Tag: hunting

Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers targeting walleye reported fair to good fishing. Windy conditions and strong west winds during the week limited anglers to the upper bay or areas near the west shoreline. On days when conditions were less restrictive, fishing was generally better, and many anglers caught enough to reach their bag limits. Walleye were caught trolling crankbaits, crawler harnesses, and spoons, while some anglers also had success casting and retrieving near the bottom. Some anglers reported marking alewife in the bay. Smallmouth bass anglers reported good fishing, with topwater bites occurring at dawn and dusk when winds subsided.

Munising: Boat anglers trolling reported a slower bite but still picked up a few Chinook salmon and coho salmon in the bay and around Grand Island. Boat anglers targeting lake trout had success both trolling and jigging.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: These ports experienced a large increase in angling effort over the past week due to recent fishing tournaments. Anglers reported catching good numbers of coho salmon while trolling spoons and flasher-fly combinations in the upper 40 to 60 feet of the water column. Anglers also caught Chinook salmon and rainbow trout while trolling, although in smaller numbers. Anglers also reported catching lake trout while trolling in waters deeper than 150 feet; those jigging were successful using both artificial and natural baits.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers trolling near structure reported catching fair to good numbers of lake trout and a few rainbow trout while using spoons and flasher-fly combinations. Anglers targeting lake trout reported a fair bite while jigging with natural and artificial baits in more than 100 feet of water, with the greatest success occurring in waters deeper than 160 feet.

Ontonagon River: Fishing effort on the river was somewhat low during the past week. Angler reports indicated that walleye were caught in low to fair numbers. Boat anglers experienced most of their success while trolling, although jigging also proved productive for some anglers. Shore anglers reported catching walleye as well, but in relatively low numbers.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling effort from the Silver City and Union Bay access sites was low during the past week. Effort from Ontonagon was slightly higher but remained relatively low overall. Anglers reported catching coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and lake trout in low to fair numbers, with lake trout being the most commonly caught species. Trolling continued to produce the best results for boat anglers.

Black River Harbor: Angling effort from the harbor was low during the past week. Anglers reported that fishing was slow overall. Boat anglers caught coho salmon and lake trout in low numbers, with trolling being the most effective method for locating fish. Fishing within the harbor remained slow, although shore anglers occasionally reported catching northern pike.

St. Ignace: When trolling spoons off Mackinac Island, lake trout anglers obtained their limits in 40 to 70 feet of water.

Inconsistent numbers of walleye, perch, rock bass, and bullhead were caught in the Pine River. Shore anglers drifted jigs and leeches, while boat anglers trolled nightcrawler harnesses and body baits.

Grand Marais: Boat anglers trolling and jigging for lake trout reported a good bite. Anglers fishing off the breakwall also caught round whitefish and lake whitefish, with evenings being the most productive time. Spawn and worms produced the best results.

Les Cheneaux Islands/DeTour: Anglers in Hessel caught northern pike off the wall in the marina using chubs. They also caught a few perch within the marina, although many were undersized and released. Anglers were also jigging and trolling for lake trout out of the middle entrance and near Mackinac Island.

In DeTour, anglers also did well trolling for lake trout, which were suspended in the water column at similar depths to Atlantic salmon. A mixed bag of species was reported in DeTour during the past week, with lake trout and Atlantic salmon making up the majority of catches, along with a few steelhead, chinook salmon, and coho salmon.

Manistique: Walleye anglers fishing the river used jigs and trolled crawler harnesses. Some large walleye were harvested, although overall catch numbers remained relatively low. Windy conditions limited salmon fishing on the lake, and anglers only had a small window of opportunity during the week due to the conditions.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Manistee: High winds, large waves, and storms kept fishing activity slow during the past week. There was no boat activity to report. Anglers targeting steelhead from the pier reported slow fishing.

Ludington: High winds, large waves, and storms made it difficult for anglers to get out during the past week. When weather permitted, a few Chinook salmon were caught to the south in 115 feet of water out from the projects and at Big Sable Point in 140 feet of water. The piers were slow.

Charlevoix: Windy weather kept fishing pressure low. Anglers targeting salmon and trout reported slow catches, with lake trout and the occasional small Chinook salmon being caught. Those targeting cisco reported very low numbers while casting spoons in the Pine River channel.

Little Traverse Bay: Boat anglers targeting salmon and trout reported slow numbers in the Little Traverse Bay Area. The occasional lake trout and Chinook salmon were reported. Those traveling west of Harbor Springs found luck trolling in 70 to 120 feet of water. Bass anglers found some success casting tubes and body baits on both sides of the bay. Surface water temperatures were reported in the mid to upper 50s.

West Grand Traverse Bay: Tough weather conditions kept angling activity light during the past week. Windy conditions on several days kept most anglers off the water. Those who were able to get out reported catching lake trout and an occasional cisco while jigging near the Red 6 buoy in 50 to 80 feet of water. Anglers trolling along the west bank in 30 to 80 feet of water also caught a few lake trout. Smallmouth bass were caught throughout the bay along breaks in 5 to 10 feet of water. Swimbaits and drop-shot rigs produced the best results.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers targeting smallmouth bass in the southern section of the bay reported a slower bite during the past week. Several days of strong south winds caused water temperatures to fluctuate significantly as the lake underwent turnover. As water temperatures rebounded into the 60s, anglers expected more smallmouth bass to move back onto the shallow flats. Lake trout were caught by anglers trolling in 30 to 70 feet of water. Smallmouth bass also continued to be caught in the Elk River.

Leland: Weather conditions kept most anglers off the water, as strong winds and waves created unfavorable conditions. Boat anglers who did launch and targeted Chinook salmon reported fair numbers in 150 to 200 feet of water near the crib and North Manitou Island. Fish were most active in the 80- to 120-foot depth range. A few anglers reported success with meat rigs, while green and blue spoons produced the most fish. Anglers noted that fish size was smaller, so baits needed to be checked frequently. Lake trout fishing continued to produce high numbers of successful trips while fishing the playground and second bank. Smallmouth bass fishing was reported as good, although high pressure resulted in reduced activity.

Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Weather during the week was wet and breezy, so anglers stayed off the big lake. Alewife moved out into deeper waters, so pier anglers reported no catches. Lake trout anglers in Platte Bay and Six Mile Hole reported very good numbers when weather conditions allowed, with cowbells producing the best results.

Onekama/Lake Michigan: Anglers have been heading out to 160 to 180 feet of water in the early morning hours and trolling the top 100 feet to pick up a few Chinook salmon on spoons.

Portage Lake/Onekama: Mayfly hatch was in full swing, so bass and panfish anglers had a rough time getting the bites.

Northport/Suttons Bay: Lake trout fishing for boat anglers was successful, with anglers launching from Sutton Bay and fishing around Stony Point. Locating structure to jig for lake trout produced the most fish.