Anglers continue to battle the elements with some success. Before heading to your fishing destination, visit AAATraffic.com for the latest traffic, construction, weather and road conditions that may affect your route.
Warmer weather last week made a huge difference on Lake Gogebic. The walleye bite has been very consistent during the early mornings and evenings. Anglers are using a jig with minnows or leeches in 10 to 12 feet of water. In water 20 to 25 feet, crank baits are working well fishing 15 to 18 feet down from the surface. Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent using sucker minnows in five to six feet of water.
Anglers have had to use the wind to find the best fishing areas near Escanaba. Walleye numbers remain good when trolling crank baits near the steep drop-offs. The Ford and Escanaba rivers are giving up good numbers of Smallmouth bass. The perch bite is fair to good south of Gladstone on Little Bay De Noc when there is a south wind.
Fishing activity around Marquette and Munising has been slow due to weather conditions. However, for diehard anglers, a fair amount of walleyes is being caught using a windy rig.
Cold weather has slowed the walleye fishing for anglers on Indian Lake near Manistique.
The best fishing around Sault Ste. Marie is for whitefish in the upper end of the St. Mary’s River.
Fair amounts of walleye are being caught in the Munuscong Bay area, when using a jig head with night crawlers and leeches.
Choppy water around Maxton and Scott bays has limited fishing activity. Anglers are still able to produce some fair numbers of bass, pike and walleye using a crawler harness or stick baits. The same can be said near St. Ignace where persistent anglers are catching a few walleye and bass.
Information Providers: Johnson’s Sports, Drummond Island; Bay View Bait & Tackle, Escanaba; Top O’ Lake Sport, Manistique; Gander Mountain, Marquette; Hank’s Sporting, Sault Ste. Marie; ACE Hardware, St. Ignace; Gogebic Grocery, Bergland.
Northwest:
Even though the weather has not cooperated, Lake Charlevoix near Boyne City is giving up good numbers of walleye and bass along the south arm. Another great place to cast a line is near the mouth of the Boyne River on the north arm of Lake Charlevoix. Stream and river fishing across the region has slowed significantly in the area.
Pre-spawn bass fishing is great in the Traverse City area. Long Lake is producing good amounts of walleye using minnows and Suttons Bay anglers are catching a few Lake Trout.
In the Frankfort area, the up and down weather has slowed fishing activity. Smaller lakes across the region are producing fair amounts of large and smallmouth bass, rock bass and pan fish. Anglers on Crystal Lake are taking good numbers of whitefish with wigglers being the preferred bait. The lake is also producing fair numbers of perch using minnows.
Area lakes around Kalkaska are giving up fair to good numbers of bass and walleye. A great place to through a line is East Lake where anglers are catching a good amount of bass on a variety of baits. Lake Bellaire has the best walleye action using minnows. Fly fishing has slowed but a few fish are still being caught around the Elk Rapids Dam.
River fishing has slowed a bit, in the Gaylord area, with a fair to good amount of steelhead being caught on the Jordan, Pigeon, Manistee, Sturgeon and Black rivers. Baits of choice are Sulphurs, Grey Drakes, Iso’s and Mottled Caddis flies.
The pike action in the Cadillac area is excellent. Varieties of baits are working well including spinners, sucker minnows and Rapalas. Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac are producing good amounts of large mouth bass on Yamamoto Senko baits. The lakes are also producing fair to good amounts of pan fish using live baits.
Information providers: Backcast, Frankfort; Alphorn, Gaylord; Boyne River Bait Shop, Boyne City; Jack’s Sports, Kalkaska; Pilgrim’s Village, Cadillac; Young’s Bait Shop, Alanson; Gander Mountain, Traverse City.
West:
In the Baldwin area, bass fishing is slow this week due to the weather. Perch fishing on Big Bass Lake is producing nice numbers of perch using minnows as bait. For the best blue gill and sunfish action Howes Lake is providing very good numbers of fish. Anglers are also catching a few pike using sucker minnows on area lakes. The weather has even slowed river and stream fishing. Fair to good amounts of trout are being taken using a variety of baits.
Fishing on Muskegon Lake is good with the limited amount of anglers on the lake. Blue gills are roaming the shallows in search of bedding areas. The bite has been very good using worms. In Lake Michigan, salmon and steelhead fishing has been good. During the day, try fishing in 100 to 140 feet of water about 30 to 60 feet down from the surface using blue or green Dolphins. At night, fishing in 250 feet of water, steelhead are staying near the surface, while the King Salmon are located about 90 to 100 feet down. Fishing around Spring Lake is producing good numbers of Crappie around the bridge in Ferrysburg.
Chippewa Lake is seeing fair to good numbers of blue gills for anglers who battle the cold and windy conditions.
Bass fishing is very good in the Grand Rapids area. For the best action try Englewright and Hess lakes. Good salmon and perch fishing on Lake Michigan for those able to handle the choppy water. Perch are being caught in 60 to 80 feet of water using soft-shelled crayfish or minnows. Trolling spoons in 100 to 150 feet of water is working well for salmon.
Information providers: Wolf Lake Resort & ATV Rental, Baldwin; King Sports, Baldwin; East Bay General Store, Chippewa Lake; Shoreline Bait & Tackle, Muskegon; Gander Mountain, Grand Rapids.
Southwest:
Lake Michigan fishing is slow due to weather conditions out of Benton Harbor. Cold, choppy water is keeping anglers away however, for those who brave the elements; the salmon fishing is good. Blue Dolphins and dodgers are working well as bait in water 100 to 140 feet deep about 45 to 50 feet down from the surface.
River fishing from New Buffalo to Three Rivers is good. Anglers are catching anything from catfish to whitefish and many species in between. Area lakes are slow due to weather conditions keeping anglers off the water but patience and persistence will pay off. The perch bite is slow on Lake Michigan.
Weather conditions are not slowing fishing in the Kalamazoo area. Gunn and School Section lakes are producing good numbers of largemouth bass when anglers use Rapalas. Smallmouth bass are being caught on Gull and West lakes using tubes, spinners and plastic worms. Leaf worms have been the bait of choice for blue gills with great results on Long and Hogset lakes. Maple and Fine lakes are producing good numbers of walleye using leeches and crawler harnesses. The best pike fishing can be found on Morrow Pond and Twin Lakes using a variety of baits. Crappie fishing is very good on Pine and Base Line lakes using slider grubs and minnows. In Lake Michigan, the salmon and steelhead have moved to deeper water. For the best results, fish in water 135 to 200 feet trolling spoons or flies.
Information providers: D. & R. Sports, Kalamazoo; Tackle Haven, Benton Harbor; Captain Cook’s, New Buffalo.
Northeast:
The cold, wind and rain are slowing anglers from getting out on the water around Alpena. Anglers are catching a few walleye on Thunder Bay River. Perch fishing on Grand Lake is fair to good using minnows.
Bass season is in full swing near Oscoda. Cooke Dam and Foote Dam ponds are seeing the best bass action using leeches, minnows and the occasional Hula Popper. The ponds are also giving up good amounts of perch and pike with minnows as the bait of choice. Anglers can still catch a few steelhead, walleye and suckers using a variety of baits. In Lake Michigan, a few King Salmon can be found.
In the Grayling area, spawning bass are being caught on all area lakes with live leeches working best as bait. For the person seeking blue gill, try using a popper for the best results. Lake Margrethe is the best place to cast a line when looking for walleye. Leeches work best in about 18 feet of water. The Manistee and Au Sable rivers are producing a few Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout using a Sulphur Dun or Hendrickson flies.
Crappie have moved out of the canals around Houghton Lake and into water about six to eight feet deep. Trolling, drifting and using bobbers with leeches are working well for those in search of walleye.
Higgins Lake has been choppy over the past few days but for anglers trolling Rapalas, fair to good numbers of trout are being taken. Rain and wind is not hampering the Rock bass fishing with night crawlers working well as bait.
Fishing activity in the Au Gres area continues to produce fair to good numbers of fish. Out on Saginaw Bay the walleye action is good using minnows. Trout fishing in the east branch of the Au Gres River and around the Singing Bridge are getting good results using spinners, small Cleo’s and crawlers.
Information providers: Clem’s, Alpena; Skips, Grayling; Lyman’s, Houghton Lake; Sports Barn, Higgins Lake; Wright’s Sport Shop, Au Gres; The Dam Store, Oscoda.
East:
Anglers are traveling north of the Standish area to get a good walleye bite. Crawler harnesses are providing the best results in 14 to 18 feet of water. The best bass fishing can be found near the marina in the weed bed areas.
Walleye fishing in Saginaw Bay near Linwood remains steady even though the weather is not cooperating. Try using a crawler harness in about 12 to 20 feet of water. For those anglers fishing the northern portion of the bay try trolling with stick baits in 25 to 30 feet of water.
Near Bay City, walleye fishing near Finn Road is a good spot. The fish are found in about nine feet of water using a crawler harness. In the Saginaw River, good walleye fishing remains consistent when using a jig head.
Windy weather continues to keep the water very choppy. Anglers continue to limit out on walleye across the Bay Port area near Sand Point. Crawler harnesses are the bait of choice.
Shoreline fishing in the Port Austin area has improved with higher water levels. Small numbers of bass have moved into the cuts between Bay Port and Grindstone and the fish are small in size.
From Harbor Beach to Port Sanilac anglers are heading out into 60 to 110 feet of water for King Salmon and Silver Bass. Fishing from the breakwall in Harbor Beach is producing good numbers of Coho fishing with spoons and body baits.
Perch and walleye fishing is spotty due to cold water temperatures around Port Huron and Lexington. The walleye only seem to bite for a couple of hours during the evening with Twisters as the preferred bait. The best area to fish is the Black River taking large and smallmouth bass, pike and a few steelhead.
Information providers: 1st & Main, Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman, Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina, Standish; Gander Mountain, Saginaw; Anderson’s Pro Bait, Pt. Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors, Linwood.
Central:
Fishing is slow this week around Mt. Pleasant. Anglers seeking steadier bites on local waters are waiting for the weather to cooperate.
The changing weather has been the big story across the Lansing area. The blue gill bite is very unpredictable due to the weather but the more aggressive gills are biting on red and wax worms. Carp and catfish are doing very well in the Grand River. Between the two dams in Lansing is the best place to throw a line for catfish using crawlers or liver. The carp are doing well with corn as bait. It’s taking a little extra work to catch a few walleye. The best baits include minnows, blue jig heads with a leech or crawler harness.
Anglers in the Brooklyn area are finding fantastic blue gill fishing on area lakes. The gills have started to bed making for a more aggressive bite using worms. Walleye fishing on Wamplers Lake is fair to good. Fair amounts of bass are being taken on area lakes while the crappie and pike is very slow.
Information providers: Jake’s Outdoors, Mt. Pleasant; Knutson’s Live Bait, Brooklyn; Grand River Bait and Tackle, Lansing.
Southeast:
The St. Clair River continues to produce a good bite for the walleye. Areas that have been doing well are near the south channel, Algonac State Park and Nelly’s Hole. Anchor Bay has been very quiet for all fishing action.
Walleye fishing on Lake St. Clair is excellent from the 400 Club to Metro Beach. Anglers are using planer boards, crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers with great success in about 10 to 12 feet of water. Along the shoreline, blue gills and sunfish are moving onto their beds with leaf worms working well as bait.
Along the Detroit River, good numbers of walleye are being taken around Celeron Island and the majority of the lower Trenton Channel. Anglers continue to fight off heavy quantities of Silver Bass. Anglers are using bottom bouncers, Dipsy Divers and Silver Streak Spoons on walleye with good results. Silver Bass are biting on minnows, Rooster Tails and white or pearl colored jig heads. The best perch fishing can be found near the Detroit Lighthouse and the edge of the shipping channels.
Anglers heading over to the Canadian side are catching good numbers of walleye near Holiday Beach and the rock pile. Perch fishing is also very good around Holiday Beach and the Colchester area. Hand lining after dark is working well on the Canadian side north of Bob-lo.
Anglers fishing out of the Rock Wood and Monroe areas are finding choppy waters on Lake Erie. Fish are most active in waters 22 to 24 feet. The best walleye fishing is near the shipping channel, the Michigan-Ohio line and the Turn-Around Buoy. Minnows and worms are still working well as bait. Perch activity remains good near E-Buoy, Mc Donald Buoy, the Dumping Grounds and off the Sputnik Buoy with minnows and worms the preferred bait.
Good fishing is taking place in the Belleville area. Anglers are catching walleye in Ford and Belleville lakes using jerk baits and minnows as the bait of choice. Blue gill and bass activity is very good on both Ford and Belleville lakes and at Argo Park. Popular baits are crawlers, wax worms and fat-head minnows. Fishing in the Huron River below Edison is producing a few steelhead using flies tipped with a wax worm.
Information providers: Bluewater Bait, Fair Haven; Lakeside Fishing Shop, St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery, Harrison Township; South Street Tackle, Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle, Rockwood; Erie Party Shop, Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box, Melvindale.