| Weekly Fishing Report |
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Thursday, June 9, 2005 This coming weekend, June 11th and 12th kicks off Michigan’s annual Summer Free Fishing Weekend. For two days on Saturday and Sunday, all fishing license fees will be waived for both residents and non-residents alike. All the rules and regulations that govern fishing in Michigan waters will still apply to all anglers. Michigan has over 38,000 miles of rivers and streams, over 11,000 inland lakes and the Great Lakes. This is a great time to become a mentor and introduce a youngster to fishing, or spend the day making memories with family and friends. A list of statewide events can be found at www.michigan.gov/dnr, under Free Fishing Weekend.
Southeastern Lower Peninsula Fishing has picked up since walleye season opened in the Michigan waters of Lake Erie. Good numbers of fish have been caught but some are running on the small side. Anglers are advised to check their lines for small fish on a regular basis. Limit catches were taken when trolling across the Raisin River Channel. The bigger walleye along with perch have been caught in waters 10 to 20 feet deep in Brest Bay. Boats are trolling bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses in front of the Fermi Power Plant. Good catches were taken off Bolles Harbor in 20 feet of water. Walleye were caught in Ohio waters about a mile west of West Sister Island. Perch are biting in 25 feet of water near Stony Point. White bass can be found throughout the lake and channel cats are hitting on crayfish off Sterling State Park. The Detroit River is full of white bass, so walleye anglers are fishing at night with Pencil Plugs. Walleye have been caught on bottom bouncers off Hennepin Point. Yellow perch were caught off Metro Park and near the Detroit Light. Northern pike can be found at the Cross Dike east of Sugar Island. Panfish have been caught off the pier at Wyandotte and at John Dingell Park. Good walleye fishing in Lake St. Clair. Fish have been caught in front of Metro Beach and the 400 Club when drifting or trolling crawler harnesses in 10 feet of water. Use silver with red beads or hammered brass with red beads. Walleye have been caught jigging or hand-lining between 10-Mile and 12-Mile Roads. Good numbers of fish have been caught near the mouth of the Clinton River. Anglers are trolling body baits and spinners for musky off Selfridge Air Base. Yellow perch have been caught near the Salt River. Good fishing was reported in the St. Clair River when jigging or hand-lining from Algonac to Port Huron. From Lexington to Port Austin, lake trout fishing has been very good. At Port Sanilac and Lexington, anglers are fishing about halfway down in waters 70 to 90 feet deep. Light numbers of chinook, coho and pink salmon have also been caught. Shore anglers in the harbor at Lexington caught perch on minnows, large rock bass and other panfish. Near the tip of the thumb, anglers caught smallmouth bass near Willow Creek and Eagle Bay. Boat anglers caught smallmouth inside the harbor at Port Austin. Shore anglers at Grindstone City have caught smallmouth bass. In Saginaw Bay, walleye fishing has been pretty good all over when using crawler harnesses. Anglers are fishing in 18 to 20 feet of water off Linwood and in 25 feet of water off the marina at Pinconning. Largemouth bass are hitting spinner baits along the weed beds. Walleye have been caught in 5 feet of water off Finn Road which is between Essexville and Quanicassee. Some are fishing around Defoe Island near Sebewaing. Largemouth bass can be found off Geiger Road which is north of Sebewaing. Shore anglers on the Quanicassee River are taking good numbers of channel cats. Southwestern Lower Peninsula At New Buffalo, chinook, steelhead and lake trout have been caught on green spoons and dispey divers. Good perch fishing was reported off the south pier in 30 feet of water. Pier anglers have caught freshwater drum and bass. At St. Joe, boats are catching chinook, coho, steelhead and lake trout on green and orange spoons in 100 to 130 feet of water. Perch fishing has been good north of the pier. Pier anglers have caught chinook and steelhead on spoons in a variety of colors. Smallmouth bass, channel catfish and freshwater drum have also been caught. On the St. Joe River, the web cam located in Berrien Springs is up and running. The picture is not the best, but fish are visible. Some really nice steelhead have been seen moving through, but few anglers have been fishing for them. Walleye and bass anglers have caught fish near the Railroad Bridge. On the Kalamazoo River, bluegill, black crappie and rock bass were taken at the Allegan Dam. Smallmouth bass are hitting on jigs or tube baits. Channel catfish have been caught from the Dam to New Richmond. Walleye and northern pike have been caught on jigs and live bait or spinner baits. The fishing slowed from Port Sheldon to Holland, but anglers are marking fish in waters 60 to 180 feet or deeper. The chinook are running small. Coho and steelhead have been caught. Pier anglers are having a tough time with the gobies right now. There have been no reports of any perch caught. Those fishing the Grand River near Grand Rapids reported excellent catches of flathead cats. Anglers have caught 15 to 35 pound fish below Plaster Creek and along Indian Mound Road using bluegills, golden shiners, and leeches. Very good smallmouth bass fishing was reported below the Coffer Dams. The hot spot for bluegills was in front of the Post Office, as the gills are on the beds. Anglers fishing Millennium Park have caught good numbers of bass on Hula Poppers, Spinners and Buzz Baits. Closer to Lansing, bluegills are on the beds along the River Walk. Channel cats have been caught on jumbo leeches below the North Lansing Dam and the Moore’s Park Dam. Good walleye fishing was reported in the Thornapple River near Ada and Cascade. The fishing is good on the inland lakes. In Kent County, walleye and catfish were caught in Silver Lake near Rockford. Good bluegill fishing was reported in Wabasis Lake. Those fishing Lincoln Lake have caught walleye, crappie and bluegills near the Sunken Island. Crappies have been caught in the shallow waters of Reeds Lake. Good numbers of bluegill were taken on wax worms or leaf worms at Sleepy Hollow State Park. Near Jackson, crappie are hitting on minnows in Narrow Lake. At Grand Haven, the fishing has been slow. Steelhead have been caught in waters 150 to 250 feet deep. Salmon and lake trout seem to be scattered in the water column. Fish have been caught in waters anywhere from 45 to 200 feet deep. Pier fishing has been slow. At Muskegon, salmon have been caught on spoons 45 to 85 feet down in waters up to 150 feet deep. Northeastern Lower Peninsula Fishing has really picked up at Rogers City. Anglers reported very good lake trout fishing south of the harbor past Adams Point or straight out and north around Seagull Point. At Presque Isle, the best fishing has been north of the harbor between the two lighthouses. Fishing has also been good in North Bay. The fish seem to be suspended so anglers are fishing downriggers at various depths in waters 35 to 90 feet deep. At Rockport, lake trout have been caught when fishing right off the bottom. Anglers are trolling with spoons of all colors and a Fish Catcher Squid on a dipsey. Some are fishing for brown trout but the bite has been slow. Anglers should beware of loud blasts when fishing in the area due to the scare tactics involved in the Cormorant Project. Inland, boats on Black Lake are trolling with crawler harnesses, jigging with minnows and drift fishing with crawler harnesses for walleye. Most are fishing the drop-offs in 8 to 10 feet of water and around the weed beds. Northern pike have been caught when drifting crawlers or sucker minnows along the north end of the lake. Perch have also been caught. Near Alpena, chinook fishing has been slow, but the lake trout fishing has been excellent with fish averaging 7 to 10 pounds or more. Good fishing was reported out near North Point at the Ten-Mile Marker. Walleye anglers are catching fish when trolling with large Rapalas out by the Island. Colors varied from green and orange with black stripes to gold and black with white markings. Good fishing was reported in Fletchers Floodwaters. Panfish are hitting on natural bait or small spinners. Northern pike were caught when trolling or casting crank baits. At Harrisville and Oscoda, lake trout have been caught near the bottom in 50 to 100 feet of water. Pier anglers have caught walleye in the early mornings and evenings near the mouth of the Au Sable River. Anglers are fly fishing on the East Branch, North Branch and the Mainstream with small flies. The Brown Drake hatch should be starting in the next week or so. At Tawas, boat anglers are catching walleye on Rapalas and crawler harnesses in 10 to 25 feet of water inside Tawas Bay. Good numbers of lake trout were caught off Au Sable Point in waters up to 120 feet deep. Walleye have been caught when trolling at the mouth of Whitney Drain. Near Au Gres, walleye were caught near Point Lookout in 30 feet of water using deep diving Husky Jerks and crawler harnesses. Smallmouth bass have been caught around Charity Islands. Catfish have stared to bite in the Au Gres River. Fishing has started to improve on area inland lakes including Grand, Long, Hubbard, Higgins and Houghton. Northwestern Lower Peninsula In Lake Charlevoix, smallmouth bass are spawning in some areas and holding near the drop-offs in others. Plenty of bass have been caught using tube jigs and crank baits in colors that resemble crayfish such as brown and olive. Boats on Lake Michigan have managed to catch a few salmon and lake trout. The fish are scattered, so try fishing around the Cement Plant or near Fisherman’s Island. Between Harbor Springs and Petoskey, try fishing around Bay Harbor and north of Harbor Point in Little Traverse Bay. Shore anglers have caught carp, bass, catfish and rock bass near the mouth of the Bear River. At Traverse City, fishing has been good for lake trout in the East Bay. Anglers are fishing along the northern tip of Old Mission Peninsula in waters 15 to 90 feet deep with spoons. Whitefish action was fair from Elk Rapids south to Deepwater Point when jigging spoons and using spawn or wigglers in 75 to 90 feet of water. Smallmouth bass have been caught on leeches and crawlers in the harbor at Elk Rapids. Anglers fly fishing on the flats around the southern portion of the East Bay have caught carp on Woolly Buggers in black, brown and purple. On the Lower Boardman River, small trout have been caught below the Union Street Dam. A good number of white suckers have been caught on spawn and crawlers, while carp are hitting on crawlers, shredded wheat and dough balls. Northern pike can be found from the dam to the mouth. Smallmouth bass are starting to bite on worms and leeches. In the Upper River, brook trout are hitting on dry flies such as the Hendrickson. The black Caddis hatch is still going on, but it is slow. The main Hexagina Hatch could still be a couple days away. Boats are fishing for walleye and bass on Boardman Lake. Bluegills and rock bass have been caught regularly in Brown Bridge Pond. Both large and smallmouth bass are starting to bite on crawlers, poppers and rubber worms. At Frankfort, pier anglers are catching a few small chinook and brown trout in the mornings before 10:00am. Boat anglers are catching good numbers of chinook in 115 to 165 feet of water when trolling north of the piers around the Barrel Hole. Steelhead can be found in 200 feet of water straight out from the piers. Bait fish are in the bay between the piers, so anglers have had some luck when trolling on their way back in. The crews are done dredging the channel near Arcadia. Near Onekama, trout and salmon fishing is starting to pick up with boats reporting success in waters 100 to 145 feet deep. Chinook and steelhead have been caught either south or straight off the pier on green, yellow or blue spoons. Pier anglers have caught some northern pike and smallmouth bass off the South Pier. Those fishing Portage Lake caught yellow perch, walleye and bluegills. Northern pike can be found along the east end of the lake. At Manistee, anglers are trolling for chinook off the shelf. Most boats have been putting in a good deal of time but the catch effort has been slow. Those venturing out deep for steelhead have done well when fishing in waters over 300 feet deep with orange spoons. At Ludington, anglers have caught mostly chinook along with a few lake trout in waters 100 feet deep when trolling with black, green and blue spoons. Pier anglers reported slow fishing. Inland, anglers on Portage Lake have caught yellow perch and bluegill. Smallmouth bass and northern pike can be found on the east end of the lake. Walleye have been caught in Long Lake on Rapalas or a leech under a bobber. Fair bass fishing was reported in Green Lake. Bluegills can be found in Hamlin Lake. Northern pike, walleye and panfish have been caught in Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. Upper Peninsula Good salmon fishing continues in Keweenaw Bay. Anglers are trolling for chinook in the early mornings. Lake trout have been caught when trolling while those jigging reported slow catch rates. Anglers trolling and jigging in Traverse Bay had good success. In Gogebic and Iron Counties, water temperatures on the inland lakes are finally starting to warm up. Panfish reports are starting to improve and should only get better in the next two weeks or so as the fish will be spawning. Northern pike and walleye can be found in the Michigamme Reservoir. Smallmouth bass are hitting on spinner baits and tube jigs in Peavy Pond. Walleye fishing is starting to pick up on Lake Gogebic. Along the Upper Menominee River, water temperatures are near 72 degrees. Yellow perch have dominated the catch over the last week followed by crappie and smallmouth bass. Walleye have been caught in the deeper waters above Chalk Hills Dam. The better perch fishing has been between the White Rapids and the Chalk Hills Dam or near the Recreation Area #2 which is located ½ mile above the Grand Rapids Dam on the Michigan side of the river near the town of Wallace. This is the ideal shore fishing spot for the first time anglers that may be out trying their luck on Free Fishing Weekend. At Marquette, water temperatures have been slow to warm, so most boats are trolling along the shoreline of Lake Superior. Boats fishing the shallow waters between the Lower Harbor and the Chocolay River have caught lake trout in the 2 to 10 pound range. At Munising and Au Train, boat anglers have caught lake trout on spoons or flies when trolling in waters 150 feet deep. Chinook and coho fishing was slow at both ports. Small splake have been caught on spawn off the mouth of the Anna River. Whitefish are starting to show up in Munising Bay. At Grand Marais, the whitefish bite slowed due to the strong winds from the south. The better fishing seems to be when the wind is from the northwest. The lake trout fishing has been excellent. Anglers should look for fish in waters 150 to 300 feet deep. The better catches have come when trolling spoons about 10 feet off the bottom. Popular spoon colors are chrome with a green stripe on sunny days, or bronze with a green stripe on overcast days. Closer to Newberry, some nice perch have been caught on minnows in Big Manistique Lake. Walleye fishing has been slow on South Manistique Lake with only light numbers of fish caught when trolling or drifting crawler harnesses in the evenings. Bluegills have been caught when floating crawlers under a bobber in both Shoepac and Brotherton Bay. Few anglers have been fishing the Tahquamenon River. Muskie are hitting on suckers at the Dollarville Dam. Northern pike and walleye have been caught downstream of McFees Landing. On the St. Mary’s River, excellent walleye fishing was reported in Munuscong Bay when trolling in waters 2 to 4 feet deep. At De Tour, anglers are fishing from the Shipping Channel to the #3 Green Can and around the Lighthouse. They are catching chinook and atlantic salmon, lake trout and steelhead while trolling 15 to 45 feet down with raspberry or green spoons. Low angler pressure at Cedarville and Hessel. Those out fishing are targeting and catching some nice northern pike. Yellow perch and salmon are there, but no anglers are fishing for them. At St. Ignace, the launch sites have been pretty quiet as no boats have been going out. Some shore anglers are fishing west of the Mackinaw Bridge for smallmouth bass.
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