NORTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA

Alpena: Fishing pressure was reported to be low. Walleye anglers had limited success between Whitefish Point and North Point trolling crawler harnesses and crank baits between 16 and 20 feet of water. High winds kept the fish scattered and water temperatures fluctuating, so anglers had to do a lot of searching to find active fish. The waters around Sulfur Island and Partridge Point were also productive at times when using crawler harnesses in 18 to 20 feet of water. A few fish were caught in 8 to 15 feet of water after dark when trolling shallow running crank baits. Scarecrow Island and South Point were reported to have good numbers of walleye. Smallmouth bass, freshwater drum, and a few pike were caught while trolling the weed lines close to shore in 14 to 18 feet of water.

Thunder Bay River: The Thunder Bay River saw good numbers of catfish being caught below the 2nd Avenue Bridge and Mill Island. Anglers harvested a few walleye, pike, and freshwater drum near the 9th Avenue Bridge and below the dam.

Rockport: Anglers caught good numbers of all species when the weather allowed. Lake trout were found from False Presque Isle all the way to Middle Island, all throughout the water column. Dodgers and Spin-n-Glos in white, chartreuse, and green, as well as a variety of spoons, were productive. Chinook, coho, Atlantic, and pink salmon, steelhead, and the occasional walleye were caught in the top 50 feet in depths of 90 to 115 feet of water. Spoons in orange, gold, green, and watermelon were all productive.

Rogers City: Anglers were scattering all over the place up the lake toward 40-Mile Point, straight out and/or south toward Swan Bay and Adams Point. The fish were reported to be scattered, and anglers were running wide spreads using downriggers, lead core, copper, and dipseys throughout the water column. Spoons were the main choice, with regular-sized spoons and the smaller ones seeming to work well. Good colors were greens, blues, blue/silver, green/silver, yellow, and oranges, and black/white glow stuff early and late. Brighter colors were best up high, especially in the top 20 feet of water for steelhead, coho salmon, and Atlantic salmon. Anglers were fishing in anywhere from 50 to 120 feet of water, with 65 to 90 feet being best. Overall, anglers were catching a mixed bag consisting of lake trout, steelhead, Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and Atlantic salmon, with an occasional walleye and pink salmon, as well. Reminder that lake trout have to be 15 inches to keep, and you are allowed three per person. Lake trout were being caught on everything. The larger ones seemed to be caught both when trolling and on spoons. Dodgers and Spin-n-Glos also did well throughout the water column.

Harrisville: Anglers fishing for lake trout were having to target deeper water to find good numbers of fish. A few steelhead and coho salmon were caught while trolling spoons in 70 to 100 feet of water using downriggers and lead core. There were a few walleye caught out of Black River when fishing the submerged rock islands with jigging raps. Bass and panfish were caught by anglers off the docks in the Harrisville marina.

Cheboygan: Anglers were fishing the waters off Cordwood Point and Lafayette Point (northeast point of Bois Blanc Island). They reported using everything to bring a fish in. They were using spoons, flashers, dodgers, and flies across the water column. The fish were scattered but, when found, anglers brought in lake trout and Chinook, pink, coho, and Atlantic salmon. Good colors to use were reported to be silver, chartreuse/lime, and silver, blues, yellows, and pink/white. Bass anglers did not have any luck at Duncan Bay. Anglers fishing the river caught smallmouth bass with chartreuse and pink soft plastics and with nightcrawlers. A few freshwater drum were caught near the Michigan Department of Natural Resources field station.