Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - As the mayfly hatch continues, walleye fishing was a bit slower. A few fish were taken in 20 to 23 feet of water near the Fermi Plant and off Stony Point. Some were fishing in waters 19 to 27 feet deep from the Detroit Light to the Bell Buoy. Large bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses are producing the most fish. Those fishing near West Sister Island in Ohio waters were having better luck. Perch fishing is slowly picking up when using minnows. Channel cat fishing has been a good alternative to walleye fishing.
Detroit River - The white bass have started to clear out of the lower river near the mouth. With this action, the walleye bite is starting to improve. Perch and catfish can still be caught by boat and shore anglers.
Pontiac Lake - A recent survey conducted by the DNR showed this lake has a great channel catfish population. Lots of 18 to 24 inch fish were recorded in the survey. This will offer some very good fishing opportunities for boat anglers when drifting bait in deeper waters along the drop-offs on the east side of the lake. Shore anglers are casting into deeper waters.
St. Clair River - Excellent walleye fishing continues along the entire river system when drifting crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers. At Port Huron, anglers are heading out to Buoy 1 in southern Lake Huron then drifting back down under the Blue Water Bridge.
Lexington - Boat anglers trolling in 80 to 100 feet of water are taking lots of lake trout which comprise roughly 2/3 of their catch with the remaining 1/3 made up of chinook, coho, steelhead and pink salmon. Those fishing south toward Lakeport have caught perch in waters 20 to 60 feet deep. Perch were taken off the north wall.
Port Sanilac - Pier anglers are catching rock bass and perch.
Harbor Beach - Has good lake trout fishing in 80 to 100 feet of water straight out and north of the harbor. Dodgers with flies or cut bait, body baits and magnum spoons have worked best. Hot colors have been green and purple or black with glow tape and any color of blue. For salmon try dodgers with squid or cut bait and magnum spoons. Steelhead were caught near the surface when using bright colored spoons off planer boards.
Port Austin - Boat anglers are taking lake trout in 80 to 100 feet of water. Pier anglers have caught smallmouth bass.
Saginaw Bay - Has excellent walleye action near Pinconning when fishing off the Bar in 5 feet of water. Good bass action was reported off Nayanquing Point when using spinners. Excellent walleye action was reported in 20 feet of water in the shipping channel near Buoys 1 and 2. Near Essexville, try 7 feet of water off Jones Road and at Quanicassee, try 9 to 11 feet of water near the Callahan Reef. Sebewaing has good walleye action in 12 feet of water at the Slot and Bay Port reported good action west of Heisterman Island in 14 feet of water.
Saginaw River - Walleye have been caught when jigging with worms and channel cats are hitting on worms or shrimp.
Tittabawassee River - Has good shore fishing right in Midland at Emerson Park and also below the dam in the Village of Sanford. Anglers can fish for walleye, suckers, freshwater drum, bass and channel catfish.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph - Boat anglers are catching steelhead when trolling artificial bait in the mud lines. Pier anglers caught steelhead along with some perch when fishing with minnows or small shrimp off the end of the pier. Boat anglers are taking perch just off the bottom in 30 to 40 feet of water when using minnows and shrimp.
St. Joseph River - Walleye fishing has been fair. A few small ones have been caught up hear the dam at Berrien Springs, but the bigger fish can be found in the lower river between the St. Joe Township Park and the hospital.
South Haven - Pier anglers are taking steelhead when casting or still-fishing. Boat anglers are still catching some perch just off the bottom in 60 to 70 feet of water.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Walleye have been caught near the west side boat ramp when using crawlers. Pike are hitting on big spinner baits. Fish the rock piles along the west shoreline between the Fulton Street Bridge and the Sixth Street Dam. Channel cats have been caught along the entire river. Flatheads should be spawning in the next couple of weeks. Try big sucker minnows or bluegills.
Reeds Lake - Anglers have taken some big bass. Pike are hitting near the Yacht Club. Chrome spoons were the hot bait.
Murray Lake - Bluegill, crappie and bass fishing has been very good. Boat anglers slow trolling with sucker minnows have caught pike and muskie.
Lime Lake - In Kent County has some good rainbow trout fishing. Anglers are fishing at night with wax worms under a slip bobber about 15 feet down.
Grand River at Lansing - The occasional walleye along with bluegills have been caught over at Moore's Park. A couple walleye were taken near the Waverly Bridge. The carp and bullhead should be active. Try crawlers or leeches for bullhead.
Sharp Park - Located behind the Lansing Mall should be a good place to look for catfish. Try crawlers, cut bait or shrimp.
Looking Glass River - Water levels are quite high and part of the boat launch at Babcock's Landing is under water. Fishing was slow due to the higher water levels. Carp were active up in the shallows. Bluegills were hitting on worms near the submerged trees and brush.
Muskegon - Strong winds earlier in the week scattered the fish, so boats are trolling close to shore in 40 to 60 feet of water or out further in 100 to 200 feet of water. Anglers will need to do some searching, but fish have been caught. Chinook have comprised most of the catch, followed by coho, lake trout and steelhead.
Muskegon Lake - The alewife have moved into the lake so the walleye, pike and bass fishing will be slow as the fish have plenty to eat. Bluegill and crappie fishing remain good. Lots of small perch have also been caught.
Muskegon River - Brown trout are still hitting in the upper section of the river near Croton Dam. An occasional steelhead was also caught.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Rogers City - For salmon, good places to fish have been Forty Mile Point and straight out from the harbor. They are using lead core and slide divers along with dipsey divers 30 to 65 feet down in waters 65 to 110 feet deep. Good colors have been pink, orange, green, blue, and purple. Use anything that glows early and late or dark colors on cloudy days.
Presque Isle - Salmon are starting to show up on a regular basis. Try straight out of the harbor, off Old Lighthouse Point and Big Lighthouse Point. Set downriggers 50 to 60 feet down in 55 to 90 feet of water.
Rockport - Lake trout along with chinook and atlantic salmon have been caught. Fishing was especially good by the rock, which is southeast of Middle Island. The fish are on the bottom or suspended about 20 feet in waters 60 to 100 feet deep.
Alpena - Salmon and some lake trout have been caught in 60 to 100 feet of water.
Thunder Bay River - Limits of walleye have been taken at night off the Ninth Street Bridge. Boat anglers have also done well when trolling or drifting crawlers.
Harrisville - Has good fishing with limit catches of lake trout taken when trolling spoons just off the bottom in waters 80 to 130 feet deep. The salmon are just starting to show up. Anglers have taken a few chinook, coho and pink salmon.
Oscoda - Good numbers of lake trout have been caught just off the bottom in waters 80 to 130 feet deep. Pier anglers are targeting walleye and catfish. Some are catching smallmouth bass.
Au Sable River - The hex fly hatch is in progress. Those fly fishing are catching brown trout and rainbow trout.
Tawas - Anglers are finding better walleye fishing, with some larger fish taken in 30 feet of water off Tawas Point, near Buoy 2, and south toward the Charity Islands. Anglers are having a great time catching and releasing smallmouth bass when using tube and bodybaits.
Au Gres - Still has excellent walleye fishing with lots of limit catches reported when trolling in 25 to 35 feet of water with crawler harnesses or plastics.
Au Gres River - Channel catfish are hitting on crawlers and shrimp.
Higgins Lake - Lake trout have been caught using downriggers with bodybaits in 80 to 100 feet of water. Some are bouncing the bait right off the bottom. Rock bass are hitting on crawlers and minnows. Smallmouth bass are hitting crawlers and leeches.
Houghton Lake - Walleye have been caught when jigging along the weed lines. Early morning and evening anglers are trolling with crawlers. Try the Middle Grounds or the East Bay. Some nice big bluegills have been caught in 4 to 6 feet of water in the North Bay. The crappies are 6 feet down in waters 10 to 12 feet deep.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Petoskey - In Little Traverse Bay, good numbers of 2 to 5 pound smallmouth bass have been caught and released as the fish were still on the beds.
Charlevoix - Is where most of the chinook salmon have been caught on spoons, dodgers and flies. Lake trout have also been caught. Check water temperatures daily as they tend to fluctuate quite a bit this time of year.
Lake Charlevoix - Panfish are close to shore in the weedbeds while smallmouth bass are right along the drop offs. Walleye are biting at night along the west end of the lake and in the channel.
Walloon Lake - Bass fishing for both large and smallmouth has moved out to waters 10 to 20 feet deep. Shallow running baits and spinners work best. A few walleye are being caught using crawler harnesses or rapalas. Try 10 to 30 feet deep in the early morning or late evenings and deeper waters during the day. Perch and bluegills have also been caught on worms, minnows, flies or small spinners.
Thumb Lake (Lake Louise) - Splake anglers are trolling near the island on the east half of the lake and close to the Saddle on the west half of the lake. Minnows or spawn in 40 to 80 feet of water was the ticket. Both large and smallmouth bass are hitting on tube baits, poppers, minnows, crawlers, crankbaits and spinners in waters anywhere from 5 to 40 feet deep. Bluegills were caught in the backwater areas around the island and in the northwest margins of the lake. Perch and rock bass have been caught and bullheads are starting to show up in the shallows.
Traverse City - The East Bay has very good fishing. Lake trout have been caught when trolling or jigging. Whitefish were taken when jigging Swedish Pimples. The West Bay also has very good lake trout fishing. Whitefish can be found off the Gravel Pit. Look for smallmouth bass near the mouth of the Boardman River. Carp fishing is really starting to heat up along the west shore and off Old Mission.
Elk River - Has excellent smallmouth bass fishing when using leeches and crawlers at the dam.
Boardman River - Hex fishing has started on the upper river, especially as the flies hatch on Brown Bridge Pond. Carp are in the river and can be caught on flies.
Frankfort - Pier anglers have been catching some chinook, browns, and steelhead off of the end of the piers, mostly on alewife rigs or glow Cleo's. For boat anglers, the best catches have come before noon or at sunset when trolling straight out of the harbor or north to Point Betsie and beyond. Try 30 to 50 feet down in 60 feet of water. Chartreuse, blue, pink and white have been hot colors.
Portage Lake - The panfish are still out in the deeper waters. Wax worms or crawlers have worked best in 7 to 15 feet of water. A few bass are still on the beds. Anglers trolling at night for walleye and pike are using crawler harnesses and daredevils.
Manistee - Boat anglers are trolling out on the Shelf are 40 to 60 feet down in waters 70 to 130 feet deep. They have been catching chinook, steelhead, and lake trout on spoons. Good colors have been blues, greens and orange. A few fish have also been taken on dipsy divers set about 100 feet back. Pier anglers have had some luck taking chinook, and steelhead when casting or still-fishing. A few pike were also taken. Some are night casting off the docks at the boat ramp for walleye and pike.
Manistee River - The Hex hatch is starting. Both river and stream trout action has been quite good.
Ludington - Boat anglers trolling from the State Park up to Big Sable Point are taking chinook, steelhead, brown trout and lake trout 60 to 80 feet down in waters 100 to 170 feet deep. Any spoon in the colors of blue, green and orange have caught fish. Pier anglers have had some luck catching chinook, pike and freshwater drum when casting spoons.
Upper Peninsula
Torch Lake - Fishing for pike and walleye has been good in the early morning or just before dark. Try working the visible weed lines with jigs or trolling close to them. Both ends of the cuts where they open up into the two lakes have been productive. Smallmouth bass are being caught on minnows and soft plastics in 6 to 10 feet of water off the rocky shoreline.
West Portage Lake - Walleye fishing has been spotty. Some fish were caught on the Humps between the mouth of the Sturgeon River and Chassell, the west shoreline of Pike Bay, and between Grosse Point and Dollar Bay in 6 to 15 feet of water. Anglers are trolling crankbaits or crawler harnesses with planer boards or drifting jigs with crawlers. Northern pike and a few crappie were caught on the on the west shoreline just north Chassell. Bass fishing has been good at the Bootjack and near Grosse Point when using rubber crawlers or crankbaits while working along the shoreline and docks.
Hagerman Lake - In Iron County has good smallmouth bass fishing.
Ottawa Lake - In Iron County has good bass fishing.
Lake Antoine - Smallmouth bass fishing continues to be good.
Marquette - Coho fishing has been very slow while the chinook fishing has been slightly better. Lake trout fishing was spotty in waters 150 to 180 feet deep.
Little Bay De Noc - The mayfly hatches have started so it looks like summer is officially here. Walleye anglers reported fewer catches but are still marking good numbers of fish. Night fishing has been the best lately when using crankbaits and trolling the head of the Bay in 8 to 18 feet of water. Both day and night anglers are trolling crawlers or crankbaits in 10 to 24 feet of water from Breezy Point south to the Fingers. Others have caught fish near the mouth of the Escanaba River, on the east bank of the Narrows and on the Second and Third Reefs when trolling or drifting crawlers in 14 to 28 feet of water. Some nice perch were caught when jigging minnows in 35 feet of water off the Second Reef. Smallmouth bass fishing has been very good when working the shoreline. Good catches were also reported off Hunters Point in 6 to 10 feet of water.
Big Bay De Noc - Walleye fishing was good off Ansels Point when trolling crawler harnesses in 18 to 20 feet of water. Some anglers have switched to crankbaits and are moving north to Kates Bay and fishing 20 feet of water. Bass fishing has been good with Ogontz Bay and South River Bay producing the better catches. The salmon fishing off Fairport is starting to take off. Anglers are trolling glows and cut bait about 65 feet down in 85 to 140 feet of water.
Au Train - A few limits of lake trout were taken off the north side of Au Train Island when trolling in 150 feet of water. Cowbells and dodgers tipped with cut bait have caught fish ranging from 2 to 4 pounds.
Au Train Lake - A mayfly hatch has slowed the bite, but anglers have managed to catch smallmouth bass, small pike and the occasional walleye. Whitefish have been caught in the early morning and evening. Limits of lake trout were taken 3 to 4 miles offshore in 120 feet of water. Most of the fish were in the 2 to 3 pound range, but one 14 pound fish was also caught.
Grand Marais - Whitefish have been caught in the early morning and evening. Limits of lake trout were taken 3 to 4 miles offshore in 120 feet of water. Most of the fish were in the 2 to 3 pound range, but one 14 pound fish was also caught.
De Tour - Boat anglers have caught chinook, atlantic salmon and lake trout when trolling the shipping channel to the #3 Green Can and around the lighthouse area including the reef. A few boats are fishing the west side of Drummond Island near the Red Can for chinook and lake trout.
Cedarville and Hessel - The lake herring have started to bite, though it is still a bit early and the fish are on the small side. Anglers are fishing the north end of Musky Bay with wax worms or mayflies in 5 to 11 feet of water. Some other spots to try include Hessel Bay, the west side of Goat Island or on the east side of Haven Island. Good depths are 12 to 18 feet of water. Smallmouth bass fishing has improved. Anglers are casting or trolling small spinner baits. Yellow perch are coming to shore in small numbers, but a few fish were taken in Musky Bay, Cedarville Bay and the Moscoe Channel.
St. Ignace - Good numbers of chinook and fair numbers of atlantic salmon and lake trout have been caught when trolling from the city launches in St. Ignace to the Coast Guard station, along with the east side of Mackinaw Island and the southwest side of the Mackinaw Bridge. Anglers are fishing with blue/green spoons or light blue and white flies with silver flashers. If you like to wade and cast from shore, try the primitive launch on the west side of the bridge while using blue and silver spoons, stickbaits or small Cleo's for northern pike.
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