This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from fisheries staff and conservation officers. With more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, not all locations can be listed. However, it is safe to say if a species is being caught in some waters in the area, they are likely being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.

Fishing Tip:

Some of the best bass fishing this time of year occurs during the first hour or so after dark. You still can find fish at dusk and dawn, but that first hour or two after dark can be exceptional. 

After dark, bass tend to move shallow in search of an easy meal. Target them near the same areas you would during other times of the day while also casting and targeting the shallows.

You’ll want to change your technique, though. Since after dark you can't see the weed line or other underwater structures, fishing subsurface lures is not recommended. It is time for surface presentations. After the cast, work them aggressively with a jerking motion, making sure they pop and gurgle across the surface of the water during your retrieve. Pay close attention during the retrieve, watching and listening for the strike, which can be explosive. 

Little Bay de Noc

Walleye anglers were targeting the mouth of the Escanaba River and black bottom. Anglers reported fair to good fishing, with eater-sized walleye, in the 15-to-18-inch range caught while trolling crawler harnesses and crankbaits.

Big Bay de Noc

Smallmouth bass anglers fishing Ogontz Bay and Garden Bay reported good fishing. Anglers were casting soft plastics around rock structures, targeting the bottom zone of the water column.

Fairport

Salmon fishing was good this week. Anglers reported bites while trolling with spoons, flies, and meat rigs. Steelheads were a common bycatch.

Marquette

The best places for anglers to catch fish were near the northwest side of the White Islands and trolling out towards Granite Island. Anglers trolling around 120 to 160 feet of water were harvesting the most lake trout and Chinook salmon near the White Islands. While anglers trolling for lake trout around Granite Rock were having the most luck trolling at around 120 to 150 feet of water. Silver and pearl multicolored spoons, cowbells, and green and blue flasher flies were good lures for lake trout and Chinook salmon near the White Rocks while mostly lake trout were harvested out by Granite Island.

Au Train

The best place for anglers to catch fish was near the northeast side of Au Train Island. Anglers trolling or jigging around 160 feet of water along the flats were harvesting the most lake trout. Also, trolling cowbells around 145 feet of water with sucker meat or smelt was good for some anglers. All anglers reported fish stuffed with herring or smelt when cleaned. Trolling or jigging bright green spoons, or cow bells with sucker, smelt, or white fish bellies were common baits.

Manistique

No report.

St. Ignance

Anglers brought back decent catches of lake trout and Chinook salmon, but the results were mixed with many boat anglers returning without fish.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay

Anglers were mostly catching lake trout while trolling however some anglers caught a few large Chinook salmon in and around Keweenaw Bay in the last week while trolling for lake trout. Most fish were caught on artificial lures in around 150 feet while deep fishing lures in a range of depths.

Les Cheneaux/Detour

No report.

Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Canal

Anglers were catching lake trout and some coho in Big Traverse Bay and around the Portage entry canal. Anglers were mostly trolling with flasher flies and spoons in waters down around 100 feet. Some anglers had more luck during mornings however catches didn’t seem to be connected to the time of day. Anglers should try fishing further north or finding pockets of cold water.

Pine River

Fishing activity was low on both rivers. The locals typically stop fishing for walleye in August as their numbers seem to drop off very quickly. Some anglers were fishing for pike at the mouth of the Carp River, but they were not successful.

Carp River

See Pine River.

Munising Bay

No report.

Grand Marais

No report.

Ontonagon River

Anglers had luck finding walleye and rock bass on a consistent basis. Morning hours were the most productive as reports suggested a significantly slower bite throughout the remainder of the day. Fish were caught using a combination of trolling and jigging, with each method appearing to yield similar levels of success.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay

Fishing was good as anglers had no issues catching a good mix of lake trout and coho salmon. It seemed that trolling artificial lures across a variety of depths was the key to success. Reports showed that throughout the day spurts of higher action occurred at random times with no apparent cause.

Black River Harbor

Anglers fishing from the harbor had good luck finding respectable numbers of lake trout with a few coho salmon thrown in the mix. Reports showed that fish were caught in a variety of depths and at all times of the day. Successful trips were the result of long hours spent trolling artificial lures across large areas of water.

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