Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Michigan Fishing Report for 10/18/07
I’m hearing of a real good perch bite on Lake Margrethe with nice perch being taken. Most lake are reporting a good perch bite this fall which is great for us perch lovers.
Bucks are starting to make scrapes and rubbing trees to Mark their territory. Small bucks are starting to spar as the photo I shot last night of them fighting
Betsie River - Fishing has slowed, though there are a few salmon being caught in the lower stretches of the river.
Manistee River - Anglers are still taking salmon up near Tippy Dam.
Traverse City - Whitefish action has been very good in 70 feet of water off the Center Road launch site. Jigging Swedish Pimples tipped with a minnow or perch rig on the bottom worked best. In the West Bay, steelhead were caught off the mouth of the Boardman River. Perch fishing is slow to fair on Lake Leelanau and Big Glen. Both minnows and wigglers are being used as bait.
Bradford and Otsego lakes near Gaylord are producing good bass and walleye fishing. The salmon action is good on the Boyne and Jordan rivers, and some steelhead are moving into the rivers.
Elk River - Coho salmon are still being caught regularly at the dam when drifting spawn or casting hardware.
Boardman River - Salmon fishing continues to be very good from Union Street to the Trap and Transfer Facility. Spawn bags and casting spoons worked best.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye fishing slowed as water temperatures varied between 56 and 62 degrees. Good numbers of fish have been marked but few catches were reported. Off Kipling, anglers concentrating between the Narrows and the Second Reef caught a few fish when trolling crawlers in 18 to 30 feet of water. Those fishing off the Black Bottom, Portage Point and the Fingers were marking fish but no bites. Good catches of perch were reported by those jigging minnows in 25 feet of water off the docks in Escanaba. Good smallmouth bass action just south of the Day’s River.
Escanaba River - The salmon runs are pretty much done in this area with the exception of those fishing up near the dam where a few fish are still being caught when casting spoons or crankbaits. Most of the fish are now dark.
Big Bay De Noc - Good to excellent smallmouth bass action around Snail Shell Harbor when jigging minnows along the drop off. Limit catches were reported.
In the Manistique area, anglers on Indian Lake are catching good numbers of perch, using minnows as bait. The steelhead and salmon fishing is good along on the Manistique River.
Saginaw Bay - When conditions allowed, a few fish were caught from the Black Hole. Cooler temperatures will improve catch rates. Near Quanicassee, the perch fishing was slow as it appears the fish are just starting to show up. Sebewaing, Bay Port and Caseville have been slow with the exception of some nice perch taken near Sebewaing.
Lake Leelanau - Reported good walleye fishing and a great perch bite on the south -end.
Lake Margrethe reports a fair walleye bite with minnows working best and big perch are biting also.
Portage Lake - Those trolling along the north shoreline are catching pike. A few nice perch are starting to be caught in waters 16 to 20 feet deep near the Inn and out in the channel. Bluegills, rock bass, and sunfish have been caught.
Wixom Lake the gills and crappie are on the bite right on the drop-off.
By Kalkaska, the perch fishing is very good on both Skegemog and Manistee lakes. Both minnows and wigglers are working well as bait. Anglers on Skegemog are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass. The salmon action is good near the Elk River Dam. Fife Lake is producing good perch fishing. Minnows are working well as bait in water ten to 12 feet deep.
Higgins Lake - Some boats are still out trolling for lake trout, but angler numbers have dropped with the onset of hunting season. Perch fishing has been good with wigglers working best.
Houghton Lake - This should be a good weekend to target pike and walleye. Look for the panfish such as bluegills, crappie, and rock bass in waters 8 to 12 feet deep.
Cadillac, the bass and pike fishing is very good on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. The crappie fishing is fair on Lake Cadillac. The crappies are found on the bottom of the lake, with minnows working well as bait.
Cedarville and Hessel - Yellow perch activity has picked up slightly. Anglers are fishing Government Bay, Musky Bay, Hessel Bay, Middle Entrance, Snows Channel and around Little Joe Island. Use minnows, crawlers or wigglers. Smallmouth bass and northern pike were caught in Snows Channel and the Middle Entrance when still-fishing with minnows or casting spinner baits.
Around Sault Ste. Marie, the perch fishing is fair on the upper end of the St. Marys River. The fishing pressure has tailed off this week on Munuscong Bay, but for those anglers who are heading out the musky and perch fishing is fair with minnows working best..
FISHING REPORT
Upper Peninsula:
The lake trout and splake fishing is fair on Copper Harbor in Copper Harbor.
Anglers on Lake Gogebic (go-GEE-bic) are reeling in a few walleye and perch. The perch are found on the south end of the lake near the weed beds, in water eight to 12 feet deep.
In the Marquette area, the lake trout fishing is good along the breakwall on Lake Superior. A few salmon are being caught on the Chocolay (chalk-oh-lay) and Dead rivers. Anglers on Little Lake are catching a few perch and walleye.
By Escanaba, the walleye fishing is improving on Little Bay de Noc. The best fishing is found north of Gladstone. At the mouth of the Cedar River, anglers are catching a few walleye trolling after dark. An occasional salmon is being reeled in by anglers on the Escanaba River.
Out of the Manistique area, the salmon fishing is fair, a lot of the fish in the river are turning color.
Around Sault Ste. Marie, the perch fishing is fair on the upper end of the St. Marys River. The fishing pressure has tailed off this week on Munuscong (muh-nuss-CONG) Bay, but for those anglers who are heading out the musky and perch fishing is fair.
Out by Drummond Island, the perch fishing is good on Maxton and Scott bays.
And fishing activity this week is slow in the St. Ignace area.
Northwest:
By Alanson, the perch fishing is good on Burt and Crooked lakes. Minnows are being used as bait. Anglers on the lakes are also reeling in a few walleye.
Out of the Boyne City area, the steelhead fishing ranges from fair to good at the mouth of the Boyne River. The salmon fishing is slowing down in the river. Anglers on Lake Charlevoix are catching good numbers of perch. The bass fishing on the lake is fair.
Around Traverse City, the perch fishing is slow to fair on Lake Leelanau. Both minnows and wigglers are being used as bait.
In the Frankfort area, anglers on Crystal Lake are reeling in a few perch. The salmon fishing is fair along the Betsie River.
Anglers on the Big Manistee River by Manistee are starting to see more steelhead move into the river. The salmon fishing is slowing, but there are still a few fresh salmon in the river.
The smallmouth bass fishing is good on Lake Skegemog by Kalkaska. The walleye fishing is fair on Lake Bellaire.
Bradford and Otsego lakes near Gaylord are producing good bass and walleye fishing. The salmon action is good on the Boyne and Jordan rivers, and some steelhead are moving into the rivers.
And at Cadillac, the bass and pike fishing is very good on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. The crappie fishing is fair on Lake Cadillac. The crappies are found on the bottom of the lake, with minnows working well as bait.
West:
Out of the Ludington area, the bluegill fishing is good on the upper end of Hamlin Lake. Both waxworms and leaf worms are being used as bait.
Anglers on the breakwall on Lake Michigan are reeling in a few steelhead. The salmon fishing is good along the Sable (SAY-bull) River in the Ludington State Park.
In the Whitehall area, the salmon fishing is slowing down on the White River. The bluegill action is picking up on White Lake.
By Muskegon, the salmon fishing ranges from slow to fair on the Muskegon River. Anglers on Lake Michigan are catching a few salmon and steelhead, when the weather allows boats to get out on the lake. The fish are found 40 to 60 feet below the surface, in water that is up to 140 feet deep. The bluegill fishing is improving on Muskegon and Wolf lakes.
And at Baldwin, the salmon fishing ranges from fair to good on the Pere Marquette River. Most of the small inland lakes are producing good bluegill fishing. Both crickets and leaf worms are being used as bait in water about seven feet deep.
And fishing activity this week is slow on Chippewa Lake.
Northeast:
In the Alpena area, the salmon fishing is fair on the Thunder Bay River, near the Ninth Street Dam. Anglers on Hubbard Lake and the “small boat harbor” are catching a few perch, using minnows as bait.
Around Grayling, the perch action ranges from fair to good on Lake Margrethe. The walleye fishing on the lake is fair.
By Oscoda, the perch action is good on Van Etten Lake. The bass and pike fishing ranges from fair to good on both Cooke Dam and Foote Dam ponds. Along the Au Sable River the salmon fishing is fair. Anglers are starting to see a few steelhead move into the river.
With a lot of people focused on hunting activities, the fishing action on Higgins Lake this week is slow.
Houghton Lake is producing fair walleye fishing. Early mornings or evenings are the best times to be out.
And at Au Gres, the perch fishing is fair on Saginaw Bay when the weather allows anglers to get out. On the Au Gres River, the salmon fishing is slow. Anglers are casting cleos at the salmon.
East:
On Saginaw Bay near Linwood, the perch action is steady. One of the best spots to drop a line in the water is along the “shipping channel.”
The perch fishing is fair on Saginaw Bay near Bay City. Some of the best spots to drop a line in the water are between buoys nine and ten, by the “blackhole,” and by the Quanicassee cuts.
Along the Saginaw and Tittabawassee rivers by Saginaw the walleye fishing is fair. Mornings and evenings are the best times to be out. The catfish and smallmouth bass fishing ranges from fair to good on the rivers.