Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
HIgh Water in Northern Michigan
For the start of summer we have high water on most lakes and streams in northern michigan, with the Upper also with high water.
Huge rain storm last week left Northern Michigan Flooded with lakes and rivers at flood stage, but many have got back within the banks, but water is still high.
Summer officially arrives on Saturday, and as the thermometer starts to rise, anglers are hopeful that the fishing opportunities will rise as well.
Anglers remember, to slow the spread of fish diseaseâ?¦donâ??t move water and donâ??t move fish.
Grand Traverse Bay they have found the whitefish in sixty feet of water and have been using wigglers but that will be done as the season is closed. Many will use preserved wigglers or whitefish jigs. Also a great lake trout bite on the bay with trolling with dogers and wobble glows working best
Lake St. Helen has been good this week with bass and bluegill biting.
Lake Missaukee - Is producing some nice panfish.
Little Bay De Noc - Reported good to excellent walleye fishing in the southern part of the bay. Limits of fish were taken by those trolling or drifting crawlers in 6 to 10 feet of water around Breezy Point and off the mouth of the Escanaba River when jigging or drifting in 8 to 16 feet of water. Good numbers of fish were marked south of the “Fingers” but the bite was slow. Jumbo perch were caught off the mouth of the Escanaba River when jigging crawlers.
Big Bay De Noc - Good numbers of walleye were marked in 16 to 20 feet of water just south of Kate’s Bay however the bite has been slow. A few perch were caught in Garden Bay when jigging worms in 8 to 12 feet of water, but many were small. The bigger fish were caught in Ogontz Bay when jigging worms in 10 to 16 feet of water. No salmon off Fairport but anglers have started to fish for them.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are still catching walleye. Walleye are hitting on crawlers.
Manistique still has cooler temperatures in the 50â??s and 60â??s and only a few anglers are getting out. Walleye and bass are decent.
Skegemog Lake - Water temperatures here have been warmer, abut 70 degrees. Bass anglers are targeting smallmouth in the southern portions near the marsh, the east side near the Torch River or the west side near the public access site. Catch rates were good in 4 to 15 feet of water when using power baits, tubes, crank baits, spinners, jigs or crawlers. A nice muskie was caught and released near the mouth of the Torch River. A few pike were caught when trolling in 10 to 15 feet of water. Rock bass are hitting on spinners, plastic worms, crank baits or crawlers.
Big Glen Lake - Anglers are targeting smallmouth bass and several nice fish have been caught when using several different crank baits in a variety of colors. Lake trout are staring to hit on spoons in 80 to 100 feet of water on the north end of the lake. Green has been hot. Rainbow trout have been caught when trolling the drop-offs with planer boards and silver rapalas.
Around Grayling, The walleye are biting on Lake Margrethe with Pike fishing sporadic on inland lakes and river fishing is fair to good with live bait, Hendricksonâ??s, and flies.
Hamlin Lake - water very high with bridges closed to get to lake, but are set to open tomorrow.
Wixom Lake - In Gladwin County is producing some nice rock bass.
Lake Charlevoix - The steelhead are running late into the season due to the cold weather, and a few brown trout have been caught. Bass fishing has been good with plenty of fish either spawning or cruising the flats. Try tube baits, crank baits or worms. Walleye are turning up along the drop offs, emerging weedbeds, or where there is a current. Rock bass and other panfish have been caught.
Saginaw Bay - Walleye fishing has been excellent all over the bay. Lots of fish were taken near Buoys 1 & 2, around the Spark Plug, off the Bay City State Park, the Callahan Reef, Quanicassee, and in the slot from Fish Point to Sand Point. Limits were taken on a crawler harness, Hot-n-Tots, or Erie Dearies.
Upper Herring Lake - Walleye and largemouth bass have been caught during the day when trolling the weeds with either a crawler harness or a plastic worm.
Long Lake - The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses after dark. Also Lake Leelanau has reported in with a good walleye bite. Warmer weather walleye will hit leeches real good
Portage Lake - The mayfly hatch has slowed the panfish action. Good catches of walleye and pike were reported in the afternoon when fishing along the weed edges with an orange or chartreuse crawler harness. Bass fishing has been very good for those casting crank baits or spinners.
Muskegon Lake - Boat anglers are catching walleye at night. Both boat and shore anglers are catching bass and bluegills.
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.
East & West Twin Lakes - For walleye, most are slow trolling with crawler harnesses or artificial baits, but some are jigging with minnows, leeches, or crawlers along the drop-offs and deep holes. A few bass and perch were also caught.
Houghton Lake - Fishing has been great with lots of walleye being caught but many are small
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.
Upper Peninsula:
Around the Copper Harbor area, angling activity is down to a minimum due to very windy conditions this week.
In the Bergland area, windy conditions prevail this week creating rough lake conditions. Anglers that did attempt to go out caught only small size walleye when trolling crank baits with a leech and the perch are biting sparingly on night crawlers.
In the Escanaba area windy conditions continue to blow Cadis and Brown Drake hatches away. The water temperature has also dropped. When anglers do drop a line in Little Bay DeNoc the walleye are biting on crawler harnesses.
Around the Marquette area, Lake Michigan is giving up a few salmon and trout, however windy conditions and cooler temperatures seem to have the fishing season about three weeks behind at this point. Inland lakes are producing some walleye and the shallow waters are giving up some bass. Blue gill are bedding, and the river has yet to see a Cadis or Brown Drake hatch.
Manistique angling is improving, the north end of Indian Lake and around the rock piles is good fishing for perch, walleye and bass on night crawlers and stick baits.
Windy conditions this week around Sault Ste. Marie, but good fishing is taking place when anglers can get out. Walleye and whitefish are doing very well on the upper river and behind the power house.
Near the St. Ignace area, angling action continues to be good this week for Atlantic and king salmon catches off of DeTour, as well as lake trout.
Munuscong Bay and Cedarville Lake are both giving up decent numbers of pike and walleye, with crawler harnesses working well.
Drummond Island activity slowed a bit this week due to rain and windy conditions. Scott and Maxton Bayâ??s are producing decent catches of walleye and bass. Crawler harnesses are working well on walleye. Pike action is good on Whitney Bay with an occasional perch biting. Anglers are using chubs or basically bobber fishing.
Northwest:
Near Central Lake, activity is picking up on Hanley Lake in Antrim County for large mouth bass and northern pike. Good results in 10-feet of water or less and using blue or silver Rapalas.
Storms this week in the Alanson area slowed the angling activity this week, only a few walleye and perch were caught using jigs and leeches.
Near the Frankfort area, the Betsie and Platt rivers are good for bass and a few trout with flies working well on trout. The upper and lower Herring River is giving up good quantities of bass. Crystal Lake has some spotty perch action, but the small mouth and rock bass, along with white fish are being caught in good numbers. In Lake Michigan the walleye action has slowed a bit.
In Kalkaska, the water is high on a majority of inland lakes due to recent storms. Lakes are producing when the weather isnâ??t an issue. On Fife Lake the northern pike action is good when anglers use artificial baits, blue gill and bass fishing is also good.
Good angling action in the Gaylord area for trout on the rivers and streams. Anglers are expecting a Brown Drake hatch this weekend. Fishing the smaller portion of the river, anglers are watching the trout come to the surface around twilight and early hours of the night. Cadisâ?? flies are also hatching creating some good fishing.
Otsego and Bradford lakes are giving up good numbers of walleye and bass.
Fishing is great in the Cadillac area; Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac are producing very good numbers of pike, bass, crappie, and blue gill. The water is very high and fish are biting on just about everything with beetle spins and bottle baits working very well.
West:
In the Ludington area, angling action is at a standstill due to the heavy and severe storms that hit the area. Water levels are extremely high after receiving more than 12-inches of rain, 50 roads are washed out, launch sites are under water and not accessible. In addition, a sewer broke and contaminated Lake Michigan and access to the Lake is restricted as of this report.
Muskegon Lake is just entering the blue gill season as the fish start to bed. Anglers are finding decent results in 4-12 feet of water using rubber spiders on a casting bubble. Trolling for walleye at night is decent however expect plenty of pike to hit the line. Pike are abundant near the center of the Lake and around the black buoy. Anglers will find constant action on Muskegon Lake for walleye, pike, small mouth and rock bass, as well as sheepshead. Lake Michigan is giving up decent salmon catches in waters 175-240 feet and fishing down 15-20 feet. A dayâ??s trip will yield a minimum of a half -ozen salmon.
Around Chippewa Lake the weather has curtailed activity due to windy conditions as well as heavy rainfall.
Southwest:
In the Holland area, anglers are pulling in a few salmon in 140-200 feet of water, and fishing 50 feet down. Spoons are working best. Sheepshead are active around the piers and cray fish and CatsMaster spoons are working well.
It has just been too windy for anglers to get out around Benton Harbor this week.
Same story for anglers around New Buffalo, the weather has been and issue with very windy conditions and rough waters.
The Kalamazoo River has high water and running fast. Blue gill are active on Eagle, Cedar and Norris lakes, and anglers are finding good luck using leaf worms and flies.
Around South Haven in 90-100 feet of water anglers can expect a variety of fish to bite. Magnum spoons while trolling seems to be working well. Perch are active south of the pier in 40-65 feet of water.
Around the Three Rivers area, fishing is booming and all of the lake access areas have been full this week. Anglers are using wax worms, live crickets and red wigglers with good results.
Northeast:
Good action in the Oscoda area on Cooke and Foote Dam ponds. The Dams are giving up decent catches of bass and catfish. A variety of baits are being used, with salamander lures working well on small mouth bass and channel cats on crawlers getting good results on catfish.
In the Grayling area, blue gill are on the beds on most inland lakes and the bass fishing is fair on the smaller lakes as well. Walleye are doing great on Lake Margrethe in 18-feet of water when trolling. Trout activity isnâ??t so hot this week since rivers are very high and fast due to recent rain and the water is dirty.
Anglers are idle around Higgins Lake due to non-stop rain this week.
Au Gres anglers are catching decent catches of walleye out of Saginaw Bay in 30-35 feet of water using night crawlers, purple seems to work best. A few pike and bass can be found in the cuts and channels.
East:
Off of Linwood, anglers are getting out in waters 5-18 feet deep and getting decent results with walleye when using a variety of colored spoons or various body baits on Saginaw Bay. Perch action hasnâ??t been so great.
Good action continues around Bay City for bass and walleye. The best location seems to be between Oakhurst and Linwood in 5-18 feet of water. Anglers are trying crawler harnesses and Hot-N-Tots, as well as trolling with mini disks and a trailing spoon.
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