03-16-2007, 10:35 PM
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, March 15, 2007 [/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report[/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]![[Image: fish_reportmap2_23340_7.gif]](http://www.mi.gov/images/fish_reportmap2_23340_7.gif)
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[url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]
The season to take walleye, northern pike and muskellunge on the Lower Peninsula inland waters will close on March 15th. Anglers are reminded that ice shanties placed upon waters in the northern sections of the Lower Peninsula must be removed by midnight on March 15th. Warm temperatures and rain in the extended forecast should turn up the steelhead fishing.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - All ice has become unsafe.
Huron River - Good steelhead action in the Rockwood area on wax worms, spawn, flies or plugs. Fish should begin moving up to Flat Rock soon. A few perch and crappie have been taken in the back channel on minnows.
Detroit River - Yellow perch are being taken in the bottom end of the river in the bays and canals with shiner minnows. The south end of Grosse Isle and Gibraltar are also producing nice catches of perch. Good pike action in the bays using sucker minnows.
Lake St. Clair - Ice conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly with the warm sunny forecast for the week. Cracks will be opening up and areas with current will quickly erode. Shorelines will also become hazardous.
Saginaw Bay - Anglers are fishing the hot ponds with some success for northern pike, walleye and smallmouth bass but the action is still fairly slow. At the state park anglers were fishing in waters 3 ½ to 4 ½ feet deep.
Saginaw River - Many fishermen were on the river but several were falling through the ice due to poor ice conditions. At Independence Bridge anglers were catching walleye jigging rapalas but had to be very careful of where they were stepping. Ojibway Island catch reports were fair but ice conditions were still the number one concern.
Tittabawassee River - Some walleye are being taken on 1/8 ounce jigs tipped with minnows. The ice is now out of the river from Caldwell boat launch at Gordonville Road to Dow Dam.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph - Some steelhead and brown trout action off the piers, with some catfish showing up.
St. Joesph River - The fish ladders were opened on March 12. The river is high and there are not many steelhead left in the river.
Kalamazoo River - Walleye are being taken by Allegan Dam on minnows. Steelhead are biting on spawn and wax worms.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Currently the river is high. Anglers are fishing for steelhead on the west side of the river using wobble glows with 3 to 6 foot leaders. The hot colors are peach and glow-in-the-dark with pink stripes. They are also floating choaker bags the size of a 50 cent piece below bobbers. Walleye are being taken on glow-in-the-dark paddletails, and 3/8 to ½ ounce jigs tipped with minnows.
Rogue River - Steelhead are being taken at the mouth of the river on jigs tipped with wax worms and small bags with 5-6 eggs. At the papermill and near the golf course try fishing with jigs and wax worms. Steelhead have been caught near the Childsdale Dam.
Grand River at Lansing - All the fish ladders are now open.
Cranberry Lake - Anglers were reporting about 10 inches of ice. Anglers are fishing for crappie in 18-20 feet of water on floats 12 feet down with a minnow and plain hook or Swedish pimples with a minnow head.
Reeds Lake - Bluegill and crappie are being taken near the sunken island. The north side of the lake is producing catches of northern pike.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Alpena - Ice conditions are unsafe on the bay and the rivermouth.
Thunder Bay River - Anglers are catching a few steelhead.
Hubbard Lake - Fishing is quite slow this week. There is some spotty walleye and perch action. Some anglers are having luck with walleye in 50 to 60 feet of water on the north end straight out from the launch, with a few perch being taken as well. A few perch were also caught at the south end of the lake in 12 to 15 feet of water. Live minnows seem to be the only bait working right now. The ice appears to be quite safe still, but there is water on top of it. Shoreline ice will most likely start to break up with these warm temperatures. Be especially careful of the west shoreline on the north end as in past years there has been weak ice due to springs that bubble up through it.
Van Etten Lake - Perch fishing is going strong using wax worms, wigglers and minnows.
Au Sable River - Steelhead fishing remains good in the lower river using wax worms and spawn bags. Walleye fishing should be good off the pier along the rocks.
Tawas Bay - Perch fishing is slow with the best success fishing in 15 to 20 feet of water. Walleye fishing is very slow. At Palmer Road walleye limits were being taken in 10 to 15 feet of water. Perch fishing was good but spotty. Best success for catching perch was in 5 to 8 feet of water, with fish ranging in size from 10 to 12 inches.
Higgins Lake - Smelt are being taken near the North State Park, the west shore, Big Creek and West Road. You can find fair numbers of lake trout fishing the dropoffs in 90 to 100 feet of water. Rainbow trout are still being taken in front of the Conference Center and Big Creek on wigglers early morning and late evening. Perch fishing is fair and whitefish have slowed.
Houghton Lake - There is still ice on the lake but it is covered with snow and slush. Pike fishing is good all over the lake, while walleye fishing is fair on east bay and the north shore.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Lake Charlevoix - The ice still has sluch on top. Ice at the lake margins has started to get soft in places but access to the lake is still good at most places. A few anglers are targeting perch off Young State Park and the Ironton Channel in 25 to 50 feet of water using Swedish pimples, blue and gray minnows and wigglers. Fish range in size from 4 to 8 inches. Walleye fishing has been slow, however anglers have been jigging and still fishing blue and gray minnows, golden shiners and Swedish pimples in 15 to 30 feet of water in the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix near East Jordan. Whitefish anglers have been doing well off of Hemmingway Point in 60 to 70 feet of water using spawn. Fish measuring 18 to 22 inches have been caught.
Walloon Lake - Anglers have been ice fishing for perch off Sumner and Stolt Roads.
Boardman River - Has steelhead action.
Long Lake - Good walleye and perch fishing as long as the ice holds.
Portage Lake - Ice should still be good through the weekend although anglers are advised to exercise caution.
Betsie River - Anglers reported good steelhead fishing.
Manistee River - Steelhead fishing has picked up due to the warmer weather.
Lake Cadillac - Fishing is starting to pick up as the weather warms. Anglers fishing at the city launch are catching panfish on spikes and wax worms in 18 feet of water. At M-115, anglers are catching perch in 8 feet of water in the middle of the causeway using minnows. Crappie can be found in a little deeper water.
Lake Mitchell - Bluegill are being taken on wax worms off the Boy Scout Camp in 10 feet of water. Anglers fishing in Big Cove are catching crappie on minnows in 8 feet of water.
Upper Peninsula
Copper Harbor - The ice is continuing to break up. Anglers are catching splake between the main shore and Porter Island in 12 to 13 feet of water. No boating activity yet.
Keweenaw Bay - Fishing was good for herring, lake trout and salmon. The ice is starting to blacken and some anglers are starting to remove their shanties.
Fortune Chain of Lakes - In Iron County is producing catches of 7 to 10 inch bluegills.
Little Bay De Noc - Last week ended with very warm temperatures making travel and entry onto the ice difficult. Most anglers are in Kipling after perch or Sand Point for whitefish. The boat ramp area in Kipling is very bad and many have had problems entering there. Sand Point has been mainly foot traffic and is probably close to faltering. Whitefish are going strong at Sand Point as long as the ice holds. Anglers are still jigging minnows, spawn and corn in 75 to 85 feet of water and claim the fishing is getting better every day. There is still good ice in most areas on the bay but anglers must use caution. Most ice shanties have been removed. Perch fishing has slowed with most anglers working the shallows jigging wigglers and minnows in 4 to 10 feet of water. Large numbers of fish have been reported but most are small. Anglers should check ice conditions before venturing out.
Munising - Fishing for whitefish has still been slow, splake fishing has been slow to fair. Coho fishing is very slow. Ice conditions are still good though that may change with the weather forecasted for the week.
Munuscong Bay - Anglers fishing Fowlers Bay and Grassy Island are catching yellow perch with minnows. The fish are smaller in size and the catch ranges from 2 to 20 fish.
Cedarville and Hessel - Anglers are fishing with wax worms and wigglers in Cedarville Bay and around Little Joe Island. Musky Bay is still the hot spot, however the catch rate there is still only fair to good. Early morning hours are providing the best catch.
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]
[/font] [url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]
The season to take walleye, northern pike and muskellunge on the Lower Peninsula inland waters will close on March 15th. Anglers are reminded that ice shanties placed upon waters in the northern sections of the Lower Peninsula must be removed by midnight on March 15th. Warm temperatures and rain in the extended forecast should turn up the steelhead fishing.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - All ice has become unsafe.
Huron River - Good steelhead action in the Rockwood area on wax worms, spawn, flies or plugs. Fish should begin moving up to Flat Rock soon. A few perch and crappie have been taken in the back channel on minnows.
Detroit River - Yellow perch are being taken in the bottom end of the river in the bays and canals with shiner minnows. The south end of Grosse Isle and Gibraltar are also producing nice catches of perch. Good pike action in the bays using sucker minnows.
Lake St. Clair - Ice conditions are expected to deteriorate quickly with the warm sunny forecast for the week. Cracks will be opening up and areas with current will quickly erode. Shorelines will also become hazardous.
Saginaw Bay - Anglers are fishing the hot ponds with some success for northern pike, walleye and smallmouth bass but the action is still fairly slow. At the state park anglers were fishing in waters 3 ½ to 4 ½ feet deep.
Saginaw River - Many fishermen were on the river but several were falling through the ice due to poor ice conditions. At Independence Bridge anglers were catching walleye jigging rapalas but had to be very careful of where they were stepping. Ojibway Island catch reports were fair but ice conditions were still the number one concern.
Tittabawassee River - Some walleye are being taken on 1/8 ounce jigs tipped with minnows. The ice is now out of the river from Caldwell boat launch at Gordonville Road to Dow Dam.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph - Some steelhead and brown trout action off the piers, with some catfish showing up.
St. Joesph River - The fish ladders were opened on March 12. The river is high and there are not many steelhead left in the river.
Kalamazoo River - Walleye are being taken by Allegan Dam on minnows. Steelhead are biting on spawn and wax worms.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Currently the river is high. Anglers are fishing for steelhead on the west side of the river using wobble glows with 3 to 6 foot leaders. The hot colors are peach and glow-in-the-dark with pink stripes. They are also floating choaker bags the size of a 50 cent piece below bobbers. Walleye are being taken on glow-in-the-dark paddletails, and 3/8 to ½ ounce jigs tipped with minnows.
Rogue River - Steelhead are being taken at the mouth of the river on jigs tipped with wax worms and small bags with 5-6 eggs. At the papermill and near the golf course try fishing with jigs and wax worms. Steelhead have been caught near the Childsdale Dam.
Grand River at Lansing - All the fish ladders are now open.
Cranberry Lake - Anglers were reporting about 10 inches of ice. Anglers are fishing for crappie in 18-20 feet of water on floats 12 feet down with a minnow and plain hook or Swedish pimples with a minnow head.
Reeds Lake - Bluegill and crappie are being taken near the sunken island. The north side of the lake is producing catches of northern pike.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Alpena - Ice conditions are unsafe on the bay and the rivermouth.
Thunder Bay River - Anglers are catching a few steelhead.
Hubbard Lake - Fishing is quite slow this week. There is some spotty walleye and perch action. Some anglers are having luck with walleye in 50 to 60 feet of water on the north end straight out from the launch, with a few perch being taken as well. A few perch were also caught at the south end of the lake in 12 to 15 feet of water. Live minnows seem to be the only bait working right now. The ice appears to be quite safe still, but there is water on top of it. Shoreline ice will most likely start to break up with these warm temperatures. Be especially careful of the west shoreline on the north end as in past years there has been weak ice due to springs that bubble up through it.
Van Etten Lake - Perch fishing is going strong using wax worms, wigglers and minnows.
Au Sable River - Steelhead fishing remains good in the lower river using wax worms and spawn bags. Walleye fishing should be good off the pier along the rocks.
Tawas Bay - Perch fishing is slow with the best success fishing in 15 to 20 feet of water. Walleye fishing is very slow. At Palmer Road walleye limits were being taken in 10 to 15 feet of water. Perch fishing was good but spotty. Best success for catching perch was in 5 to 8 feet of water, with fish ranging in size from 10 to 12 inches.
Higgins Lake - Smelt are being taken near the North State Park, the west shore, Big Creek and West Road. You can find fair numbers of lake trout fishing the dropoffs in 90 to 100 feet of water. Rainbow trout are still being taken in front of the Conference Center and Big Creek on wigglers early morning and late evening. Perch fishing is fair and whitefish have slowed.
Houghton Lake - There is still ice on the lake but it is covered with snow and slush. Pike fishing is good all over the lake, while walleye fishing is fair on east bay and the north shore.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Lake Charlevoix - The ice still has sluch on top. Ice at the lake margins has started to get soft in places but access to the lake is still good at most places. A few anglers are targeting perch off Young State Park and the Ironton Channel in 25 to 50 feet of water using Swedish pimples, blue and gray minnows and wigglers. Fish range in size from 4 to 8 inches. Walleye fishing has been slow, however anglers have been jigging and still fishing blue and gray minnows, golden shiners and Swedish pimples in 15 to 30 feet of water in the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix near East Jordan. Whitefish anglers have been doing well off of Hemmingway Point in 60 to 70 feet of water using spawn. Fish measuring 18 to 22 inches have been caught.
Walloon Lake - Anglers have been ice fishing for perch off Sumner and Stolt Roads.
Boardman River - Has steelhead action.
Long Lake - Good walleye and perch fishing as long as the ice holds.
Portage Lake - Ice should still be good through the weekend although anglers are advised to exercise caution.
Betsie River - Anglers reported good steelhead fishing.
Manistee River - Steelhead fishing has picked up due to the warmer weather.
Lake Cadillac - Fishing is starting to pick up as the weather warms. Anglers fishing at the city launch are catching panfish on spikes and wax worms in 18 feet of water. At M-115, anglers are catching perch in 8 feet of water in the middle of the causeway using minnows. Crappie can be found in a little deeper water.
Lake Mitchell - Bluegill are being taken on wax worms off the Boy Scout Camp in 10 feet of water. Anglers fishing in Big Cove are catching crappie on minnows in 8 feet of water.
Upper Peninsula
Copper Harbor - The ice is continuing to break up. Anglers are catching splake between the main shore and Porter Island in 12 to 13 feet of water. No boating activity yet.
Keweenaw Bay - Fishing was good for herring, lake trout and salmon. The ice is starting to blacken and some anglers are starting to remove their shanties.
Fortune Chain of Lakes - In Iron County is producing catches of 7 to 10 inch bluegills.
Little Bay De Noc - Last week ended with very warm temperatures making travel and entry onto the ice difficult. Most anglers are in Kipling after perch or Sand Point for whitefish. The boat ramp area in Kipling is very bad and many have had problems entering there. Sand Point has been mainly foot traffic and is probably close to faltering. Whitefish are going strong at Sand Point as long as the ice holds. Anglers are still jigging minnows, spawn and corn in 75 to 85 feet of water and claim the fishing is getting better every day. There is still good ice in most areas on the bay but anglers must use caution. Most ice shanties have been removed. Perch fishing has slowed with most anglers working the shallows jigging wigglers and minnows in 4 to 10 feet of water. Large numbers of fish have been reported but most are small. Anglers should check ice conditions before venturing out.
Munising - Fishing for whitefish has still been slow, splake fishing has been slow to fair. Coho fishing is very slow. Ice conditions are still good though that may change with the weather forecasted for the week.
Munuscong Bay - Anglers fishing Fowlers Bay and Grassy Island are catching yellow perch with minnows. The fish are smaller in size and the catch ranges from 2 to 20 fish.
Cedarville and Hessel - Anglers are fishing with wax worms and wigglers in Cedarville Bay and around Little Joe Island. Musky Bay is still the hot spot, however the catch rate there is still only fair to good. Early morning hours are providing the best catch.