This week’s fishing report is smaller due to weather conditions and limited reports available. To learn more about fishing in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Fishing.

All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.

NORTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA

Houghton Lake: Anglers were catching walleye and crappie on jigs and wax worms. Walleye were caught during the morning hours.

SOUTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA

Lake St. Clair: Anglers fishing for perch were doing well. They were catching perch from Anchor Bay to the Detroit River on minnows in 12 to 17 feet of water.

SOUTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA

Grand Haven: Pier anglers were catching a few steelhead on spawn.

St Joe: Pier anglers were catching lake trout while jigging. Anglers were catching steelhead in the river on spawn.

NORTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA

Charlevoix: There were still some anglers trying the channel. A couple boat anglers were out front looking for perch. There were some salmon still around in local streams/rivers.

UPPER PENINSULA

Little Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass anglers were catching fish with some reports of large fish being caught in overwintering locations. Yellow perch anglers reported a slowdown but continued to catch a few.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass anglers were headed out of Fayette and were catching numbers, as well as very respectably sized fish. Fat head minnows fished in 25 to 30 feet of water performed well.

FISHING TIP

Taking great catch-and-release photos

Are you an avid catch-and-release angler? Do you like to take photos of the fish you catch, prior to returning them to the water? Do you know the safest way to take these photos so you ensure the fish can live to be caught another day?

Here are some steps you can follow:

∫ Wet your hands before you handle the fish; that way you won’t remove any of the protective mucus (or slime) that coats the fish’s body.

∫ Remember fish can’t breathe out of water, so they will become uncomfortable rather quickly. Keep the fish in the water until your camera is ready to take the shot.

∫ Take the photo with the fish fairly close to the water, so if it squirms out of your hands it will land in the water and not on a hard surface.

∫ While holding the fish, don’t pinch or squeeze it and don’t stick your fingers in its gills.

∫ Be mindful of the different kinds of fish that have teeth and/or spines that could stick you.