| Weekly Fishing Report | |
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Thursday, January 27, 2005 Recreational Fishing Report
Ice conditions are still improving on the inland lakes, but snow cover will insulate and slow the freezing process. Many of the rivers around the state are running high and muddy, with only thin ice cover. Anglers should always take a compass and pay close attention to wind direction when fishing large bodies of water like Saginaw Bay.
Southeastern Lower Peninsula Anglers are fishing the inland lakes in the area, but caution should be used due to uneven ice thickness. High water levels along with strong currents have reduced fishing opportunities along both the Huron River and the Detroit River. Ice flows are also causing dangerous conditions. Fishing should resume once water levels start to recede. On Lake St. Clair, anglers reported fair fishing between Metro Beach and St. Clair Shores. Good numbers of smaller perch have been caught when jigging Rapalas or spoons tipped with fish eyes or beads. Spikes and minnows also worked well. The back basin of Metro Beach and around Beacon Marina did produce a few catches of keeper size perch. Sunfish were biting in various canals around the lake. Perch have been caught near Selfridge on wigglers, mousies, minnows and spoons. Many of the fish were running small, but a few 9 to 13 inch fish have been caught. Those taking ORV’s out need to use caution, as one did go through the ice near Selfridge. A few walleye have been caught on the northwest end of the lake. Northern pike have been taken while spearing. Perch were caught out from the DNR Launch in Fair Haven when jigging minnows in 5 to 6 feet of water. Anglers need to use caution on the ice and avoid the areas which have pressure cracks. In Saginaw Bay, anglers should pay attention to weather reports and not venture out on the ice if blowing snow is in the forecast. Be sure to carry a compass with you and fish with a buddy whenever possible. On the west side of the Bay, a few perch have been caught in 6 to 10 feet of water off White’s Beach. Walleye have been caught off Linwood in 12 feet of water near the pressure crack. On the east side of the Bay, walleye are in 15 feet of water off Thomas Road. Perch have been caught off Bay Port in 5 to 6 feet of water. Chartreuse Russian hooks tipped with rubber beads in chartreuse worked best. Those spearing northern pike have taken a few fish off Geiger Road and off Mud Creek. A few small perch were caught near Sebewaing. Very few anglers were reported at Caseville. Water in the Pigeon River is still muddy from the last rain. On the Saginaw River, anglers are starting to ice fish in various locations, but caution needs to be used as there is still open water in Saginaw around Wickes Park. The most consistent walleye fishing was in south Bay City off Cass Avenue. Anglers are jigging Rapalas in a variety of colors with blue and white, orange and white, or blue and silver producing the best catches. Those fishing near the Independence Bridge have caught perch and a good number of smaller walleye. Marina basins near the mouth were producing a few perch. The Tittabawassee River is still not fishable due to floating ice and frozen ramps. Southwestern Lower Peninsula Fishing did slow in this region of the state. Anglers need to use caution on the inland lakes, as deep snow has weakened ice conditions. Avoid areas that appear to have deep snow and soft ice. At St. Joe, there has been no angler activity to report on the St. Joe River. High water levels along with ice flows are making access difficult. Anglers are fishing the inland lakes for panfish. Most are fishing the shallow waters or staying inside the channels on such lakes as Van Auken Lake and Lake of the Woods near Decatur. High water levels and ice flows have limited access along both the Kalamazoo River and the Grand River. Anglers may want to try bank fishing for bluegill and crappie if they can find a spot with good access. Many are fishing the inland lakes for bluegill and crappie. A few northern pike have been taken in Skegemog Lake. Anglers were doing well for bluegill in Jordan Lake using purple and pink teardrops with wax worms. Crappie are hitting on minnows in Muskrat Lake. Anglers are fishing Lake Ovid at Sleepy Hollow State Park, but reports have been few. Fishing has been slow on Lake Lansing. At Muskegon, anglers are taking good numbers of northern pike on tip-ups. Fish from 26 to 40 inches long were caught on golden shiners or sucker minnows in 8 to 20 feet of water. Bluegills, sunfish and perch have been caught on the north end of the lake near the State Park. Wax worms, minnows and spikes worked best. A few walleye have been caught when jigging in the evenings. Fishing has been slow on the Muskegon River due to high water levels and ice flows. Perch fishing was fair on White Lake. Northeastern Lower Peninsula On Grand Lake, perch have been caught off the northeast side of Grand Island near the channel. Those fishing between the shoreline and Grand Island set their tip-ups 12 feet down in 13 feet of water. Some are fishing for perch along the shoreline in 16 feet of water between North and South Whiskey Points. A nice walleye was caught about 6 feet down in 8 feet of water just west of South Whiskey Point. This area has good walleye habitat as there is an underwater weed bed that runs along the shoreline. Northern pike spearing has been slow. Near Alpena, steelhead can be found in the Thunder Bay River, but few anglers are fishing for them as most are focusing on the inland lakes. Slow fishing was reported on Long Lake. Fair to good numbers of panfish have been caught in Fletcher’s Pond. Near Oscoda, ice flows continue to hamper fishing conditions along the Au Sable River. Good bluegill fishing was reported in most of the inland lakes including Cooke Pond and the backwaters of Foote Dam. Walleye are starting to bite in Cedar Lake. Perch have been caught in Van Etten Lake, but the fish are still running on the small side. At Tawas, cold temperatures did slow the perch, northern pike and brown trout fishing. Walleye have been caught in 15 to 20 feet of water in Tawas Bay. Some nice brown trout have been seen but the bite was slow. Near Au Gres, those fishing the Au Gres River are catching fair numbers of smaller walleye from the State Dock down to the mouth. Those spearing northern pike have taken a few just south of Point Au Gres. Fair to good fishing was reported in Tawas Lake. Good fishing continues on Higgins Lake for lake trout and whitefish. Anglers are fishing in 90 to 100 feet of water with Swedish Pimples and minnows off the north end of the lake. Perch have been caught in 35 to 45 feet of water off Evergreen Park, Sunken Island, and the north tip of Treasure Island. Smelt have been caught on smelt rigs and wax worms after dark. Northern pike have been taken on tip-ups or while jigging grays and sucker minnows. Those spearing are using decoys, but the action was slow. Pumpkinseed and black crappie have been caught in Houghton Lake. Some walleye have been caught, but the fish were running small. Northwestern Lower Peninsula Walleye and northern pike can be found in Crooked Lake and Pickerel Lake. Perch and walleye have been caught in 30 to 40 feet of water in Burt Lake. Closer to Traverse City, both Bays have open water. Boat anglers are catching whitefish in 150 to 250 feet of water. Perch can be found in 45 to 65 feet of water. Good fishing was reported on North Lake Leelanau for walleye and lake trout. South Lake Leelanau was good for walleye and perch. Elk Lake has whitefish and lake trout. Crystal Lake near Frankfort has started to freeze on the east end of the lake. Anglers still need to use caution and watch for open water near the middle of the lake. Anglers should note that the parking at Railroad Point is restricted this year due to the completion of the new Rails to Trails project. Perch and whitefish have been caught on wigglers and minnows in 45 to 65 feet of water. Lake trout are hitting on Swedish Pimples with minnows or smelt. Lake trout have been caught in 55 to 75 feet of water in Glen Lake. Green Lake and Big Cedar Lake are both producing good catches of smelt. At Manistee, northern pike are still hitting in Manistee Lake. Tip-ups with minnows have worked best. Recent artic conditions did slow the steelhead fishing along the Big Manistee River. There are still plenty of fish in the river and warmer temperatures should produce some good fishing. Northern pike fishing has been very good on Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. Walleye and northern pike have been caught in Portage Lake. Good numbers of panfish have been caught in Lake Missaukee. At Ludington, good fishing was reported in Upper Hamlin Lake. Anglers are catching bluegill, crappie, northern pike and walleye. Fishing in Lower Hamlin Lake was slow. Recent cold temperatures did slow fishing in the Pere Marquette River. Good numbers of steelhead are in the river, and warmer weather should produce some nice catches. Upper Peninsula Fishing has slowed a bit in the Upper Peninsula with the accumulation of snow on the ice. Walleye fishing continues to be slow on Lake Gogebic. Fishing for northern pike has been the high point on Squaw Lake for trophy fish, and Lac Vieux Desert for high numbers of mid sized pike. Along the Upper Menominee River, anglers are taking good catches of bluegill in the area off Mason Park, which is located three miles west of US-41. Anglers are jigging or still-fishing with wax worms. Above Grand Rapids Dam, which is two miles west of Wallace, anglers reported good fishing for northern pike when jigging minnows. The best catches were taking place near the Wisconsin side of the river. On Little Bay De Noc, dangerous ice conditions exist throughout the Bay. Some anglers were fishing just south of Aronson Island. There is a dangerous pressure crack just northeast of Kipling near the Vagabond Resort, where two vehicles and one snowmobile have gone through the ice. The areas that surround Saunders Point, the Escanaba River, Day’s River, Sand Point and Portage Point all are considered to be dangerous due to the various pressure cracks. There is now 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ice. Walleye fishing is starting to pick up just north of Portage Point when jigging 20 to 30 feet down right on the break. Good numbers of large fish have been marked and the water clarity is crystal clear. Some of the better fishing has been in the mornings along the Second Reef off Kipling in 21 to 29 feet of water. Jumbo perch could be found just off the red buoy near Kipling when jigging minnows in 27 feet of water. Just north of Sault Ste. Marie, whitefish have been caught in Mosquito Bay, otherwise known as Izaak Walton Bay. Good numbers of fish have been caught on wigglers and wax worms. The walleye have moved to waters 7 to 11 feet deep in Munuscong Bay. Northern pike fishing has been good, but the perch fishing was slow. Anglers are jigging Rapalas or minnows for both walleye and pike. Extra caution needs to be used close to the channel as the Coast Guard cutter continues to pass through. In Raber Bay, those spearing herring and whitefish have done well in 12 to 15 feet of water. Use caution and avoid the area near the Shipping Channel. Near Cedarville and Hessel, anglers are targeting perch and northern pike. Most fish have been taken when jigging wax worms and wigglers. A few perch have been caught in Musky Bay; however the fish are running on the small side. |
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