Area fishing report
Courtesy art
LANSING — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has released its weekly fishing report for Northeast Michigan. Below is fishing information for area communities.
ALPENA
Anglers reported fair walleye activity in Thunder Bay. Fish were scattered from North Point to Sulfur Island in 15 to 25 feet of water. Crankbaits produced good results in open water with a wide variety of colors. Anglers also found success jigging around structure using swimbaits, plastics and crawlers. Those fishing near Scarecrow Island reported good catches while trolling crankbaits in 15 to 30 feet of water. Pier anglers reported slow walleye fishing. A few northern pike and smallmouth bass were caught while casting jigs tipped with crawlers and plastic swimbaits.
THUNDER BAY RIVER
Walleye were caught throughout the river while trolling crawler harnesses, along with northern pike and freshwater drum. Anglers casting spinner baits and plastic swimbaits reported good smallmouth bass fishing along the river’s edge. Catfish were caught in decent numbers using crawlers and cut bait. Anglers using leeches and crawlers near the 9th Street Bridge caught walleye, freshwater drum and bullhead.
ROCKPORT
Lake trout fishing remained good, with fish scattered throughout the water column in depths of 50 to 100 feet. Flasher Spin-N-Glow combinations and spoons in chartreuse, white and green produced good results. Anglers targeting silver fish found success running spoons in the top 25 feet of the water column, with green, orange and watermelon patterns producing the best results. Chinook salmon, Atlantic salmon, steelhead and coho salmon were found from Stoneport to Middle Island. Anglers targeting walleye reported no success. Shore anglers caught a few smallmouth bass and the occasional northern pike while casting spinners.
CHEBOYGAN
Lake trout limits were caught in the shallow waters of Reynold’s Reef. Anglers had success trolling spoons in 25 to 40 feet of water. Productive colors included combinations of orange, green, and chartreuse. The Cheboygan Lock and Dam reopened for public recreation. Downstream of the Cheboygan Dam, anglers reported catching walleye, bass, northern pike, rock bass and freshwater drum. Walleye catch rates varied, with anglers harvesting between zero and four legal-sized fish. Many undersized walleye were also released. Boat anglers drifted hook-and-nightcrawler rigs during the morning and trolled nightcrawler harnesses at night. Shore anglers drifted jigs tipped with worms or cast body baits. Bass were caught at the Cheboygan Dam spillway, near the drawbridge, at the river mouth and in Duncan Bay. Bass anglers had the most success using tube baits and body baits. Northern pike were also caught on these presentations. Freshwater drum continued to move into the river in low numbers. Anglers caught a few on both sides of the river near the Cheboygan DNR field station. Those using jigs tipped with worms and nightcrawler harnesses had the greatest success.
HARISVILLE
Anglers targeting lake trout found a few fish in 60 to 90 feet of water; however, most moved farther offshore into waters deeper than 120 feet to find better numbers of lake trout. Anglers fishing in 70 to 100 feet of water also reported nice steelhead, Atlantic salmon and coho salmon 40 to 50 feet down. Sliders on downriggers, along with high lines and two to five colors of lead core, proved to be productive.
ROGERS CITY
Lake trout fishing continued to be good, with limit catches reported when weather conditions allowed. Anglers fished straight out at the hump, south toward Adams Point or north toward 40 Mile Point. The best depths were 60 to 120 feet of water, with lines running throughout the water column producing the best results. Spoons were the primary bait, but anglers also found success using cowbells, Spin-N-Glos, and flashers paired with Spin-N-Glos. Productive colors included green, yellow, blue, chartreuse and UV patterns. Larger lake trout were generally found in deeper water. Many smaller lake trout just above or below the 15-inch mark were also caught, with some anglers releasing up to eight undersized fish per trip. Anglers were advised to use caution when fishing beyond the 40 Mile Point Light, as tribal nets were present in that area. Some steelhead began showing up, with anglers catching them in the top 20 feet of the water column. Orange and standard-sized spoons were effective. Faster trolling speeds produced the best results, with successful speeds ranging from 2.8 to 3.5 mph.
PRESQUE ISLE
Lake trout fishing continued to be excellent, with limit catches reported; however, many smaller fish were caught and released. Larger lake trout moved into deeper water but remained suspended in the water column. Productive areas included straight out south toward Stoneport and off North Bay. The best depths were 60 to 120 feet of water, with lines running throughout the water column producing the best results. Spoons remained the most productive presentation, although anglers also found success using cowbells, Spin-Glos and attractors paired with Spin-N-Glos. Productive colors included green, orange, blue, yellow, chartreuse and UV patterns. The occasional silver salmon was also caught while targeting lake trout. Steelhead were beginning to show up, with anglers finding success targeting the top 20 feet of the water column. Orange spoons, along with regular and smaller-sized spoons, produced the best results. Faster trolling speeds were most effective, with speeds up to 3.5 mph producing the best action.





