Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: Due to the warmer weather, anglers were less successful at catching salmon. Those fishing early in the mornings at the Cheboygan Dam spillway had the most success when floating or bottom-bouncing spawn. Anglers using stick baits also had some catches. Boat anglers trolled about 15 feet down between the Cheboygan County Marina and the buoy markers. J plugs and spoons in green and orange proved to be productive. It was hoped that cooler weather would make the fish more active and push more fish toward the dam.

Harrisville: Anglers fishing in the harbor had limited success with some mornings producing only a few fish. Skein under a bobber and pink or orange spinners took a couple coho salmon this week. Boat anglers trolling spoons in 80 to 90 feet of water reported multiple catches including walleye, steelhead and a few Atlantic salmon.

Presque Isle: Anglers reported catches of lake trout, Chinook salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon were caught when anglers could get out. When anglers found the bait fish, it produced the best results. The best depths were 40 to 80 feet of water. Running lines all over the water column yielded the best results. Good colors included greens, oranges, blues, white, black and white, and glow patterns early and late. The steelhead came up high in the water column, hitting orange spoons. Good places to fish were between the two lighthouses or south toward Stoneport and False Presque Isle.

Rogers City: Cold water was around, with a lot of baitfish. Anglers started by locating the bait, which was found in waters 40 to 70 feet deep. Bait was located straight out of the harbor, up towards the state park, at 40 Mile Point, and south in front of Swan Bay and off Adam’s Point. Anglers ran lines all over the water column, using a mix of spoons, flasher-fly combos, and a few meat rigs or J plugs for the adult Chinook salmon. Adult salmon were still staging off Swan Bay. Anglers used bombers and J plugs off boards in tight areas. Outside of Swan Bay, there was a mix of lake trout, young salmon, and an occasional steelhead. Anglers heading up the lake encountered this mix. Spoons, especially the regular or smaller sizes, were effective. The bait was about two inches in length, so matching the size helped. Good colors included greens, blues, whites, black and white, and glow patterns early and late. The steeliest anglers fished up high on one to three colors of lead with brightly colored spoons like orange and bright pink.

Alpena: Fishing in Thunder Bay finally improved. Anglers reported good numbers of steelhead, coho, lake trout, and a few kings. The majority of catches were near North Point and Thunder Bay Island in 40 to 70 feet of water. Medium-sized spoons in orange, gold, watermelon, and chartreuse produced fish throughout the water column. The shipping lane yielded coho, Chinook, and a few Atlantic salmon in 20 to 30 feet. Greens, oranges, and natural-colored spoons and stick baits were productive. A few anglers targeted perch with no success. A few walleye were taken throughout the day in 30 to 50 feet while trolling spoons and crankbaits.

Thunder Bay River: Chinook salmon were caught throughout the river while casting spoons and crankbaits. White, chartreuse, and orange baits produced the best results. Near the 9th Street dam, anglers found success drifting spawn and casting spinners. A decent number of coho and Atlantic salmon were also reported but were difficult to catch.

Rockport: Anglers targeting Chinook salmon fished 20 to 40 feet of water straight out and north to False Presque Isle. J-plugs and spoons were effective early and late in the day, with green, blue, white, and chartreuse being good colors. Decent numbers of steelhead and lake trout were found near Middle Island in 50 to 90 feet of water. Fish were scattered throughout the water column, so spreading out lines was the most productive approach.