Northeast Lower Peninsula

Alpena: Boat anglers reported slow fishing in the bay. Those who fished near Thunder Bay Island and North Point caught Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead in 50 to 80 feet of water. Fish were scattered throughout the water column. Spoons and plugs in green, black/silver, chartreuse, and orange were all productive. An occasional walleye was also caught in the same waters. Pier anglers had limited success casting spoons and crankbaits for salmon, with green/silver, blue/silver, and chartreuse being popular colors. A couple of coho salmon were caught while casting gold spinners.

Thunder Bay River: Those fishing from Second Avenue to the 9th Street dam caught Chinook, coho, and the occasional Atlantic salmon. Drifting spawn worked well at various times of the day. Crank baits and spoons were productive early and late in the day with white, purple, chartreuse, and glows being most popular. Boat anglers trolling the river had limited success trolling plugs and spoons.

Rockport: Little fishing activity was seen that week. Lake trout were found in 70 to 120 feet of water and were reported to be scattered in the bottom half of the water column. Flashers with spin glows worked well close to the bottom, whereas spoons were productive for suspended fish. Chartreuse, orange, and watermelon spoons were the most productive. Near False Presque Isle, anglers targeted salmon in 20 to 40 feet of water. Plugs and spoons both produced fish, with greens, blues, and glows working best. Steelhead were reported to be scattered from Stoneport to Middle Island, high in the water column. Standard-sized spoons in orange, coolers, and watermelon worked well on three to five color lead cores.

Harrisville: Anglers fishing in the harbor reported moderate success this week with some mornings being better than others. Coho salmon and a few Chinook salmon were taken on crankbaits, spinners and spoons. Spawn produced a few salmon also.

Presque Isle: Anglers reported catching lake trout, Chinook salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon. Finding the bait was key for the best results. The most productive depths were between 40 and 80 feet of water. Anglers who ran lines throughout the water column found the most success. Productive colors included green, orange, blue, white, black-and-white, and glow patterns, especially early and late in the day. Steelhead were hitting high in the water column on orange spoons. Good fishing spots included the area between the two lighthouses, as well as south toward Stoneport and False Presque Isle.

Rogers City: Good, cold water was present, along with plenty of baitfish. The main challenge was getting out on the lake. Anglers started by locating the bait, which was mostly found in waters 40 to 70 feet deep. Baitfish were located straight out from the harbor, up toward the state park and Forty Mile Point, as well as south in front of Swan Bay and off Adam’s Point. Anglers ran lines throughout the water column, using a mix of spoons, flasher-fly combos, a few meat rigs, and J-plugs for adult Chinook salmon. Adult Chinook salmon were still staging off Swan Bay. In tighter waters, anglers ran bombers and J-plugs off planer boards. Outside of Swan Bay, there was a good mix of lake trout, young salmon, Coho salmon, and the occasional steelhead. Regular and smaller-sized spoons were productive, especially since the baitfish were about two inches in length–so matching the size was important. Productive colors included green, blue, white, black-and-white, and glow patterns early and late in the day. Steelhead were hitting high in the water column on one to three colors of leadcore, with brightly colored spoons such as orange and bright pink performing well.

Cheboygan: Consistent numbers of Chinook salmon were caught each day. Early morning and late-night fishing were equally successful. Boat anglers trolled 15 feet down between the Cheboygan County Marina and the buoy markers. J-plugs and spoons in combinations of green, chartreuse, orange, and black were productive. Salmon anglers fishing the Cheboygan Dam spillway were most successful when floating or bottom-bouncing spawn. Stick baits in combinations of green, orange, purple, and pink also produced decent results.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Boat anglers fishing in 80 feet of water caught a handful of walleye and a few steelhead. Those trolling spoons and plugs in 20 to 30 feet of water out from the river reported limited success. Anglers fishing from the pier found a few coho salmon while casting spoons and spinners–pink, orange, and fire tiger were popular colors. A handful of Chinook salmon were caught off the pier and catwalk by anglers casting crankbaits and glow spoons early in the morning. A few Atlantic salmon showed up during the week, with a couple taken off the pier.

Tawas/Au Gres: Anglers fishing the pier caught smallmouth bass and largemouth bass, along with a few perch. Only a couple of coho salmon and Chinook salmon were taken from the Tawas River. Spoons seemed to be the most productive. Not many boats were out last week due to the wind. In Au Gres, boat anglers targeting perch did not have much luck but were able to find success toward the shipping channel. Shore fishing from Au Gres to Standish was slow overall.