Northeast Lower Peninsula

Alpena: Anglers brought in less than limits for walleye and Chinook salmon via trolling. No lake trout catches were reported. Little to no smallmouth bass were caught on the lake, though anglers on the river reported several smallmouth and rock bass catches. River anglers also reported some success casting for walleye.

Harrisville: A handful of lake trout were taken in 160 feet trolling spoons tight to the bottom. A few steelhead were taken in 140 to 165 feet of water on spoons 40 to 60 feet down. Anglers casting in the harbor are starting to see a few coho salmon.

Presque Isle: Anglers had difficulty due to the warm water nearshore. Heavy winds prevented them from getting out to the deeper, cooler water. When conditions allowed, anglers fished in 130 feet of water or more, targeting lake trout near the bottom. A few Chinook salmon were taken before daylight and after sunset between the lighthouses or south toward Stoneport. The best depths were 60 to 120 feet of water, with lines run throughout the water column. Spoons, flashers with flies, squids, meat rigs, and J-plugs all produced fish. Good colors included green, blue, white, black, and glow patterns early and late in the day.

Rockport: There was no fishing activity at Rockport for most of the week due to adverse conditions on the lake with large waves and strong winds. Saturday, though, conditions were more favorable, and anglers brought in less than limits trolling for lake trout and walleye.

Rogers City: Salmon were staging off Swan Bay, but the warm water had them in a negative bite. The best bite was before sunrise and after sunset in the evening. Anglers were running lines throughout the water column for the best results. They were using spoons, flashers and flies, squids, meat rigs, and J-plugs. Good colors included green, blue, white, black, and glow patterns early and late in the day. Anglers were mostly catching Chinook salmon, lake trout, and walleye.

Cheboygan: Anglers fishing Lake Huron targeted salmon off Lafayette Point using spoons, J-plugs, and flasher-fly combinations, with spoons producing the best results. These efforts yielded lake trout along with the occasional salmon. Those fishing the shipping channel between the Cheboygan County Marina boat launches in the river and the buoy markers in the lake trolled spoons and J-plugs between 15 and 20 feet deep. Anglers fishing from the Cheboygan pier caught salmon while casting spoons. Salmon anglers at the Cheboygan Dam used spawn, spoons, or stickbaits, with those drifting spawn being the most successful. Recently, the early morning bite was better than the evening bite. Due to many anglers switching their focus to salmon, there were fewer reports of walleye. Good areas to target bass and panfish included the area beside the pedestrian walkway bridge by the baseball fields, the State Street drawbridge near the Cheboygan DNR field office, and along the parking lot by the Plaunt’s Transportation ferry.

Oscoda/Au Sable: A couple of coho salmon, along with a few Chinook salmon, were caught by anglers fishing from the pier early in the morning. Glow spoons, Arctic spinners, and jerkbaits took coho salmon. Anglers fishing offshore had a slow week, as water temperatures remained relatively constant from top to bottom until around 140 feet of water. A handful of walleye were taken on spoons, 30 to 50 feet down in 90 to 120 feet of water.