U.P. weekly fishing report
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.
Little Bay de Noc
Yellow perch anglers reported fair fishing, with the best results in the morning hours. Anglers reported that foggy or overcast days extended the bite window. Walleye anglers reported a tough bite, with few fish to speak of. Anglers caught a few coho and Chinook salmon in the rivers. Smallmouth bass fishing was good, both in terms of quality and numbers.
Big Bay de Noc
Yellow perch anglers had some success, although overall catch varied based on conditions. Minnows on perch rigs or on bobbers were the most widely used tactic to target these fish. Smallmouth bass anglers reported fair fishing.
Carp River and Nunns Creek
The Carp River received more fishing pressure than Nunns Creek, though they both were producing fish. McDonald Rapids was more popular than the mouth of the Carp River. Fly fishing with egg/bug patterns was the primary fishing method on the Carp River, while Nunns Creek was mostly stick baits and spoons. Chinook, pink salmon, and an occasional steelhead were caught in the Carp River, while Nunns Creek was all Chinook salmon. Shore anglers reported fishing trips as successful.
Fairport
No report.
Marquette
The best places for catching lake trout were reported as near the northeast side of the White Islands. Warm weather seemed to push the fish back out into deeper waters, and anglers who were trolling in 120 to 180 feet of water were catching the most lake trout. Anglers who trolled for lake trout around Granite Rock had the most luck trolling or jigging at around 120 to 200 feet of water. Anglers reported watermelon, multicolored spoons, and bright green were good lures to use for lake trout, while gold spoons, lime and moonshine glow spoons were good colors for salmon.
Au Train
Au Train saw a major decrease in fishing pressure; however, those who made it out caught near their limit of lake trout. The number of coho and Chinook salmon caught saw a decrease due to high temperatures. Anglers who did catch salmon went out to deeper water. The best places for anglers to catch fish were near the northwest side of Au Train Island and out toward the Shelter Bay clay banks. Anglers were trolling or jigging in 70 to 120 feet of water. Some Chinook and coho were caught in around 70 feet of water while trolling at slower speeds. Anglers also reported that trolling or jigging bright green/silver spoons in 80 to 120 feet of water was successful for lake trout out by the clay banks.
Manistique
No report.
St. Ignance
No report.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay
Anglers reported more frequent catches of Chinook salmon, coho and steelhead in the bays. The most successful anglers were trolling with spoons and flies and caught fish on both presentations. Fishing early mornings or in the few hours before sunset produced good salmon bites. Fish were caught anywhere between 15 feet from the surface to 80 feet down in a wide range of total depths. Lake trout catch was steady; however, fewer boat anglers were targeting lake trout. Salmon were spotted in local rivers, and more should come with the season winding down.
Les Cheneaux/Detour
Anglers in the Cedarville area reported catching a few perch. There were a few splakes in the marina at Hessel, but the water temperature was still way too warm for them to come in well. There were a lot of smallmouth bass reported to be hanging around the marina area, as well as big schools of baitfish. In Detour, anglers caught lake trout out in the flats, as well as a few Chinook salmon around the lighthouse. A few anglers headed upriver to Raber Bay and trolled for walleye.
Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Canal
Anglers reported more and more salmon being caught, especially in the early hours of the day. Most fish were caught while trolling with artificial lures, and the fish seemed to be moving into waters 70 feet and shallower. Spoons and flies were the most reliable presentations to use. Fish were also reported to be moving from the lake into nearby rivers, and some anglers had success from shore. Anglers reported fishing early in the morning and later in the afternoon as the best times of day for salmon.
Pine and Rivers
No report.
Munising Bay
Fishing pressure was low. Boat anglers reported slow action, with only a few coho caught. Shore anglers reported no action. Water levels dropped due to a strong seiche and southerly winds.
Grand Marais
Fishing pressure was low. Boat anglers who did make it out caught a few lake trout. Surface water temperatures remained warm at around 60 degrees.
Ontonagon River
Anglers fishing on the river had luck finding some walleye, smallmouth bass, and the occasional rock bass. Successful trips occurred throughout the day without bias. Reports state that the walleye bite was slowing as we creep into fall. The method of choice by anglers was trolling artificial lures.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay
Fishing efforts out of Ontonagon dropped, while Union Bay saw an increase in anglers. Successful trips consisted of boat anglers bringing in good numbers of lake trout, with the occasional coho salmon and brown trout thrown in the mix. Trolling artificial lures across a variety of depths was the key to success, as reports indicated that fish were dispersed randomly throughout the water column. Anglers had luck catching fish at all times of the day.
Black River Harbor
Anglers reported catches of primarily lake trout along with an occasional coho or Chinook salmon. Trips were successful at all times of the day. Reports show that fish were caught in a variety of depths when trolling artificial lures. However, it seemed that shallower waters yielded slightly more success.
Escanaba
No report.
