Weekly Michigan Fishing Report Thursday, July 8, 2010

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[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#00e010]Weekly Fishing Report[/#00e010][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, July 8, 2010 [/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report
517-373-0908[/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"][/font]

[url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]We are now in the transitional time between the salmon coming in and the lake trout moving out. Lake trout can still be taken out deep in colder water, with smaller ones still in close. Now would be an exceptional time to fish offshore, approximately 150 to 200 feet of water fishing the top 50 feet. Look for scum lines and bugs on the surface.
[blue]Southeast Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Lake Erie - Walleye fishing slowed this week. The warmer water has pushed most fish into deeper summer patterns. Anglers should concentrate their efforts on the deeper waters off Stoney Point and near the Fermi Plant. Trolling spoons was the most effective lure presentation this week. Perch fishing is still slow but is showing signs of improvement. Good areas to try are the dumping grounds south of Bolles Harbor or waters near Turtle Island. Huron River - Anglers are reporting catches of smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegill and an occasional pike using crayfish and leaches. Detroit River - Walleye are hitting in the lower Trenton Channel, in front of the Edison Power plant, at the metro park, at Calf Island, in front of the Fermi plant in 18 to 22 feet of water, 20 feet off the Detroit Lighthouse, and 26 feet off Stoney Point. Perch are at the cross dikes, buoy #3, northeast of Celeron Island and near the shipping channels. Lake St. Clair - Fishing has slowed with the warm weather. Grindstone City - Walleye fishing was good in 30 to 40 feet of water. Early mornings were best. Crawler harnesses and spoons were best baits. Boats were fishing straight north of Grindstone and also west towards Eagle Bay and Port Austin. Smallmouth bass anglers were also doing well in about 11 feet of water drifting crawlers. Bluewater trollers after salmon and trout from Grindstone down to Harbor Beach were fishing 90 to 140 feet of water and getting lake trout and pink salmon with an occasional steelhead and coho. At Lexington, perch anglers were fishing 12 to 20 feet of water in the weedbeds. Drift with minnows until you find fish, then anchor. Some walleye were being taken late in the evening off Lexington and Port Sanilac from 20 to 30 feet of water. Pier fishing at Harbor Beach, Port Sanilac, and Lexington was reported slow. Saginaw Bay - Good catches of walleye were coming from most of the usual areas; the Black Hole, the Spark plug, the Slot and the Callahan Reef as well as 3 to 4 feet off Wenona Beach. Crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers were consistent producers, but crankbaits and spoons were also taking fish. Limits were rare, but most boats were bringing in some fish. The Hot Pond and the lower Saginaw River at Essexville continued to produce catfish. Smallmouth bass continued to hit in the lower Saginaw also. Pier fishing at Caseville was slow over the Fourth. [blue]Southwest Lower Peninsula[/blue]
St. Joe River - Fishing was very slow this week. Shore anglers were catching a few catfish and suckers using live bait and fishing on the bottom. Very few walleye and bass were caught. South Haven - Perch fishing has picked up with some nice catches reported. The best depth seems to be in the 20 to 30 foot range fishing minnows near the bottom. Salmon and lake trout fishing has been slow. Grand Haven - Windy weather has kept most anglers away. Boats that did get out did well on steelhead and lake trout with some salmon mixed in. Grand River at Grand Rapids - Pike are hitting at the stream mouths using floating suckers and bluegill for bait. A few Skamania are being caught by the dam. Bluegill are hitting in the slack waters on wax and leaf worms. Anglers are also catching walleye using nightcrawlers and small body baits. Catfish are being caught from the bridges and on the east side wall by the dam using cut-up suckers, bluegill and live suckers. Sessions Lake - In Ionia County is producing decent crappie, as well as walleye and catfish on speck minnows. Grand River at Lansing - The dam in Eaton Rapids is doing well with smallmouth bass and 15 to 20 pound carp. Moores Park Dam has been producing 5 to 8 pound catfish and a decent number of smallmouth bass on nightcrawlers and cut bait. Bluegill are coming out in good numbers on red worms and butter worms. The North Lansing Dam is producing walleye, smallmouth bass and 10 to 15 pound carp at dawn and dusk on live minnows and night crawlers. Jordon Lake - Good sized bluegill are hitting in deeper waters. Maple River - Anglers are catching a lot of crappie in town on speck minnows and Rosie reds. Jumbo sized catfish are hitting on chicken liver, cut bait and night crawlers. Lake Lansing - Has been producing largemouth bass in high numbers on pre-rigged rubber worms. Reeds Lake - Bass are being taken on top waters in early morning and late evening. Good numbers of perch have been caught on a perch rig. Good crappie fishing using wax worms and minnows in 5 to 15 feet of water. Crappie are also being caught at night with lights and lanterns around the sunken island. [blue]Northeast Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Mullett Lake - Walleye pressure has remained high over the last week with fair success between Dodge Point and Needle Point and between Round Point and Red Pine Point in 10 to 40 feet of water trolling crawler harnessess, stickbaits and crankbaits. Anglers have been targeting perch in the areas near Needle Point and Round Point, Scott Bay, Long Point, Dodge Point and near the northern sunken island in 10 to 25 feet of water using crawlers and minnows. A few trout have been taken trolling spoons from Red Pine Point to Round Point in 25 to 40 feet of water. Rogers City - Chinook are showing up although not in large numbers. Fishing very early before sunrise and well after sunset has been the best in 80 to 120 feet of water fishing the top 50 feet. Good colors have been black and white, monkey puke, bloody nose, purple and green, green with gold ladder back and blue whale. After dark or very early try things that glow green. Presque Isle - A few chinook have been taken off Big Lighthouse Point. Try fishing the top 50 feet in 80 to 120 feet of water. Give it a couple of weeks and some salmon should be around, weather permitting. Rockport - Anglers fishing around the wreck and Middle Island in 100 feet of water are bringing in lake trout and pink salmon. There seemed to be no color preference this week. Alpena - Walleye fishing has shut down after last Monday's storm and northwest wind. The water temperature cooled six degrees, the minnows moved out and so did the walleye. Anglers are still picking a few up around Sulfur Island, which is approximately 10 miles down the right shoreline from the launch area. Crank baits seem to be working better than crawler harnesses this week. Fishing on the river continues to be slow with a few guys picking up walleye and smallmouth bass on crawlers. The best fishing locations seem to be behind the boys and girls club near the foot bridge or off the bridge on 9th Street near the dam. A fall planted brown trout was taken from the reef in front of the cement plant on leadcore by an angler fishing 18 to 25 feet down. Harrisville - is reporting lake trout, salmon and steelhead. Lake trout are varying in a wide range of depths, from 60 to 150 feet of water and are suspended in all depths. Salmon have been caught north of the harbor toward Sturgeon Point. Look for water temperature from 54 to 57 degrees. Steelhead are in 45 to 65 feet of water and look for the scum lines. All fish seem to be hitting on anything from meat rigs, body baits and spoons. Dodgers are a productive attractor. Walleye are being caught a little deeper and still to the north toward the lighthouse on crawler harnesses and body baits. Oscoda - Walleye are still in the river, although they have slowed some. Crawlers with slip bobbers as well as body baits are working well out at the pier head. Catfish are making their way in again, with good catches in the evening throughout the night. There have also been some nice smallmouth bass and pike caught. Lake trout and the occasional salmon are being caught out deep. The lake trout seem to be plentiful and hungry. In the early morning start in 60 feet of water and work your way out. Spoons and meat rigs are working well. Salmon seem to be in the same temperature range so there is a chance of picking up a chinook or coho. Higgins Lake - Anglers are jigging for lake trout in 85 to 90 feet of water using Swedish pimples, cast masters, and sand kickers. Rock bass and perch are being taken along the drop offs, the sunken island and the main island. Smallmouth bass are biting around the main island drifting with crawlers and crawler harnesses in about 20 feet. Houghton Lake - Bluegill, walleye and bass are being taken in 10 to 12 feet of water along the weed beds drifting bobbers with leeches and crawlers. Tawas - Anglers trolling in Tawas Bay were getting walleye in 40 to 50 feet of water with crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers out near buoy #2, outside of Tawas Point, and down toward Alabaster. Pier fishing was slow, with a few bass and panfish being caught. Au Gres - Those trolling were fishing mostly deeper water, up to 10 miles south of Pt. Au Gres, and out near the Charity Islands and the Steeples north of the Charities. Most were getting walleye, but few limits. Incidental catches of catfish, sheepshead, and larger perch were common. [blue]Northwest Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Petoskey - Lake trout can been found near bottom when fishing between the pier head and Bay Harbor in 100 to 150 feet of water. Salmon and lake trout are being taken from Harbor Point up to Good Hart. Charlevoix - Anglers trolling from North Point to the red can are catching salmon and lake trout. The lake trout bite has been slow but those that have had success are finding the fish tight to bottom in water 100 to 120 feet deep. Salmon have been caught on spoons and flasher/fly combo when fishing 60 to 80 feet down in 100 to 150 feet of water. Traverse City - Fishing activity has slowed in the west bay due to Cherryfest activities. Lake trout anglers are still taking good numbers including a few chinook. In the east bay, smallmouth bass anglers have found the fish to be off there beds and back out in deeper waters along the bay's drop-offs and weed beds. Early morning whitefish anglers have seen much better results than those fishing in the evening. Boats trolling for lake trout and chinook have been hit or miss. Bluegill and smallmouth bass are keeping the fishermen occupied along the river in Elk Rapids. Most anglers have found success with crawlers out along the mouth of the bypass. Manistee - Salmon and trout have been caught in 120 to 220 feet of water. Fish are being caught deeper in the water column on green or blue flies. Ludington - Boats are finding salmon and trout in 140 to 240 feet of water with most of the fish coming 80 to 140 feet down. Try green or blue flies. [blue]Upper Peninsula[/blue]
Black River Harbor - Salmon are still hitting right before dark in 75 to 125 feet of water trolling a dodger and fly. Ontonagon - Fishing pressure was down this week due to poor weather. Lake trout and salmon are being taken in 35 to 65 feet of water fishing with spoons a few feet off the bottom. Walleye fishing has been slow. Keweenaw Bay - Anglers trolling for salmon have been picking up some chinook, coho and lake trout in 60 to 110 feet of water from Sand Point northward to the red rocks at Keweenaw Bay roadside park. Nice catches of lake trout out from the pine tree off Pequaming Point. Marquette - Fishing activity has fair with lake trout and coho being caught trolling from the lower harbor to the white rocks and north of Granite Island. Stannard Rock has been producing fair catches of lake trout . Indian Lake - It was overall a very slow week mainly due to the high wind and rainy days. The fishing effort was low but those that did attempt to venture out did the best when drifting crawler harnesses with crawlers and leaches along the west and south shores. Smallmouth bass, pike, an occasional walleye and many perch were taken. Anglers trolling the north end for walleye caught mainly small ones with an occasional keeper, but also caught a few perch and smallmouth bass using crawler harnesses. Au Train - Lake trout fishing this past week has been fair with reports of some limits of fish averaging 3 to 5 pounds. Best success has been near Au Train Island and Wood Island using silver or gold spoons. There were scattered reports of a few coho being taken in deeper water near the flats. Munising - Reports generally slow fishing over the holiday. Boat anglers reported a few lake trout being caught in the areas around Grand and Wood Islands. Shore anglers report poor fishing for splake but a few fish are being caught while casting. Spoons seem to be the preferred lure. Those fishing natural bait are fishing primarily with spawn. Grand Marais - Reports slowing efforts and catch reports for whitefish from the pier. Many of the fish are smaller-sized. An occassional menominee has also been reported. Fish whitefish using single eggs. Boat anglers are reporting fair to good lake trout fishing in the shipping channel about 3 to 5 miles north of the bay and occasional coho action trolling outside the bay. De Tour - Limit catches of lake herring and whitefish are being taken fishing all sides of Long Island and Little Trout Island using orange, lime and red teardrops with a wax worm in 25 to 30 feet of water. Salmon and lake trout anglers are fishing the red cans near Drummond Island or the green can to the lighthouse. Spoons in green/gold or black/white are producing the best. Walleye are hitting upstream in Munuscong Lake Channel using lime or purple crawler harnesses. Cedarville and Hessel - Anglers fishing Hessel Bay are having decent luck with northern pike along the south shoreline. The pier is also producing a limited number of pike and an occasional smallmouth bass. The south shoreline of Musky Bay and Middle Entrance are the current hot spots for pike casting stick baits. Yellow perch are finally hitting as well in Musky Bay. Anglers are fishing 10 to 12 feet of water. Reports of numerous undersized perch and a few legal ones are coming in from Cedarville Bay. Anglers are fishing 6 feet of water. Moscoe Channel is also a good location for perch, with anglers fishing in 4 to 6 feet of water. St. Ignace - Anglers are trolling the flats in the middle of the bay to the Coast Guard area and around the old fuel tanks targeting chinook and lake trout. Flies and flashers in greens or silver are working best. Anglers are also wading at the primitive launch casting into the bulrushes for northern pike and smallmouth bass. Weedless baits in gold or green/orange have been working best.
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