U.P. weekly fishing report
Little Bay de Noc
Trolling or jigging were effective for walleye, with anglers reporting slow to fair fishing. Gladstone, Escanaba and Ford rivers were areas where anglers had some success this week. Smallmouth bass fishing was good. Anglers reported that there were no remaining fish on beds. Baits that imitate gobies were productive.
Big Bay de Noc
Smallmouth anglers reported good fishing, while perch anglers reported slow fishing. Salmon anglers fishing Fairport were contacting Chinook salmon and steelhead.
Manistique
No report.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay
Anglers were out in force this last week as the weather allowed for a lot of access to the bays. Anglers were able to catch lake trout, coho, Chinook salmon and brown trout during the last week. Most fish were caught while trolling during the early hours of the day however some fish were biting during all fishing hours. Anglers had luck with artificial baits and mostly in deeper water.
Les Cheneaux/Detour
Anglers in the Hessel area were picking up very few perch at the marina. They were being very picky. There was a bass tournament last weekend with a winning three bag fish of 12.82 pounds. The largest smallmouth was 5.7 pounds and heaviest largemouth was 4.7 pounds. There were 46 bass brought in by 22 boats. In the Detour area, anglers were catching Atlantic salmon and a few Chinook salmon as well while trolling around the lighthouse.
Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Canal
Anglers were able to find a few salmon during the last week, however the lake trout dominated the catch. Anglers were trolling and jigging. Fish were caught both near the canal and north from the Big Traverse Bay. Fish were caught all throughout the water column and were caught throughout most of the day.
Pine River
Anglers targeting walleye had moderate success. Some anglers from shore and boats caught limits, though the weather was colder, and the bite had slowed down. A few keeper perch were also caught. Due to the naturally muddy waters of the Pine River, live natural bait was the most effective. Crawlers and leeches were commonly used.
Munising Bay
Boat anglers continued to do well with catches of coho salmon and the occasional Chinook salmon and lake trout while targeting salmon. Very few splake, brown trout, or rainbow trout were reported. Anglers were doing well during the morning hours but also in the evenings. Pier fishing was slow with few fish reported.
Grand Marais
Pier anglers reported good catches of coho while fishing whitefish on single eggs. Whitefish fishing was fair with some spurts for evening bites but in general slow. Boat anglers continued to report fair to good catches of coho and lake trout while trolling outside the harbor to first break. Lake trout fishing was reported to be good near AuSable and the shipping channels.
Ontonagon River
Although fishing over the past week was hit-or-miss due to weather, anglers were able to find respectable numbers of walleye in the river. Trolling was the primary method of fishing used by most, while jigging also yielded good results for those who prefer it. Early mornings seemed to be the most productive fishing hours, but fish were caught at all times of the day. Anglers jigging for whitefish at the mouth of the river reported a slower bite, with occasional fish still being caught.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay
Some rain and wind had slightly limited fishing on the lake over this past week. Despite the weather, fishing was great with anglers finding good numbers of fish on a regular basis. Trolling artificial lures in shallow waters resulted in common catches consisting of lake trout, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead and brown trout. Successful trips occurred at all times throughout the day.
Black River Harbor
Some varying weather conditions in the area contributed to low fishing efforts at the harbor over the past week. Anglers who made their way out on the lake had some success finding lake trout and coho salmon. Long trips on the water were the key to success as it seemed the bite was very sporadic over the course of a day. Trolling artificial lures in relatively shallow waters was the method for those who had successful trips.
