Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Ice Fishing Closing Fast
The shorelines are starting to get soft so driving cars out is not advised. Remember your new fishing license April 1.
Most are tired of Ice fishing and yearing to be out in their boat, or are on the rivers fishing trout.
Smelt fishing is good on Higgins Lake with in front of Big Creek being the hotspot.
Cadillac reports a good crappie bite early on minnows.
Manistee Lake by Kalkaska reports a good gill bite the last few days, also Houghton Lake has been getting better every day.
Around the Boyne City area, Walloon Lake and Lake Charlevoix are producing decent catches of perch and trout. The Jordan and Boyne rivers are giving up good amounts of trout. Wigglers, minnows, and spawn are working well.
Saginaw Bay - The ice has left the bay
Burt & Mullett Lakes - Anglers are fishing for perch since both lakes still have ice. Many fish caught are in the 10 to12 inch range. Fishing in 18 to 40 feet of water with perch minnows works best.
Upper Peninsula:
No angling activity taking place on Copper Harbor this week, pretty much a transition period. The ice has melted.
Bergland anglers are catching a few perch on wigglers on the northeast side of Lake Gogebic. The ice is 10-inches thick and still very safe.
Escanaba anglers are reeling in a few perch north of Gladstone where the ice is still solid. For best results anglers are using minnows, wax worms, and wigglers.
Angling activity in the Marquette area is slow to non-existent mainly due to heavy snow received this week. When the snow starts melting the run off will be good for Coho.
In the Manistique area, some decent ice fishing is still taking place for perch since the ice remains two feet thick. The Manistique River is giving up a few steelhead but next week the activity will increase as the weather warms up.
Munuscong Bay is giving up some good perch on minnows and tear drops. Good action for perch on Cedarville Lake when angers use wigglers, wax worms or tear drops. The ice is still safe.
Sault Ste. Marie anglers are getting a few perch on Lake George, and Munuscong Bay with blacks and tear drops working well. Some whitefish are active in the St. Mary’s River.
Drummond Island anglers will find that perch are hit or miss around Harbor Island, when they are biting it is on minnows. Whitney Bay is good for perch action.
Musky Bay in the St. Ignace area has some perch to be caught, but anglers will really need to work at getting them. Wigglers seem to be working best.
Northwest:
Alanson anglers are having a rough week thanks to rain and snow this week. Angling activity is at a standstill. Burt Lake use caution the ice is diminishing.
In the Boyne City area, angling activity isn’t good this week due to rain and snow. A few perch have been pulled out of Lake Charlevoix.
Fishing in the Manistee area is decent for steelhead on the Big Manistee River using spawn. Pier fishing is slow, and fishing on the AuSable River is slow due to the water being so high from heavy rain this week.
In the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog is still safe for ice fishing and perch catches are decent. The steelhead are running in the Boardman River and Elk Rapids Dam.
In the Frankfort area steelhead are biting on the Betsie, as well as a few browns. Ice fishing is headed downhill at this point.
Fishing in the Gaylord area is not great at this point, the ice is not safe. A few steelhead running in the Boyne and Jordan rivers, and some pan fish being reeled in from Big Bear Lake and Lake Margrethe on wax worms, wigglers and minnows.
West:
In the Muskegon area the lake finally opened up and the ice is gone. The steelhead action is decent around the piers of Lake Michigan. Perch are hitting on live bait on Muskegon Lake and steelhead can be found off of the lower end of the lake.
In the Ludington area Lake Michigan is giving up some steelhead around the lighthouse pier. Steelhead and browns are active in the Pere Marquette River and Lake. A fishing tournament will take place this weekend for browns and steelhead that includes inland lakes and Lake Michigan. Call PM Sports for details 231-843-8676.
Southwest:
Around the New Buffalo area, the mouth of the Glen River leading out to Lake Michigan is doing well on browns, steelhead and Coho. No ice issues on the river.
In the Holland area the Black River is producing good catches of suckers and steelhead. Anglers are finding good results with salmon spawn, and night crawlers.
Slow activity around the Three Rivers area due to weather this week. A few steelhead being caught in Lake Michigan and some blue gill can be found in and around the channels.
Northeast:
In Oscoda, fishing is slow and the ice is not safe at this point. Steelhead action is decent just below the Foote Dam Pond when anglers use spawn, wax worms and flies.
Alpena angling action is picking up for steelhead, especially on Thunder Bay near the 9th Street Dam.
Limited action on Higgins Lake, anglers are fishing in 10-70 feet of water for decent catches of perch and using minnows and spikes. The ice remains safe.
Grayling anglers are finding some blue gill and perch on Fletchers Pond and a few perch being reeled in from Lake Margrethe. Ice remains 8-10 inches thick.
Around the AuGres area, suckers are active near the mouth of the river and the east branch of the AuGres is producing decent catches of steelhead.
East:
In the Linwood area, river fishing is starting to increase. Ice is not safe, even near the shore use extreme caution. Rain and windy conditions this week are hampering angling activity.
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