Northeast Lower Peninsula

Houghton Lake: The walleye fishing slowed down. Anglers were doing well catching bluegill. Some pike were caught on purple spinners and black beads.

McCormick Lake, Big Chub Lake and Heart Lake: This is a good time to look for trout during the warm, waning days of summer, and prior to the thermocline mixing up the water temperatures of these lakes by late September. Anglers should try fishing above the thermocline or near it, anywhere from 20 to 30 feet below the surface, either trolling or still fishing. Still fishing at night with bait can be an effective method.

Tawas: Some Chinook were caught in the Tawas River while casting spoons, body baits and drifting spawn. There were some walleye and Chinook caught out near and past buoy #2 in 60 to 100 feet while trolling crawlers and spoons.

Au Gres and Pine River: Walleye fishing was fair, with some fish caught out near the bell buoy in 20 to 40 feet while trolling flicker shad and crawlers. There were some good catches of perch caught near gravely shoals, and out near the shipping channel while still fishing minnows in 30 to 40 feet. In the Pine River access area, perch anglers caught fish near the Saganing and Pinconning bars in 7 to 25 feet while still fishing minnows. There were some walleye caught in the same areas while trolling flicker shad and crawlers.

Rogers City: Chinooks were staging off Swan Bay. Anglers were trolling anywhere from inside the bay out to 70 feet of water. Anglers were running lines throughout the water column for best results. Anglers were using spoons, J-Plugs, attractors with flies or squids and meat rigs. Greens, blues, silvers, black and white or glow were all good colors. Anglers were doing descent up the lake targeting younger Chinook, steelhead and lake trout along with an occasional coho, mature Chinook or walleye. The best water was anywhere from 40 feet of water and out. Spoons were mostly used and deployed throughout the water column. There were a good number of steelhead around as they were keyed in on the young of the year smelt. The younger Chinook, coho and lake trout were also feeding heavily on them too.

Oscoda: Anglers reported catching Chinook in the morning and evenings at the mouth of the river. There were some catches of walleye. In Lake Huron, a mixed bag of lake trout, Atlantic salmon and coho were caught in 40 to 90 feet of water.

Alpena: Lake trout were caught near the humps and at the Nordmeer Wreck. Anglers fishing close to the bottom while adding additional lines throughout the water column may encounter younger Chinook, steelhead, coho and maybe walleye.

Thunder Bay River: Anglers were trolling the river early and late for Chinook and coho. A few fish were present, but fishing was slow. A few fish entered the river, but it was a very slow bite. Anglers were trolling flatfish spoons and body baits. Anglers were also fishing up towards the dam, but it was slow.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Ludington: Pere Marquette Lake produced Chinook for anglers trolling and jigging.

Manistee: A few Chinook were caught by anglers trolling and jigging in the harbor. Out on the shelf, some Chinook were caught in 80 to 120 feet of water while fishing 50 to 85 feet down. The north pier was slow for Chinook, but a few were caught.

Portage Lake: Anglers reported catching bass and panfish in 16 to 22 feet of water. Water temperatures were still on the warm side.

Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported good fishing. Anglers were trolling or jigging near Gladstone, close to the first reef and by No See-um Creek. Perch anglers had variable results, with spotty success. Anglers were focused on the Days River and out in front of Kipling along weed edges.

Manistique: River anglers reported a fair amount of pink salmon in the river. Anglers were catching pink salmon on beads, spawn, spoons and crank baits. The Chinook salmon bite was tougher with limited reports of success. However, anglers are anticipating another push of salmon when the fishing is expected to improve. Chinook anglers reported best success when floating skien.

Marquette: Fishing pressure was very low. Anglers reported catching fish from White Rocks, Granite Island and Stannard Rock. The water depth for anglers fishing White Rocks was between 60 to 80 feet of water while trolling two to three color combination spoons. Anglers fishing Granite Island reported catching fish while trolling blue/tri-color spoons in 100+ feet of water. As for Stannard Rock, anglers reported catching lake trout while trolling and jigging in 150+ feet of water.

Munising Bay: Boat anglers trolled for over three hours for coho or splake with no success. A few anglers were fishing off the Anna River with no success. One boat angler was targeting lake trout and had some fair action towards Wood Island Reef, resulting in good eating size lake trout around three pounds.

Grand Marais: Anglers were jigging and they limited out in about three hours of fishing just off the break outside the harbor.

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers caught some lake trout while jigging and trolling over the last week. During those trips, burbot were also biting in Huron Bay. Anglers were anticipating the salmon run and have been increasing their fishing pressure in the mornings.

Big Traverse Bay/ South Portage Entry: Some anglers reported lake trout catches while trolling and jigging in mid depth waters from 70 to 170 feet. Some anglers reported lake sturgeon catches off the pier in the Portage Canal. Anglers reported natural and artificial bait catching fish while trolling. Natural baits worked while jigging. Catches were divided relatively evenly between morning and afternoon fishing.

Au Train: Fishing pressure was very low in the Au Train area. The best opportunity for catching lake trout would be in around 150+ feet of water near Au Train Island. Try trolling spoons or stick baits, or jigging cut-baits in deep water.

Les Cheneaux/Detour: There were a few splake sightings within the Hessel marina, but no catches were reported. Anglers were still getting a few perch from the marina as well. In the Detour area, anglers were catching very few pink salmon and Chinook salmon, however they were catching quite a few lake trout around the lighthouse and within the flats fishing in 90 feet of water close to bottom trolling spoons.

Lower St. Marys: Fishing activity was slow due to weather and water conditions. Perch were caught with crawlers and minnows by the few anglers that made it out. Very few harvest reports of walleye, pike, bass and muskie.

Lake George: The fishing in Lake George was productive with catches of pike, smallmouth bass and perch. On occasion there are a few walleye caught as well, which was a distinct increase since earlier this month. Most of the fishing was dependent on the weather conditions for the species in question, some conditions being better for others and with a front sitting close, it may cause the bite to change.

Lake Nicolet: Fishing in Lake Nicolet improved as the month progressed due to weather and temperatures. The methods remained consistent, and a few of the surveyed anglers were putting in the hours to track down the fish. Salmon were caught, with a couple walleye, pike, and perch being caught on occasion through the lake as well. More types of salmon were reported in the river, but surveyed numbers were still on the lower side of things at the present time, but those numbers started to increase as the season continued.

Upper St. Mary’s/Whitefish Bay: Anglers were fishing from shore or docks to avoid windy conditions on the boats. Anglers were primarily targeting yellow perch upriver of the Soo Locks and into Whitefish Bay. Crawlers and a bobber, perch rigs, and small spinners produced some successful results. The occasional northern pike and walleye were caught.