn’s Creek and throughout St. Martin’s Bay.    Back to Top