Harrisville: Lake trout were caught in 170 to 250 feet of water by anglers targeting the bottom while trolling Spin-N-Glos and spoons. Walleye, coho salmon, and the occasional steelhead were caught on five to seven colors of leadcore in 80 to 120 feet while trolling spoons.

Presque Isle: Mixed bag fishing produced Chinook salmon, lake trout, a few steelhead, walleye, and the occasional coho salmon. The best places to fish were straight out, between the lighthouses, north of the lights off North Bay and Black Point, or south toward Stoneport. The most productive depths were 60 to 120 feet of water. Running lines throughout the water column yielded the best results. Anglers used spoons, flashers with flies and squids, J-plugs, and meat rigs. Effective colors included green, white, blue, black, and glow patterns — especially early and late in the day. There were large numbers of baitfish in the area, and targeting them proved effective as well.

Alpena: A few anglers reported walleye catches from the lake, but I didn’t see any salmon or trout on the days I was there. Many anglers on the river had success with smallmouth bass and freshwater drum and were still reporting many goby catches.

Rockport: Anglers trolling out at Rockport reported a few walleye, lake trout, and steelhead catches, but no limits reached.

Rogers City: After the big blow, anglers were expected to find salmon staging close to Swan Bay. The best depths were from the bay shallows out to 50 feet. The most effective tactic was to run J-plugs and body baits off planer boards. There were also fish out deeper. Running lines throughout the water column produced the best results. A mix of spoons, flashers with flies and squids, meat rigs, and J-plugs worked well. Good colors included green, white, black, blue, and glow patterns–especially early and late in the day. With the disrupted and warm water, the bite was suspected to be best before sunrise and after sunset. Anglers who chose not to fish Swan Bay reported that the area near 40 Mile Point yielded some immature Chinook salmon, lake trout, and walleye. There were large numbers of baitfish present. The best strategy was to troll around the bait, as fish were actively feeding on it.

Cheboygan: Unstable weather and strong winds limited fishing activity on Lake Huron. In the Cheboygan River, anglers caught smallmouth bass, rock bass, freshwater drum, and the occasional walleye and salmon. Worms were the most common bait used for these species. For smallmouth bass, natural-colored or white soft plastic swimbaits produced good results. Crankbaits and spinners had some success with walleye. Good areas to target these species included beside the pedestrian walkway bridge by the baseball fields, the State Street drawbridge by the Cheboygan DNR field office, and along the parking lot by the Plaunt’s Transportation ferry. Early-run salmon were at the Cheboygan pier and Cheboygan dam spillway. Before sunrise and just after sunset were the best times to catch salmon. At the Cheboygan pier, anglers cast spoons, while anglers at the Cheboygan dam floated or bottom bounced spawn.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Walleye were taken in good numbers while trolling crawler harnesses or Jr. spoons on three to seven colors of leadcore in 80 to 130 feet of water. Anglers trolling spoons and targeting salmon 60 feet down in 110 to 120 feet caught a handful of Atlantic salmon, coho salmon, and the occasional Chinook salmon this week. Orange and black/red spoons reportedly performed well. Walleye were also caught on larger spoons by anglers targeting salmon. Earlier in the week, anglers fishing from the pier–when the lake had flipped and cold water was close to shore–caught a couple of coho salmon and one chinook salmon while casting glow spoons before sunrise. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass off the pier also did well, casting small paddle tails and drop shots with plastics.