Northeast Lower Peninsula

Rogers City: The Chinook salmon fishing effort was dominating the fishery though results were mixed. With cooperative weather quite a few anglers were fishing the very early morning and twilight hours reporting mixed results. Anglers were fishing in about 50 to 90 feet of water primarily near Swan Bay and Adams Point. Salmon were reported to be caught in approximately even numbers using both spoons and meat rigs. There were very little thermocline present and recent winds have stirred up the temperature once again, so anglers were spacing lines throughout the water column to find fish. Many of the Chinook were in the low to mid-teens size, with many boats reporting results of at least one fish.

Alpena: The fishing effort in Alpena was very low. Anglers looking for walleye were disappointed in their results but remained hopeful that fishing may still improve. Anglers reported finding lake trout to be readily available while trolling spoons near the first humps to as far out as 20 miles.

The fishing effort in the Thunder Bay River was very low with anglers primarily casting artificial baits for whatever may be around with little luck.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

West Grand Traverse Bay: Coho and Chinook were caught in the hole in front of the Boardman River by those trolling and jigging. Salmon were also caught while trolling the bank in front of the white wall (south of hilltop launch). Flasher/fly, plugs, spoons, and meat rigs were all catching fish. Those targeting lake trout were doing well.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Salmon fishing was hit or miss, some days were good, some days were slow. Fishing in 100 to 150 feet of water was good from Center Road down to the south bank, “horseshoe” of the bay. Around deep-water point was good as well. Meat rigs, flasher/fly, spoons and plugs were all catching fish. Lake trout fishing was good as well for those strictly targeting them.

Frankfort: Anglers were reporting very good numbers of Chinook and coho from the Herring Hole to Platte Bay. Water temperatures were up and down this week from 35 to 55 feet down. Spoons were still getting the most action but plugs and flies were still in the mix.

Onekama: Anglers were running out to the bank and trolling 45 to 65 feet down. Spoons were working best and the morning bite was producing a little better catches.

Portage Lake: Bass anglers reported lower numbers of largemouth bass as water temperatures warmed up. Bluegill were still hitting on the east end in the weed beds.

Manistee: Salmon were caught straight out along the shelf, both north and south of the harbor in 130 to 200 feet of water when fishing 40 to 65 feet down and outside the pier heads out to 80 feet of water. Green spoons, glow colors and plugs worked the best. A salmon or two were reported from the piers but it was slower this week as the water warmed up slightly.

Ludington: Salmon were caught straight out at the point and south off the projects both in close and out deep; a few were caught around the harbor as well. Depths ranged from 40 to 80 feet down in anywhere from 100 to 200 feet of water. Green spoons, flies, and plugs worked; glow colors also worked. Big Sable Point produced some good catches. A salmon or two were reported from the piers. Pere Marquette Lake produced some nice Chinook for those jigging.

Whitehall: The Chinook salmon bite was hot with some coho salmon and steelhead mixed in. The best water was in 140 to 180 feet of water while trolling green spoons or spinners and green flies on wire divers, down riggers and 300 copper.

Port Sheldon: The Chinook salmon and coho salmon action was good during twilight hours. Meat rigs and black spoons worked well with down riggers, wire divers, 300 copper and 7 color lead lines.

Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers targeting walleye had limited success when trolling the Minneapolis shoals and ‘black bottom’ in the morning hours. Eater-sized walleye were caught out of Kipling, as well as some perch.

Manistique: Salmon anglers were catching fish near the ‘red can’, as well as Pointe Aux Barques. However, anglers had to move to deeper water to find adult salmon. Anglers fishing the river had some success with northern pike and walleye.

Marquette: Most anglers reported catching lake trout primarily from white rocks and Granite Island. Fishing was slower between the Chocolay River and Shot Point. Lake trout was the primary species reported coming from around Shot Point, but some coho and Chinook were reported being caught from that area. For lake trout around Granite Island, try trolling in 150+ feet of water while trolling spoons. Anglers fishing near White Rocks reported most catches in water from 60 to 100 feet of water while trolling spoons and stick baits. Shot Point anglers targeting lake trout and salmon reported catches on bottom lines in about 40 to 70 feet of water while trolling spoons and dipsies.

Munising: Boat anglers reported slow fishing with a few lake trout and splake mixed in. Best areas were in the west channel, portal, and towards Wood Island Reef.

Grand Marais: Boat anglers were reporting good fishing pressure. Anglers were fishing mainly towards Five Mile Reef near shipping channels, along with towards AuSable Point. Common depths were 150 to 200 feet of water. Anglers were having luck both with trolling and jigging.

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers were reporting an increase in salmon catches. Some anglers found luck trolling for coho and Chinook salmon as well as lake trout. Anglers fishing for these species had the most luck fishing in the mornings and more specifically fishing before 8 a.m. Fish seemed to be biting on lures that resemble smelt colorations. Expect fishing for these species to continue increasing as daytime temperatures drop while we move into fall.

Traverse Bays/ South Portage Entry Canal: Anglers reported seeing more salmon in the water as well as being able to catch a few. The coho and Chinook seem to be moving down from the north. Anglers were catching a fair share of lake trout from these bays as well. Most successful fishing trips were morning fishing trips with catch rates seeming to slow down throughout the day. Most anglers were trolling in water depths from 50 to 170 feet and all throughout that range. Most anglers on successful trips reported to look for as cool of water as they could find.

Au Train: Fishing activity increased with anglers launching from the Brownstone Boat Launch. Most reports came from anglers fishing around Au Train Island. Anglers were fishing the shallower water in the flats around the island, as well as in deeper water. In the shallower water, anglers reported only lake trout coming out of about 30 to 60 feet of water. Anglers fishing in deeper water (150 to 200 feet) reported mostly lake trout, but there were a couple reports of coho and Chinook salmon. In shallow and deep water, try trolling spoons, dipsies, or stick baits at around 2mph for best success.

Upper St. Mary’s: Anglers continued to target rainbow trout near the Soo Locks with limited success. Anglers found fishing into the night with crawlers and other natural bait to be the most successful. Some anglers were having success catching small perch, smallmouth bass, and white suckers off the bottom of the river in roughly 20 feet. In Waishkey Bay area, fishing continued to be slow with the occasional pike and some perch. Trolling with spinners and stick baits on planer boards was the method most anglers used. Anglers that were going out into deeper water near Iroquois Lighthouse found some success catching Chinook and coho using blue and orange spoons. Fishing halfway throughout the water column in 80 to 100 feet of water continued to be where fish were being marked.

Lake George: The fishing in Lake George was productive with pike, smallmouth and perch being caught. On occasion there were a few walleye caught.

Lake Nicolet: There were salmon caught, with a couple walleye, pike, and perch caught on occasion through the lake as well. More types of salmon in the river were noticed, but surveyed numbers are still on the lower side of things at the present time, but those numbers start to increase as the summer continues. Pink salmon will start to run in a couple of weeks and should allow for more variety of species for anglers.

Whitefish Bay: Anglers found slow and limited success fishing for salmon over the past week. Warm, calm weather kept the bite slow with minimal fish being caught in the area. Anglers trolling in 100 feet of water at around 50 feet down caught the occasional coho and whitefish. The Tahquamenon River mouth gave shore anglers some success on rock bass and bull heads, while the boats in the river were reporting slow catches of small pike and the occasional musky follow.

Fishing Tip: Fishing for bass at night

Some of the best bass fishing this time of year occurs during the first hour or so after dark. You still can find fish at dusk and dawn, but that first hour or two after dark can be exceptional.

After dark, bass tend to move shallow in search of an easy meal. Target them near the same areas you would during other times of the day while also casting and targeting the shallows.

You’ll want to change your technique, though. Since after dark you can’t see the weed line or other underwater structures, fishing subsurface lures is not recommended. It is time for surface presentations. After the cast, work them aggressively with a jerking motion, making sure they pop and gurgle across the surface of the water during your retrieve. Pay close attention during the retrieve, watching and listening for the strike, which can be explosive.

This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from Fisheries staff and conservation officers. With more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, not all locations can be listed. However, it is safe to say if a species is being caught in some waters in the area, they are likely being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.