| Weekly Fishing Report | |
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Thursday, June 23, 2005 Strong winds have hampered fishing efforts at many ports along the Great Lakes, especially on the east side of the state as the fish seem to be scattered. Many have turned to fishing the inland lakes and rivers for panfish. Warmer weather and less wind would help improve fishing conditions.
Southeastern Lower Peninsula
On Lake Erie, walleye fishing continues to improve as the Mayfly hatch is just about done. Fish have been caught between the Fermi Power Plant and the Banana Dike in 14 to 22 feet of water using black, gold and purple Hot-n-Tot’s or purple spoons. Crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers have also worked well. Best colors have been green, pink, purple, gold and copper. Walleye have been caught in Ohio waters near West Sister Island and in Canadian waters off Colchester. Perch have been caught off the Metro Park Marina and near the Sputnik in Ohio waters. Freshwater drum have been caught off Bolles Harbor. Along the Huron River, some large musky were caught, including a 40 pound fish that was 55 inches long. Catfish are hitting on live bait at the mouth of the river near Point Mouillee. Walleye fishing has been spotty in the Detroit River. Those fishing at night are using Pencil Plugs. Daytime anglers are trolling green or fire tiger jointed Rapalas or small pink and purple spoons. Perch have been caught around Celeron Island. White bass were caught on shiners and minnows. In Lake St. Clair, walleye were caught when trolling with crawler harnesses in 10 to 20 feet of water near Metro Beach. Bass have been caught in the channels. Musky have been taken in Anchor Bay when fishing straight out from the Clinton River in 12 to 14 feet of water. Along the St. Clair River, walleye have been caught in the North Channel on large head jigs tipped with minnows. Those fishing the Middle Channel with crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers caught fish in 15 to 20 feet of water. At Port Huron, shore anglers are catching walleye off the wall when fishing near the Blue Water Bridge. From Lexington to Port Austin, strong winds out of the north have scattered the fish. A scum-line has formed near a temperature break in 80 feet of water, but could break up once the weather warms up and the winds turn back to the west and southwest. Pier anglers reported slow fishing. In Saginaw Bay, good walleye action was reported near the A-Buoy in 23 feet of water and straight out from the Quanicassee River in 12 feet of water. Some are fishing further out in 18 to 20 feet of water and catching fish. Walleye were caught when fishing the “Slot” between Sebewaing and Bay Port. Try fishing the area around Defoe Island and Lone Tree Island or between Heisterman Island and North Island. Good numbers of channel catfish have been caught in the Hot Ponds and just south of the Sebewaing River. A few bass were still being taken at the Pinconning Park. Good numbers of channel catfish have been caught in the Quanicassee River. Southwestern Lower Peninsula Good perch fishing at New Buffalo. Boat anglers are fishing north of the Clay Banks in 25 to 35 feet of water with a crawler and slip bobber or crawler harness. Pier anglers are starting to catch freshwater drum and catfish. Salmon fishing was slow with light numbers of coho and steelhead caught. At St Joe, pier anglers have caught fair to good numbers of summer run steelhead while casting spoons. Perch fishing was slow, but a few boats did catch fish south of the pier in 25 feet of water. Anglers fishing the St. Joe River near Berrien Springs have caught walleye when drifting crawlers. Good walleye fishing was reported between the Buchanan Dam and the Berrien Springs Dam when trolling plugs or live bait. Those fishing from the Benton Township launch site downstream to the lake have caught walleye. From Saugatuck to Holland, chinook and steelhead have been caught 40 to 70 feet down in waters 100 to 140 feet deep. Some boats are trolling along the shoreline where the waters are cool. At Holland, perch fishing has started just north of the pier in 25 to 35 feet of water. Fair to good walleye fishing was reported in the Kalamazoo River. Lake Macatawa has been good for bluegill, crappie, bass and catfish. Anglers are catching panfish in the Grand River near Grand Rapids. Bluegills are hitting on crawlers or wax worms and crappie on minnows. Catfish have been caught on suckers, shiners and bluegill. Walleye are hitting on jigs, crawlers, shiners, and power bait. Near Lansing, walleye and catfish have been caught below the North Lansing Dam and the Moore’s Park Dam. On the inland waters, Lake Ovid at Sleepy Hollow State Park has been good for bluegill. Shore anglers are using spiders on the surface while boat anglers will find the bigger bluegills when fishing wax worms or crickets in deeper waters. Sessions Lake was good for walleye, bluegills and crappie. Murray Lake has bluegills, bass and northern pike. Good bluegill fishing was reported in Reeds Lake. Fair to good catches of walleye and smallmouth bass were taken in the Thornapple River. At Grand Haven, boats have caught steelhead in waters up to 300 feet deep. Chinook have been caught on spoons and flasher/fly combinations in a variety of colors in waters 100 to 150 feet deep. Pier fishing has been excellent. Chinook and steelhead have been caught using alewife and cooked shrimp. At Muskegon, chinook and steelhead have been caught by boat anglers in waters ranging from 120 to 300 feet deep. There have been no reports of any perch caught. Good bass fishing was reported on Muskegon Lake. Bluegills, rock bass and northern pike have also been caught. Northeastern Lower Peninsula In Rogers City, salmon along with good numbers of lake trout have been caught. Boats are using cowbells and dodgers with Spin-Glow’s near Seagull Point, Forty Mile Point and Adams Point. Try fishing straight out and north around the Forty Mile Light in waters 65 to 200 feet deep. Spoons in green, blue, silver, white, black and purple have worked well. Good lake trout fishing out of Presque Isle, but the fish are running small. Fish straight out from the harbor or south towards Stoneport with cowbells and spoons near the bottom in 60 to 100 feet of water. Brown trout fishing at Rockport has been slow, but the lake trout fishing has been good in 100 to 120 feet of water around Middle Island. Some are fishing just east of the Island in 48 feet of water and catching fish. Chinook salmon have been taken in waters up to 120 feet deep near the Nordmere Shipwreck. Anglers are reminded about the loud blasts in this area as crews from the Federal Fish & Wildlife Agency are still working to scare off the cormorants. Near Alpena, fog, thunderstorms and high winds have slowed fishing. A few walleye have been caught around Grass Island. Brown trout and walleye can be found near Sulphur Island and Scarecrow Island. Fair to good catches of lake trout were reported. Good numbers of catfish and drum have been caught near the mouth of the Thunder Bay River when fishing off the breakwall. Lake trout are still coming in at both Harrisville and Oscoda. Most fish have been caught off the bottom in 80 to 100 feet of water. Light numbers of salmon and a couple steelhead have also been caught. Those fishing off the piers at Oscoda have caught some nice catfish and smallmouth bass along with a few walleye. Anglers fly fishing on the Au Sable River caught some nice trout. At Tawas, lake trout along with chinook, steelhead and walleye have been caught when trolling in 25 to 35 feet of water around Buoy #2. Lake trout have also been caught up near Au Sable Point in 80 to 120 feet of water. Northern pike can be found along the weed beds around Tawas Bay. Pier anglers are catching smallmouth bass, rock bass and a few walleye when casting body baits or using live bait. Shore anglers on the Lower Tawas River are catching bass, walleye and a good number of channel cats. Good walleye fishing was reported near Au Gres in 15 to 40 feet of water. Crawler harnesses and Hot-n-Tot’s have worked best. Try around the Charity Islands, the Steeples, south of Point Au Gres and straight off the mouth of the Au Gres River. Shore anglers have caught good numbers of channel cats in the Lower Au Gres River. Northwestern Lower Peninsula
At Petoskey, the fishing has changed from day to day. Lake trout have moved to deeper waters so anglers are now fishing in 100 to 130 feet of water. A good number of sub-legal fish have been caught, but the patient anglers have caught some keepers using flashers and dodgers with Spin-Glow’s. Salmon are starting to show up in waters up to 85 feet deep as the baitfish are starting to come in. Good smallmouth bass fishing was reported at Petoskey and Charlevoix as the fish continue to move into shallow waters to spawn. Best baits have been tube worms, crank baits, and crawlers. Shore anglers are coming out in good numbers for carp, catfish, rock bass and drum. Near Traverse City, fishing has been hit-or-miss for whitefish off Deepwater Point in the East Bay. Most of the whitefish have been caught using spawn and wigglers, although a few fish were hitting on Swedish Pimples in 70 to 90 feet of water. Lake trout action has been fair when trolling cowbells along the Peninsula. In the West Bay, lake trout were caught while jigging spoons along the southeastern area known as the “Brush Grounds.” On the Lower Boardman River, smallmouth bass have become the main target while fishing with worms and leeches. Largemouth bass are in the river. A few walleye have been caught on leeches in the early mornings and evenings below the Union Street Dam. Light numbers of small trout are also in the river below the dam, but few have been caught. Try fly fishing with an Adams Dry Fly or using crawlers. White suckers ranging from 10 to 17 inches have been caught from the mouth to the dam on crawlers and spawn. Carp are hitting on crawlers, shredded wheat and dough balls. Along the upper river, brook trout have been caught on dry flies, mainly the Brown Drake. Try green Caddis imitations, Prince Nymphs, Bead Head Caddis, and Adams Dry Flies. There have been a few Hexagenia spotted throughout the river, but the hatch still needs a few days to develop. The Brown Drake hatch is in full swing and anglers reported good fishing from dusk to midnight. Bluegills and rock bass continue to hit on crawlers in the Brown Bridge Pond. Large and smallmouth bass have been caught on crawlers, poppers and rubber worms. Near Frankfort, brown trout have been caught when trolling in the Bay. Boat anglers are catching chinook, brown trout and steelhead in 140 to 180 feet of water off Point Betsie. Those fishing straight out from the piers found success in 150 to 210 feet of water, but the better catches have come in waters 300 to 550 feet deep using blue or orange Chilly Willy’s or light colored Screwballs. Pier anglers caught small chinook, brown trout, smallmouth bass and freshwater drum. Crystal Lake has been good for whitefish and Platte Lake had good walleye fishing at night. In Platte Bay off Arcadia, the alewife have moved closer to shore and the big fish should be right behind them. Near Onekama, trout and salmon anglers have done the best when trolling north between Onekama and Arcadia. Chinook, lake trout and steelhead have been taken in 110 to 180 feet of water. Monkey Puke and green Chilly Willy’s have worked best. Pier anglers are catching smallmouth bass and rock bass. Those fishing Portage Lake have caught good numbers of northern pike, smallmouth bass and rock bass. Slow fishing at Manistee as the water is still cold. Brown trout have been caught off the pier, but they won’t be there for long if the water starts to warm-up. Boat anglers have caught chinook in waters 140 to 400 feet deep. Inland, yellow perch, bluegills and smallmouth bass are hitting in Portage Lake. Boats trolling off Ludington have caught chinook, lake trout and steelhead when trolling in waters 160 to 300 feet deep. Fair fishing was reported in Pere Marquette Lake, and bluegills are hitting in Hamlin Lake. Upper Peninsula Water temperatures are on the rise and some Mayfly hatches have started on many of the inland lakes in the Upper Peninsula. In Iron County, walleye fishing has been good on Iron Lake, Stanley Lake, and Sunset Lake. Musky and panfish have also been caught. Very good bluegill fishing was reported across the region as the fish are on the beds. Excellent bass fishing was reported by those using top water stick baits, flies or Rapalas. High water levels were reported along the Upper Menominee River. Fair salmon action was reported by boat anglers in Keweenaw Bay. Those jigging for lake trout reported fair success in both Keweenaw and Traverse Bay. Cool weather along with several large Mayfly hatches slowed the fishing in both Little and Big Bay De Noc. The best walleye catches in Little Bay De Noc were down near Breezy Point when drifting crawlers in 6 to 12 feet of water. Evening anglers did better when trolling stick baits in 10 to 12 feet of water. Some limit catches came at the mouth of the Whitefish River. Anglers near Gladstone Beach caught fish when jigging or drifting crawlers in 10 to 25 feet of water, but many undersize fish were caught and released. Bass have been caught just north of the Ford River when casting jigs and crank baits in 4 to 8 feet of water. Good perch action east of Butler Island when jigging worms. In Big Bay, walleye have been caught when jigging or drifting crawlers at the head of the Bay near Valentine’s Creek. Fish were marked near Porcupine Point, but few were caught. Smallmouth bass have been caught when casting jigs, crank baits or spinners in 6 to 12 feet of water from Puffy Bay to South River Bay. Salmon fishing is just getting started off Fairport. Fish have been caught when trolling 50 to 80 feet down in 120 feet of water. At Marquette, lake trout fishing was fair. The fish are running 2 to 10 pounds and are scattered in the water column. Boats are trolling north of the white rocks, east of the upper harbor breakwall or fishing the shoreline between Marquette and Shot Point in 40 feet of water. Anglers fishing Munising and Au Train caught lake trout in waters up to 150 feet deep. Fishing was slow for chinook, coho, whitefish and splake. At Grand Marais, boats have caught good numbers of lake trout when trolling spoons. Hot colors were bronze and green, chrome and green or Blueberry Muffin. Whitefish have been caught off the end of the pier. Perch anglers reported good fishing 100 to 200 yards out in front of the boat launch along the drop-off. Limits of fish in the 9 to 12 inch ranger or larger have been caught using perch rigs with minnows under a bobber. Closer to Newberry, fishing has been slow on the Tahquamenon River. Most of the fish caught have been sub-legal walleye, northern pike and musky. Shore anglers have caught a few yellow perch and rock bass at the Dollarville Dam, but the fish were small. At Sault Ste. Marie, anglers are stating to catch good numbers of atlantic salmon on the St. Mary’s River. Walleye fishing slowed in Munuscong Bay. A few boats caught fish when trolling Wally Divers or crawler harnesses 8 feet behind the boat in 4 feet of water. Near Drummond Island, the walleye have moved out of Scott’s Bay seeking cooler water temperatures, but the smallmouth bass fishing has been good. Those fishing around Grape Island have caught smallmouth bass on Hot-n-Tot’s or dark green cigar jigs. The herring fishery in and around Drummond Island has not started yet, but is anticipated the beginning of July. In De Tour, there is a new fish cleaning station located between the two big water towers. Anglers are trolling from the Shipping Channel to the #3 Green Can and around the lighthouse for chinook and atlantic salmon. Fair to good salmon fishing was reported at Cedarville and Hessel, but angler pressure has been low. A few herring have been caught hook and line with wax worms or mayflies in Hessel. Perch and northern pike are biting in 6 to 8 feet of water in the Moscoe Channel and Cedarville Bay. Near St. Ignace, anglers are trolling 45 to 50 feet down in waters 150 to 200 feet deep on the back side of Mackinac Island. Chinook along with pink salmon are hitting on green flashers with a white fly.
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