Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Bass Opener Fishing Report in Northern Michigan
Nice weather is coming for a great holiday and bass season opens. Get the rods and reels ready, the upcoming holiday weekend is looking great for angling activity. Bass season opens on Saturday in many areas of the state and is expected to be phenomenal.
Little Bay De Noc - Reported fair walleye fishing with most fish caught at the head of the bay. Fish were taken when trolling or drifting crawlers in 6 to 13 feet of water off Garth Point. Those fishing the Narrows drifted and jigged in 18 to 33 feet of water.
Escanaba River - Had good fishing when trolling or drifting crawlers from the Hwy-41 Bridge down to the mouth with several large fish reported. Water temperatures varied between 40 and 60 degrees because of the cold nights. Perch were caught in the Narrows when jigging worms in 18 to 33 feet of water.
Big Bay De Noc - Had a better walleye opener with lots of large walleye and some smaller ones mixed in. Those fishing off Ogontz reported good to excellent catches when trolling crawlers in 6 to 8 feet of water. Walleye were caught from Valentines Creek to Porcupine Point when trolling crawlers in 7 to 10 feet of water.
Manistique had a great opener, with Indian Lake, Manistique Lake, and Curtis Area all reporting good bite last week. The St Marys River should be good also for walleye, pike and huge muskies
Cooler temperatures, rain and strong winds have been keeping fishing activity at bay across a good part of the state.
Around Grayling, the local bait shop predicts that the bass opener this Saturday will be phenomenal. Bass are already starting to bed as well as blue gill. Walleye action is picking up on Lake Margrethe in 15-17 feet of water while trolling at a minimal speed of point eight miles per hour. Pike fishing is sporadic on inland lakes and river fishing is fair to good with live bait, Hendrickson’s, and flies.
Hamlin Lake - Has good crappie fishing off Layman’s Landing and the Boy Scout Camp. Minnows were the ticket. Night anglers are targeting the waters off Pete’s Bayou and the Narrows while using minnows or power grubs on jigs. Lots of panfish can be found around the stumps in the North, Middle and South Bayou’s. Perch were caught in 3 to 5 feet of water around the weed beds and cattails. At Victory Park, sunfish are hitting on worms and the bullheads are hitting after dark. Bass anglers are finding beds off the points on the main lake.
Lake Charlevoix - Had good perch fishing on the northwest side of the lake when you can find a school of fish and stay with it. The fish are getting ready to disperse and spawn but some nice catches are still coming in on minnows or wigglers.
Skegemog Lake - Smallmouth bass are the target in most of the lake. Try jerk baits, tubes, jigs or spinners in 5 to 20 feet of water. Fish the shallows in the early morning or evening with crawlers. Pike anglers are fishing from the mouth of the river to the public access site on the west side of the lake but no fish were taken. There has been some effort for perch but catch rates were low.
Glen Lake - In Leelanau County, perch were caught just off the shoals when using wigglers. Smallmouth bass were seen in the weed beds.
Long Lake - The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses after dark. Also Lake Leelanau has reported in with a good walleye bite
Portage Lake - Walleye are still hitting in the evening when trolling along the shore, the weed beds and in the channel. The bigger bluegills are also starting to bite.
Muskegon Lake - Perch have been caught in 20 to 30 feet of water. The northern pike action has been good. Crappie and bluegills can be found in waters 10 to 15 feet or deeper. Both the large and smallmouth bass fishing has been good. Some nice fish have been caught and released.
Whitehall - Has good walleye fishing off the pier. Most anglers are picking their spots before dark and fishing most of the night. A few salmon have been caught when trolling. The lake trout were found in shallow waters.
Tittabawassee River - The lower river continues to produce very good walleye fishing around the Center Road access site. A lot of smallmouth bass have been caught and released and a lot of white bass have been caught.
FISHING REPORT
Upper Peninsula:
In the Copper Harbor area, excellent trout fishing is taking place at Isle Royale. Off the docks around the Harbor, splake are abundant. Medora Lake is great for walleye, and the small mouth bass are starting to pick up.
Around Escanaba, activity for walleye is good on Little Bay DeNoc north of Gladstone. Anglers are limiting out using floating jigs and crawler harnesses. Perch are active in the narrows and bass season opens Saturday for the area.
Within the Manistique area the Manistique and Indian rivers are providing decent catches of walleye on leeches, crawlers, night crawlers and Rapalas.
St. Ignace anglers are fishing Brevort Lake for walleye using crawler harnesses and reeling in fish in the 15-18 inch range.
Drummond Island fishing is improving with anglers using crawlers while drifting for walleye on Scott and Maxton bays. Pike are active on Scott Bay when trolling and using crawlers.
In the Sault Ste. Marie area good action is taking place on Brimley Bay for walleye, and white fish are doing well in the upper St. Mary’s River and behind the power house on wax worms and tear drops.
Northwest:
Angling is improving in the Boyne City area. Lake Charlevoix is producing good amounts of pike and walleye at the west end on crawler harnesses and body baits. Walloon Lake is giving up pike and walleye on crawlers. The local bait shop is predicting a very good weekend for holiday anglers as the warm weather rolls in.
In the Frankfort area, a few walleye are being pulled from the Big Platt Lake. Portage and Crystal lakes are giving up some perch but anglers must move around a lot. The Betsie and Platt rivers are good for rainbow trout fishing.
Around the Kalkaska area, the Manistee and Boardman rivers are providing good catches of trout on live bait. Bass season opens on Saturday for the area.
Cadillac anglers are doing well in the afternoon hours for blue gill in the shallow waters with light tackle. Crappie action is good throughout the entire day and pike are strong and hitting on sucker minnows. Saturday bass season opens.
Really great fishing is taking place around Gaylord. Otsego and Bradford lakes are giving up plenty of walleye on plugs and when trolling. Trout are running steady in all of the rivers and stone flies are working well. Local bait shops tell AAA that they are expecting a fantastic ball opener this weekend.
West:
Around the Ludington area, Lincoln Lake is giving up good numbers of perch on minnows; Hamlin Lake is producing walleye on body baits, and on the upper end of the Lake, crappie and blue gill are doing well on minnows. Lake Michigan is providing some qood action for kings and trout on spoons and around the piers the walleye and northern activity is decent.
In the Muskegon area, browns are being caught around the shoreline and salmon are active 100 feet out. Lake trout are grabbing at spoons and the walleye are moving around the channels and cuts of Lake Michigan as well as the piers and night trolling with crank bait works well. During the day spinner and crank baits are working well. Bass and blue gill are moving into the weed beds and bass season opens on Saturday for the area.
In the Baldwin area the bass season opens on Saturday. Blue gill are hitting on wax worms and poppers.
Southwest:
In the Holland area, walleye are on the move in the channels and cuts and near the piers off of Lake Michigan. The Paw Paw and Macatawa rivers are producing decent catches of silver bass.
Benton Harbor anglers are doing well on Lake Michigan catching salmon, lake trout, Coho when trolling 160 feet out and fishing 120 feet down with spoons. The St. Joseph River is giving up good amounts of walleye on night crawlers. The bass season opens Saturday for the area.
In the New Buffalo area, activity is good for kings, Coho, and steelhead when anglers go straight out from the harbor about 90 feet and toll with down riggers.
Kalamazoo anglers are reeling in some decent size blue gill and crappie on lead head jigs, bobbers, and minnows. Bass season for the area opens on Saturday.
Angling activity is picking up in the Three Rivers area. Pleasant and Long Lake are producing good quantities of blue gill on red wigglers and crappie on minnows.
Northeast:
In the Oscoda area, wonderful fishing taking place. The AuSable River is giving up good quantities of walleye and steelhead. Cooke and Foote Dam ponds are offering up nice perch, blue gill and pike. Baits working well include walleye, perch and pike minnows, night crawlers and wax worms.
Around Grayling, the local bait shop predicts that the bass opener this Saturday will be phenomenal. Bass are already starting to bed as well as blue gill. Walleye action is picking up on Lake Margrethe in 15-17 feet of water while trolling at a minimal speed of point eight miles per hour. Pike fishing is sporadic on inland lakes and river fishing is fair to good with live bait, Hendrickson’s, and flies.
Houghton Lake is giving up a little bit of everything and leeches and perch minnows seem to be working well.
Windy conditions this week on Higgins Lake has slowed activity a bit leaving trout action fair and the perch action poor. Bass season opens on the Lake this Saturday.
East:
In the Linwood area, walleye action continues to be steady on Saginaw Bay in 8-14 feet of water when trolling between Linwood and AuGres. Rapalas, and crawler harnesses are working well. The AuSable, AuGres, and Manistee rivers are giving up steelhead on wax worms and flies. Lake Huron near Port Sanilac is good for Coho and kings.
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