Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Ice Fishing Coming to an End
Higgins and Houghton Lake have good ice still but shoreline is getting bad and most are staying off. It is time to get your boat and summer gear ready for the opening of fishing season the last saturdy in april. Steelhead fishing should be getting better as warmer weather will start making the fish run the river.
Suckerfest Celebrates 31st Year in Scottville tomorrow March 27
Upper Peninsula:
Anglers fishing around Drummond Island are finding good ice remains even around the shoreline, but fishing activity is really slow with the exception of Whitney Bay where anglers are doing well for perch on minnows. Perch are decent size too.
Ice fishing is still taking place on Indian Lake where the ice in the center of the Lake is still two feet thick and anglers are able to get out on four-wheelers. Frigid temperatures at night are keeping the ice great around the shoreline as well. The perch action is good on minnows. Steelhead are starting to appear in the River.
Lake George and Munuscong Bay around the Sault Ste. Marie area are giving up a few perch on teardrops. Overall perch activity is hit or miss but the ice is very thick and in good shape. The upper St. Mary??s River is producing some whitefish and teardrops and wax worms are working well.
In the Marquette area, angling activity has been improving overall, but last night heavy southeast winds pushed the ice back into the area limiting anglers from getting out. Ice fishing is still taking place on inland lakes and ponds for blue gill, and pan fish. Anglers are doing well using holes that have already been drilled and fishing with wax worms and wigglers. Anglers attempting to fish the river are finding that plenty of ice is falling from the banks.
Little Bay De Noc is producing decent perch on Hali jigs, spikes, minnows and wigglers just north of Gladstone around Butler Island and near Kipling. Off of the Escanaba area the shoreline ice is thin and breaking up and whitefish activity is decent.
Anglers continue to ice fish on Lake Gogebic near the Bergland area, but the rain and cold temperatures is causing for very slow activity. Mark your calendars for the ??Hon-A-Thon? perch fishing tournament taking place on Saturday. Call 906-575-3545 for details.
Northwest:
Alanson anglers are still ice fishing on Burt Lake where a few perch are biting. The ice is freezing over every night and some anglers are still driving trunks on the Lake.
Ice fishing is still taking place on Walloon Lake and perch are hitting near the country club. The ice averages 12-14 inches but use caution around the shoreline where the ice is thinning. Thumb Lake is giving up a few perch and the Jordan and Boyne rivers are both running very high due to melting snow and anglers are pulling in a few steelhead.
Anglers in Traverse City are focusing on steelhead in the rivers, however the water is very cold and activity is slow. When the fish are biting they are hitting on spawn, wigglers, wax worms and flies.
Off of Frankfort anglers are fishing off the pier and starting to get out in boats on Lake Michigan trolling for brown trout using Rapalas, bombers, body baits and long stick baits. The Betsie River is giving up steelhead and spawn, spinners and flies seem to be working well.
Around Kalkaska steelhead are active on the Boardman River and around the Tippy Dam on wigglers and wobble glows. Most inland lakes the ice has deteriorated.
Otsego and Bradford lakes are both producing some nice blue gill, pan fish and perch. Anglers are stream fishing on the Au Sable and Manistee rivers. Rivers are running high and fast. Boyne River is giving up some steelhead.
Cadillac fishing has slowed this week due to windy conditions and high pressure. Getting out to the good ice is really unstable, the ice is honeycombed and the shoreline ice is heaving.
West:
Off of the Ludington break wall anglers are fishing for steelhead and browns using spawn. Most inland lakes, including Hamlin Lake are picking up for pan fishing. The Pere Marquette River is producing nice steelhead catches.
In the Baldwin area, anglers fishing during the week and fishing early in the morning are getting the best spot on the Pere Marquette River and are getting good catches of steelhead. Stone flies and nuke orange eggs seem to be working well. Steelhead range 10-12 pounds. On Wolf Lake the ice is all gone and blue gill and perch fishing has picked up with wax worms and wigglers doing the trick.
Off of the Muskegon area, anglers are pier fishing for steelhead and brown trout and a few are getting out in boats and trolling in the shallow waters. Overall perch fishing is slow in the area.
Angling activity on Chippewa Lake is pretty much in a transition mode. Ice is currently unsafe and fishing is extremely slow.
Near Grand Rapids the Grand River is producing nice catches of steelhead and pan fish at the 6th Street Dam. For steelhead try using a yellow wobble glow with three orange dots. At this point crappie are scarce on inland lakes.
Northeast:
In the Grayling area, Lake Margrethe the ice is safe today, but anglers need to pay special attention day-to-day regarding ice conditions. Shoreline ice is thin and a few feet from shore the ice is breaking up. Perch action is rated fair due to light pressure. The fish are good size when caught.
The ice on Houghton Lake averages 7-10 inches as of today, but rain and warmer temperatures could cause some deterioration and the ice around the edge is already thinning and rough. However, cooler temperatures and some snow may be in the mix. Use caution stepping out on any ice. Blue gill and crappie are doing well on wax worms.
Higgins Lake anglers are doing well for smelt on wax worms all over the Lake. Anglers are catching lots of perch, but only able to keep a few. Perch are biting on minnows and spikes. As of yesterday the ice on Higgins Lake was 15 inches and clear, however anglers need to pay attention to rapidly changing weather and ice conditions.
Au Gres anglers are out in boats this week and trolling now that the ice has cleared out. Anglers are catching plenty of walleye and tossing back. Rapalas, husky jerks and bombers are working well. Overall sucker fishing is good in the area and perch are biting on Pine River, but are small in size.