Fishing Report

Fishing has been slow. A few walleye are still being taken off the North Pier at night, but those fishing for trout had no luck. Boats trolling to the north have caught brown trout between the State Park and the Point. Those trolling to the south have taken chinook, steelhead and lake trout. Green, blue and orange spoons worked best.

Boats trolling towards Gurney Creek are still taking a few fish, mainly brown trout. A couple salmon were taken off the Shelf. Pier anglers had no luck, and those surfcasting reported a few bumps on their lines, but no takers.

Some brown trout and lake trout have been caught when trolling northward between the piers and the Barrel. Bright colored rapalas such as orange, chartreuse or black and gold were the hot colors.

Michigan has a new state record brown trout and it was caught in the harbor at Frankfort on May 13th. The fish weighed in at 36 lbs 13 oz. beating the old state record by 2 lbs 3 oz. It was 43 inches long with a girth of 27 inches. Boats trolling for brown trout have been catching good numbers of fish in the early morning and late evening. Most are fishing in the harbor or along the shoreline all the way up to Point Betsie. Try rapalas in silver, gold, firetiger, chartreuse, and orange. Pier fishing has been slow. Water temperatures are cold, so very few bait fish are hanging around the piers.

Fishing has been slow in the East Bay as the weather has not been cooperating. When boats can get out, lake trout and whitefish were taken off the Bluffs. In the West Bay, lake trout have been caught near the Gravel Pit and out near Red Buoy #8. Perch fishing slowed in Suttons Bay.

Boats are taking chinook, steelhead and lake trout when fishing straight out of the channel. Most are trolling with spoons 30 to 60 feet down in waters 90 to 120 feet deep.

Boats are trolling in waters 150 to 200 feet deep for trout and salmon. Perch have been caught in 60 to 75 feet of water, using perch flies with gold hooks that are tipped with wigglers or minnows. There are a lot of alewife swimming around the piers.

Boat anglers are taking a few chinook and lake trout when trolling 30 to 40 feet down in 80 to 100 feet of water.

Boats are picking up good numbers of coho, chinook, lake trout and steelhead when trolling with downriggers set 35 to 50 feet down in waters 100 to 180 feet deep. Most are using spoons or plugs.

Walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses in 38 to 40 feet of water. Those fishing in the Great Lakes Marina caught walleye in shallow waters 8 to 10 feet deep when using crawler harnesses.

Fishing slowed over the last week. Some small perch were caught off the pier and a couple walleye were taken from shore near the mouth of the Tawas River.

Anglers are taking good numbers of walleye, with limits taken at dawn and dusk. Some of the fish are in the 24 inch range. Smaller walleye have been caught throughout the rest of the day. Some are using a worm under a bobber while others are casting rapalas.

Good lake trout fishing was reported when trolling in 45 to 70 feet of water. Chinook salmon have also been caught. There were rumors of walleye caught off the piers when casting rapalas.

Daytime fishing has picked up, but more are fishing for walleye at night. Boat anglers are targeting walleye, brown trout, lake trout and bass. Walleye fishing has been good for some and poor for others. Hot spots are the usual Grass Island, Thunder Bay, and the mouth of the river. If fishing for lake trout, try the 9-Mile Can and go deep. Anglers are ranging from full limits of 24 to 26 inch fish to some smaller ones that are just legal size. A chinook salmon was also caught. Smallmouth bass are hitting behind the plant and Partridge Point Marina.

Lake trout fishing has been slow to fair with most boats coming in with only one fish. They are trolling off Ferron Point or on the northeast side of Middle Island. No reports on walleye.

Not much is happening as water temperatures were still a bit chilly. A few lake trout were caught in the top half of waters 40 to 70 feet deep but the fish are scattered right now. Atlantic salmon were taken in the harbor when using shiners under a bobber, but this technique will not last long.

Good lake trout fishing has started but atlantic salmon and brown trout have also been caught. Most are trolling in shallow waters up to 40 feet deep between Calcite Harbor and Adams Point. They are using cowbells with a half ounce of lead or trolling bodybaits off planer boards.

Anglers are still getting some limits of walleye down around Center Street. The run of white bass has started and anglers are catching good numbers of fish.

Walleye fishing was really good with limit catches reported, and then it got windy. Hot spots were 15 to 17 feet of water near Buoy H off Linwood and the whole south end of the bay from Finn Road east to Quanicassee in 5 to 6 feet of water. Crawler harnesses are the ticket. Anglers at the south end were going out at Patterson Road and those on the west end were using the Quanicassee access site. Walleye anglers also did well in the Slot off Sunset Bay Marina and off Sebewaing in 9 feet of water. Up the thumb side, walleye were taken off the tip of Sand Point when fishing at night. Caseville has been slow.

Lake trout have been caught in 30 feet of water. Rumor has it some walleye were taken of the pier before dawn.

Lake trout were caught straight out and north of the harbor when using bodybaits and spoons in 25 to 50 feet of water. A few salmon were caught south of the harbor. Brown trout are in shallow waters 15 to 25 feet deep, but anglers need to be careful of the rocks when fishing that close to shore.

Boat anglers continue to catch chinook, coho and brown trout when trolling both north and south of the piers. The brown trout are still in shallow waters, but the salmon will be out deeper. Pier fishing was fair.

They were still getting salmon and trout when using a variety of lures in 15 to 30 feet of water. Pier anglers were taking a few perch in the harbor. If you fish all day and do a lot of sorting, you can get enough for dinner.

Splake fishing this spring has been excellent. Anglers are catching splake in Hessel around the pier, but the bigger fish have moved out to deeper water 15 to 20 feet deep in Hessel Bay. Minnows, spoons and stickbaits have worked well with and green has been the hot color. Smallmouth bass have also been caught.

The chinook salmon have arrived. They are good size and look healthy. Chinook and atlantic salmon as well as lake trout have been caught when trolling from Frying Pan Island south to the #3 Green Can, and around the lighthouse. Green and orange spoons are working best. Rumor has it smelt have been taken in some of the smaller creeks around Drummond Island.