Fishing Report

Walleye fishing continues to be very good with limit catches reported. Early morning fishing is probably best. Most boats are trolling out near the shipping channel which is located just south of Au Gres.

Anglers are starting to get a few nice 8 to 10 inch yellow perch off the end of the pier. Walleye action remains slow in Tawas Bay.

Most of the coho, lake trout and pink salmon were caught when trolling on the northeast side of the Nordmere Wreck. This seems to be the better place to fish chinook salmon as well. Dodgers with flies or squid are catching fish. Walleye fishing has been fairly steady when trolling in waters about 40 feet deep.

There has been very little fishing effort due to the northeast winds. Those boats daring to go out are sticking close to shore and trolling for walleye between the shoreline and Middle Island.

Fishing is good but not many boats have been out. The better catches have come between the lights or straight out. Good water depths have been 60 to 120 feet with the average fish 5 to 12 pounds. Use the same techniques and lures as the boats at Rogers City.

Good salmon fishing with some limit catches reported in 60 to 120 feet of water north of the harbor up past Forty Mile Point. Downriggers set 35 to 75 feet down with spoons have worked well. The fish are averaging 5 to 12 pounds and are full of smelt, so use lures that resemble them.

Has less fishing pressure. Boats are trolling with spoons and squid north of the port and just south of the Biological Station for chinook, coho and lake trout.

Most of the fish caught were taken in 60 to 100 feet of water straight out from the harbor. Some nice chinook and lake trout were taken.

Walleye fishing continues to be very good from Au Gres to Sebewaing. Most boats are getting fish, but many have reported getting their limits. Crawler harnesses and crank baits on planer boards worked best. Not much is happening at Bay Port or Caseville right now.

Those seeking lake trout should try trolling in waters at least 100 feet deep. Walleye fishing should be holding up. Try fishing around the lighthouse at night or in deeper waters northeast of the port during the day.

Salmon fishing is fair straight out and north of the harbor in the top 65 feet of waters 70 to 100 feet deep. Try large spoons and dodgers with squid off downriggers and dipseys. Best colors were green and white, black with glow and green sparkle. Good lake trout fishing continues when using Cowbells with Spin-n-Glows or cut bait on the bottom. Steelhead were hitting on bright colored lures such as green, orange and yellow. Bass fishing should be good inside the harbor around the weed beds when casting body baits.

Has very good yellow perch fishing in 30 to 40 feet of water. The trick is to drift over the weed beds with minnows until you find a school of fish and then drop anchor. The fish are running 7 to 10 inches. Boat anglers trolling in 90 to 110 feet of water have caught salmon and lake trout.

A good number of boats are fishing for walleye from Algonac to Port Huron. Some are hand-lining while others are drifting or slow trolling with crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers. Hammered copper and silver or chartreuse colored blades worked well. Good smallmouth bass fishing continues near the mouth of the Black River and the smaller tributaries when using crawlers, crayfish and leeches.

Walleye have been caught when trolling or drifting crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers off the Dumping Ground and Metro Beach. Some anglers are crossing over into Canadian waters and getting limits. Smallmouth bass have been caught in 6 to 12 feet of water from Nine Mile Road to the 400 Club. Look for northern pike and musky when fishing the weed beds around Strawberry Island.

Boat anglers are still targeting and catching walleye all along the Trenton Channel and east of Celeron Island. Fish were caught around Mud Island, which is straight off John Dingell Park. Slow trolling or drifting with bottom bouncers worked best. Good colors have been chartreuse, hammered silver and copper or anything that glows. Northern pike, musky and largemouth bass have been caught on the west side of Fighting Island. Yellow perch fishing was slow, and the really good white bass fishing is just about done.

Walleye fishing in the central basin has been excellent. Fish have been caught on Ruggles Reef, 4 to 5 miles N of Lorain, 6 miles N of the Cleveland Crib in 58‘ of water, 8 miles N of Eastlake in 62’ of water, 8 to 10 miles N-NW of Fairport Harbor in 60 to 72’ of water, and 8 to 10 miles N-NW of Geneva in 60 to 72’ of water. Fish have been caught on worm harnesses or monkey puke, bloody nose, watermelon, killer bee and copper/back spoons trolled with dipsy divers or trolled with jet divers off planer boards. Some anglers are also drifting worm harnesses. Fish are suspended and anglers are fishing down 30 to 50'. Yellow perch fishing has slowed down this past week and just fair catches have been reported. The best areas are less than 2 miles N of Ashtabula in 48-50’ of water, and less 2 miles N of Conneaut in 48-50’ of water. Fish have ranged from 7 to 11 inches. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish. Smallmouth bass fishing has been excellent on Ruggles Reef between Huron and Vermilion, and along the shoreline from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut in 10 to 25’ of water. Fish have been caught on tube jigs, jigs tipped with minnows or leeches, or by trolling crankbaits. White bass fishing has been good 1/2 mile N of Eastlake CEI power plant. Anglers are using agitators with white, yellow and green twister tails. Shore anglers are also reporting good catching of white bass at the Eastlake CEI, Wildwood State Park, Rocky River and Avon Lake piers, using agitators with white, yellow and green twister tails and small spoons.

Walleye fishing continues to be excellent with many limits being caught. The best fishing has been nearshore from the Toledo harbor light to Crane Creek in 19 to 21’ of water, and west of Green and Rattlesnake Islands. Drifters are using mayfly rigs or worm harnesses with bottom bouncers, while trollers are using worm harnesses with inline weights or bottom bouncers and jet or dipsy divers with spoons. The best spoon colors have been patterns that include gold and purple or red. The best yellow perch fishing in the western basin has been around the Toledo water intake and NE of Ballast Island. Perch spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.

When boats can get out, anglers have caught some walleye off Luna Pier, Bolles Harbor, Stony Point and east by the Toledo Lighthouse. Some are bottom bouncing, but slow trolling or drifting seem to work best as the fish are on the bottom and seem to be somewhat lethargic. Those fishing near the Fermi Power Plant, the River Raisin Channel and off Sterling State Park have also caught fish in waters 12 to 25 feet deep. Hot colors were gold, purple, black and gold or copper.

Fishing has slowed, but anglers are still catching chinook, lake trout and a few pink salmon while trolling both sides of the shipping channel, using green and silver or green and gold spoons. At Pigeon Cove and Red Rock anglers are catching whitefish with wax worms. Larger lake herring are being taken at Trout Island using black or orange teardrops.

Lake trout success has ranged from fair to good in waters 150 to 200 feet deep on spoons and flies in shades of green and white.

Good catches of lake trout have been reported near Presque Isle. Some have been hitting east of the upper harbor break wall about three miles out. Most boaters have been trolling 140 to 200 feet deep using spoons, herring dodgers or flat fish.

Anglers are catching walleye in the early morning and late evening with crank baits and crawler harnesses. Smallmouth bass action is good from the dam down and out by the lighthouse. Bluegill are being taken with leaf worms and leeches, and crappie are being taken on small crawlers and perch minnows. Walleye fishing is still good while trolling.

Fishing has slowed for all species. The lake trout fishery has slowed in Traverse Bay also.

Fishing has been slow. Those trolling have had luck up to the point catching steelhead, chinook and lake trout. Pier fishing has been slow as well.

Fishing has been slow. Trolling anglers have had luck to the north and straight out from the harbor in 100 to 145 feet of water for steelhead, chinook and lake trout. Most fish are being taken on dipsey divers and lead core. A few whitefish have been taken while trolling. Pier anglers have had no luck. Manistee Lake is producing a good number of bluegill, sunfish, perch and bass.