NORTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA

Alpena: Those willing to brave the high winds and rain saw good catches of coho and Chinook salmon. Twenty to 30 feet of water throughout the shipping lanes was productive while trolling spoons and plugs. Good numbers of coho salmon were caught while trolling short lead cores 10 to 15 feet below the surface. Black, chartreuse, and orange were all productive colors. A few walleye were found in the same waters. Crank baits in purple, copper, gold, and green saw the best results. Pier anglers had some success on coho and Chinook salmon when casting heavy spoons in green/silver, blue/silver, and orange. Glow spoons worked well for Chinook salmon after dark.

Thunder Bay River: A few Chinook salmon were found from the dam down to Lamar Park. Nighttime anglers had the most success with glow spoons and shallow-running crank baits. A few large pikes were caught throughout the river on crank baits and bright-colored spinnerbaits. Those drifting crawlers had some success on smallmouth bass and a few walleye near the walking bridge and the Holiday Inn on and off throughout the day.

Rockport: Very little fishing pressure was seen due to recent high winds. When anglers were able to make it out, lake trout were plentiful near Middle Island in 70 to 100 feet of water. With cold water in the area, fish were found all through the water column. Watermelon, white, chartreuse, and orange spoons were all productive off-lead core and dipsy divers. A few Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and Atlantic salmon were caught off Bell Bay and Stoneport in 50 to 90 feet of water. Magnum spoons had the best results with orange, greens, and black/whites being most productive.

Rogers City: Chinook salmon were staging off Swan Bay. The best depths were anywhere from inside of the bay out to 70 feet of water. The shallow water anglers were running boards with j-plugs and bombers with regular monofilament line. Anglers fishing the deeper waters in depths of 45 to 90 feet of water were running a full spread throughout the water column. Anglers reported using spoons, attractors with flies and squids, j-plugs, and meat rigs. Good colors to use were greens, blues, whites, white/black, purples, red/white, and glow stuff early and late. The adult Chinook salmon bite was best before sunup and after sundown. Anglers not wanting to fish the adult Chinook salmon had success fishing from the marina straight out and up towards 40 Mile Point. The best depths were wherever the bait fish were located within 50 to 90 feet of water. Anglers were getting a mix of pink salmon, coho salmon, lake trout, young Chinook salmon, and an occasional walleye and Atlantic salmon. Spoons, both regular size and smaller, worked well. Good colors were greens, blues, white, oranges, and glow stuff early and late. Anglers fishing off Swan Bay were getting the same kind of catch, as well as a few adult Chinook salmon in deeper waters.

Harrisville/Black River: Anglers caught a few coho salmon out of the Harrisville harbor when fishing with spawn/skein under a float, as well as with inline spinners. Walleye were caught off the breakwater at night using rattle traps and jerk baits. Black River saw its first push of salmon for the fall. There were a couple Chinook salmon caught by anglers casting flicker shads. Coho salmon were reported to be present in the river, and anglers were catching a few when casting Little Cleos.

Cheboygan: Salmon anglers fishing an hour before sunrise and just after sunset using glow-in-the-dark presentations had the best results. Boat anglers were trolling between the Cheboygan County Marina boat launches and just past the channel markers (green and red buoys) outside of the river mouth. Anglers trolling the shallow water were using dipseys or boards with spoons, j-plugs, or a flasher fly combination in between 10 and 25 feet of water.

Good colors were blue/white, orange/chartreuse, and orange/white. Salmon anglers at the Cheboygan Dam caught Chinook salmon, pink salmon, and coho salmon in the early morning using spawn, glow spoons, or crank baits. When fishing for salmon from shore during warm days, try fishing from the break wall of the Cheboygan pier. Pier anglers produced at least one salmon per group in the morning or at night using glow spoons.

Bass anglers reported using night crawlers, crank baits, or soft plastics that were white, pink, or chartreuse. Walleye fishing has declined since anglers switched to salmon fishing. Walleye and perch anglers used night crawlers or leeches on slip bobbers. Go to where the current is or go near bridges when fishing for walleye. Common areas anglers tend to fish for walleye and bass are the Cheboygan Dam, near the pedestrian bridge by the city boat launch, and near the drawbridge by the DNR field office.

Oscoda/Au Sable River: Anglers fishing the big lake had success catching lake trout in 140 feet of water. Those that were looking for salmon and steelhead found fish in 70 to 90 feet of water, 30 feet down, while trolling spoons and j-plugs. It appeared that the Au Sable River was starting to hold some coho and Chinook salmon. There were coho salmon along with a few Chinook salmon caught off the pier by anglers casting spoons such as Little Cleos KO wobblers, or moonshines in the early hours of the morning. A few salmon were also caught by anglers fishing spawn bags on the bottom. Some Chinook salmon were hooked on skein throughout the lower river and at the Foote Dam.

Tawas: Windy conditions the last few days kept most boat anglers off the water. Anglers reported catches of Chinook salmon at the Tawas River mouth in the evening after dark. The best spot to fish was reported to have been right at the mouth, casting diagonally towards the lake. Anglers also reported that spoons and spinners seemed to have worked well.

Au Gres: Boat anglers were trying their luck for walleye in Au Gres, but catches were few and far between with 0 to 1 walleye per boat being caught. Anglers were beginning to head out of Au Gres targeting perch and were able to bring some home. However, there were not many limits caught. Catfish were reported to have been caught from the Au Gres pier. In Standish, out from the Pine River perch were caught along with a few walleye that were still hanging around in the weeds. Those fishing off the shore at the Pine River caught perch, big and small, however not in large numbers. At Eagle Bay Marina, bluegill, a few crappies, and a few small perch were caught.