NORTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA

Alpena: A good number of boat anglers were targeting chinook and coho salmon. Anglers reported success from the pier head throughout the shipping lanes while using plugs and spoons. Black/white, greens, and chartreuse were all good color choices. A few steelhead and Atlantic salmon were caught in 30 to 50 feet of water with orange, golds, and green/silver colors being productive. Early and late in the day seemed to be the best times, with only a few fish caught throughout the day. Those targeting walleye reported that fish were difficult to find. Those casting from the pier reported decent catches of salmon while using body baits and spoons. Green, chartreuse, and glow baits were productive late in the day and after dark. A few smallmouth bass were also caught while casting crank baits.

Thunder Bay River: Anglers were targeting salmon through the river with moderate success. Those drifting spawn had better results at the 9th Avenue dam and below the 9th Avenue bridge. Spoons and body baits worked well for those casting. Orange, greens, and glows were all productive colors. Boat anglers had the best luck while trolling spoons, plugs, and deep diving body baits from the pier head to the walking bridge. No walleye action was reported.

Rockport: Anglers reported fishing as very good over the last week. Lake trout were found in 45 to 70 feet of water along with chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, Atlantic salmon, and the occasional walleye. Fish were all throughout the water column, so covering all depths was key. Orange, greens, silver/ blue, and watermelon were all good colors. Anglers reported that spoons were most productive. Walleye anglers reported fish to be difficult to locate. Those who were successful trolled crankbaits 10 to 20 feet down over 40 to 60 feet of water.

Rogers City: Anglers targeting Swan Bay for adult chinook salmon had minimal success. Those who were able to get them to bite were trolling inside 40 feet of water and using j plugs and/or bombers off planer boards in the early morning or late at night for the best results. Fishing from the marina up to 40-Mile Point and past was reported to have been excellent. Anglers caught good numbers of coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, young chinook salmon, along with an occasional Atlantic salmon and walleye. The best depths were anywhere from 50 to 130 feet of water. Finding where the bait was and covering the entire water column seemed to produce the best results. Regular or walleye-sized spoons, as well as white flashers and flies worked well. Good colors to use were green, blue, white, yellow, silver, and orange, along with glow stuff both early and late. The steelhead were reported to have been high in the top 25 feet of water and orange, green, and blue were all good colors for them.

Harrisville: Walleye, coho salmon, and chinook salmon were caught by anglers targeting 40 to 60 feet down in 125 feet of water while pulling spoons. Coho and Chinook salmon were also caught inside the harbor. Skein under a float and casting spoons produced the best results inside the harbor. Casting Rapalas after dark off the rocks produced walleye, as well.

Black River: Offshore from Black River in 40 to 60 feet of water, anglers did well on coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, chinook salmon, and a few pink salmon when targeting halfway down the water column. Trolling spoons and flasher flies seemed to produce the best results. Walleye were also caught in 40 to 60 feet of water while trolling spoons. In Black River, there were a few coho salmon caught on little Cleos, along with a few chinook salmon caught on flicker shads and rattle traps.

Cheboygan: Anglers targeting salmon had minimal success in getting fish to bite because of them running upriver to spawn. Boat anglers, who had some luck, did the best trolling glow spoons on dipseys or planer boards within 25 feet of water between the Cheboygan County Marina boat launches and just past the channel markers (green and red buoys) outside of the river’s mouth. Those fishing the pier were primarily casting spoons but did not have much luck. Anglers at the dam were catching a couple salmon a day using spawn, spoons, or minnow crank baits. Lake trout anglers caught a few off Reynold’s Reef when trolling spoons throughout the water column.

Oscoda/Au Sable River: Salmon fishing from the pier seemed to slow down because of warm weather. However, there were still some salmon in the river and around the pier head. Anglers targeting salmon from shore found most of their luck using spoons such as little Cleos, Ko wobblers, and moonshines. Gold and orange were hot colors and fishing in the early hours of the morning seemed to produce the best results for anglers. Channel catfish were caught in the lower Au Sable River using crawlers and cut bait on the bottom. A few Atlantic salmon were caught at Foote Dam when casting in-line spinners and spoons. Smallmouth bass were caught throughout the river by anglers using minnow presentations such as a weightless fluke or a jerk bait.