Warmer temperatures in the forecast will improve fishing conditions for the upcoming holiday weekend. The opening day for Largemouth and Smallmouth bass on most inland waters (except Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and Detroit River) including the Great Lakes, is Saturday, May 27th. Anglers are encouraged to release any bedding bass due to the late spawning this year. It is always a good idea to allow the fish to not only finish spawning, but also guard their nests.
 

Lake Erie - Walleye fishing continues to improve. Good catches are being taken near the mouth of the Trenton Channel in 12 to 15 feet of water. Another good area is in Brest Bay in 16 to 19 feet of water, or straight out of Bolles Harbor in 13 to 16 feet of water. Plenty of white bass have been caught.

Detroit River - Walleye fishing is good. Try using hand liners at night. Perch are being caught near Sugar Island on minnows or spreaders.

Huron River - The white bass fishing is excellent. Anglers are hitting with every cast. The best areas are from the Foote Bridge to the Telegraph Bridge. Minnows have worked the best. Crappie are being caught in the backwaters on minnows.

Lexington - Continues to produce good trout and salmon fishing in waters 60 to 100 feet deep. Anglers are catching a mix of chinook, coho, brown trout and steelhead.

Harbor Beach - Salmon fishing is fair to good straight out from the harbor in 45 to 70 feet of water using Dream Weaver spoons and action flys with Spin Doctors. Lake trout are being taken straight out and south of the harbor in 60 to 90 feet of water. Brown trout are being caught in the shallow waters 20 to 40 feet deep on body baits. Perch fishing is slow but a few have been caught at the Lighthouse and south of the harbor by the cemetery using minnows. A few walleye are still being taken from the north wall casting body baits.

Port Austin - Boat anglers are catching lake trout in 40 to 70 feet of water. Pier fishing has been slow.

Saginaw Bay - A few walleye were taken at the Hot Ponds on jigs and crawlers. Walleye continue to hit good in 12 to 18 feet of water from the mouth of the Saginaw River up to Linwood. Trolling with crawler harnesses has been the most productive. Channel catfish are biting in the Quanicassee River. Walleye have been hitting good in the Quanicassee River and the bay. The best catches have come on jigs or Hot N Tot?s with a crawler.

Tittabawassee River - Water levels have finally come down and the boat launches are useable again. Anglers are catching a mixed bag of walleye and other species. The white bass is not in full force yet but should be picking up soon.
 

St. Joseph - Boat anglers are catching chinook when trolling anywhere from 35 to 90 feet down in waters 80 to 140 feet deep. Pier fishing has been slow. Perch fishing at South Haven has been good while fishing with minnows in 50 to 55 feet of water. Anglers are catching perch in 60 to 70 feet of water straight out from St. Joe.

St. Joseph River - Anglers are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass on the lower end of the river near St. Joseph. This should make for a good season opener on Saturday. Walleye were caught while drifting crawlers on the lower end of the river. Flathead catfish are starting to bite in the deep holes throughout the river.

South Haven - Perch fishing has been good. Anglers are having success in 70 feet of water using minnows.

Kalamazoo River - Good catches of walleye are being reported while drifting crawlers.

Holland - Boat anglers are catching plenty of coho and chinook salmon in 40 to 80 feet of water, fishing halfway down with spoons in green or orange.

Grand River at Grand Rapids - The smallmouth bass are hitting good from the 6th Street Dam on down. Try floating shiners 2 to 3 feet down. Jerk baits and crawlers also worked well. Plenty of bluegill are being caught all along the east side wall. Northern pike are hitting on shiners in front of Indian Mill Creek. Near Millennium Park the crappie catch is excellent in 14 to 16 feet of water.

Grand Haven - Pier fishing has been good on both the north and south piers. Light numbers of chinook have been caught in front of the pier heads as well as out in waters 150 to 220 feet deep. Depths and bait color choices have varied.

Reeds Lake - Good crappie fishing has been reported. For the best results try fishing the shallows with flatheads 2 foot under a float with no sinker. The bluegill are on their beds and are hitting on leaf worms, wax worms or leeches.

Grand River at Lansing - Fishing has been slow with very little action. There have been quite a few bullhead caught near downtown Lansing.

Muskegon - The fish have moved out into deeper waters. Boat anglers are catching chinook and coho when fishing 70 to 120 feet down in 200 feet of water. Spoons in any shade of blue or green have worked the best. A few steelhead and brown trout have been caught as well.

Muskegon Lake - Anglers are catching bluegill just inside the shallows. Northern pike can be caught all along the break walls while trolling crank baits.
 

Rogers City - Surface water temperatures have increased to the upper 40s. Lake trout fishing is good. Fishing the shallow water has been the key. Good places to fish are at Quarry Point and Adams Point south of the harbor. Try using silver or green Dodgers with chartreuse Spin-N-Glow?s or cowbells with Spin-N-Glow?s. The fish seem to be hitting about 5 feet off the bottom. Anglers continue to troll the shoreline for brown trout, steelhead, atlantic salmon and lake trout. The key is to use planer boards with body baits or spoons. Hot colors have been chartreuse and silver, blue and silver, black and gold, perch, and rainbow.

Presque Isle - Rain and wind has hampered fishing. There is good lake trout fishing in the shallows. Try fishing the structure off the lighthouse or troll north of the bay. Stoneport has been a hot spot as well. Try fishing with cowbells and Spin-N-Glow?s or Dodgers and Spin-N-Glow?s 5 feet off the bottom.

Thunder Bay River - Fishing has been slow due to recent cool temperatures and high winds. Warmer temperatures should make for better fishing conditions. Walleye are being caught on rapalas in the evening hours from the mouth of the river to about a half mile out.

Harrisville - Fishing pressure has been low due to recent winds and rain. The boat anglers that did venture out caught lake trout in 50 to 60 feet of water while trolling spoons on the bottom.

Au Sable River - The headwaters and branches of the river have high water levels but are very fishable. Sulpher, mahogany and blue winged olive flies are hatching and providing for some excellent angling opportunities. The area below Mio has been producing good catches of rainbow trout on various fly patterns.

Oscoda - Pier anglers have caught a few walleye by drifting a worm under a bobber. Fishing the early morning and just before dark seems to be the most productive.

Tawas - Recent weather has put a damper on fishing activity. When boat anglers did venture out they caught a few walleye in 20 to 30 feet of water near Tawas Point. Pier anglers caught only a light mixed bag of small perch and an occasional walleye or northern pike.

Au Gres - Slow fishing out in the bay. In the Au Gres River, a few catfish have been caught. With warmer weather in the forecast, the fishing should pick up.

Higgins Lake - Lake trout continue to run hot on cowbells or minnows in 100 feet of water. A few brown and rainbow trout are being caught in 15 to 20 feet of water on body baits. Plenty of perch are being taken out near the Sunken Island in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Houghton Lake - Fair walleye fishing was reported. Good pan fish catches have been reported near the Middle Grounds.
 

Bear River - Anglers caught a few steelhead at Petoskey. Fishing has been slow for both pier and boat anglers.

Lake Charlevoix - The most popular location on the lake has been the South Arm. Walleye are being caught while trolling from East Jordan to Holy Island and off the Boyne City Harbor. Try using crawler harnesses or rapalas in 15 to 20 feet of water at night or in the early morning. Anglers have also had luck casting blade baits and artificial crawler jigs on the west shoreline near Dutchman?s Bay access in 20 to 30 feet of water. Northern pike are being caught near the Boyne River outlet. Anglers are trolling crawler harnesses and rapalas and casting with crank baits in 10 to 15 feet of water. Many of the fish being caught are measuring between 22 to 31 inches. Smallmouth bass have been caught near East Jordan on tube baits, crawler harnesses and rapalas in 12 to 30 feet of water. Other popular locations have been near Boyne City and around Youngs State Park. No trout or perch action was reported.

Traverse City - On the East Bay, anglers caught a fair amount of whitefish and a limited number of perch off of Deepwater Point in 60 to 90 feet of water on wigglers and minnows. On the West Bay, anglers are catching lake trout along the Brush Grounds. Try trolling silver or chartreuse colored flatfish in size No. 9 in 10 to 30 feet of water. Boat anglers caught a few yellow perch and menominee in Bowers Harbor in 90 feet of water using minnows and wigglers. Perch action has been hit or miss depending on the day.

Glen Arbor - Chinook are being caught off of Sleeping Bear Point and Pyramid Point. Lake trout fishing has been slow.

Frankfort - Pier fishing has been slow. Only a few chinook and brown trout have being caught on the piers using alewives. Boat anglers trolling in the harbor are picking up a few brown trout, while those trolling to the north near the point are picking up good numbers of chinook. Try trolling around 180 feet of water with white, blue or green spoons.

Onekama - Anglers are catching chinook to the north near the Saddle, and in front of the Arcadia piers. Most fish are being caught in 165 to 180 feet of water on light colored spoons in yellows or whites.

Portage Lake - Good numbers of bass, northern pike and a few walleye have been caught. The bluegill are starting to bite but are still out in the deeper waters.

Ludington - Fishing continues to be slow. Boat anglers caught brown trout in the harbor. Chinook have been caught both south of the harbor and north towards Big Sable Point. Trolling dark colored spoons worked best. Pier anglers have not caught any trout or salmon, but a few walleye were taken at night.