Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Up North Free Fishing Weekend
This coming weekend is Michigan’s annual Winter Free Fishing Weekend. For two days only, Saturday February 14th and Sunday February 15th, both resident and nonresidents can fish without a license. With that said, ice conditions have become dangerous especially in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula. Many lakes have standing water and slippery conditions. The rivers are not safe for ice fishing. Conditions will only worsen with additional rain and strong winds. Those hoping to get out and try ice fishing may have to travel to the Northern Lower Peninsula or the Upper Peninsula.
Crystal Lake- Still had good smelt action at night. Water on the ice made for slippery conditions. Bring some cleats!
Higgins Lake- Still has ice but anglers are reminded to use caution and watch for pressure cracks, especially with strong winds in the forecast. Smelt are hitting on the north end of the lake. Evenings are good but some fish have also been caught during the day. Lake trout are still out in deep waters and the rainbow trout can be found in shallow waters. Perch anglers are still taking fish on the north end of the Sunken Island and Treasure Island. Ice conditions are good. You can call Phoenix Park @ 989-821-7220 for info off the west access site and Sports Barn @ 989-821-9511 for info on the south-end of Higgins Lake
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing has been a little better this week. Call Skip??s Sport Shop @ 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
Tremendous walleye activity is taking place in the Bay on Munuscong Lake as well as good perch fishing. Anglers tell us that this is probably the best fishing in 15 years. The ice is outstanding and ranging between 30 and 40 inches thick. Perch are biting on minnows and any type of jig seems to be working. Near Cedarville, perch are hitting on Musky Bay.
Portage Lake by Onekama has been great for perch and walleye , with some getting walleye during the day. Call Osborn??s Sport Shop in Bear Lake @ 231-889-3775 or Don??s Sport Shop in Manistee @ 231-723-5028
Hamlin Lake- Catch rates did improve with the warmer weather. Upper Hamlin was producing some bluegills in 17 to 28 feet of water off Pete’s Bayou. Bright colored jigs and wax worms fished just off the bottom did the trick. Pike anglers were finding a few fish when using dead smelt or live blues on tip-ups fished about halfway down in 20 feet of water off Pete’s Bayou or fish shallow along the weedbeds off Laman’s Landing. Near Lincoln Road, the crappies were just starting to show up in 32 feet of water during the day and also for a short time at dusk. They were hitting on minnows just off the bottom. A few perch were also starting to show up. Call Pere Marquette Sport @ 231-843-8676 or Hamlin Grocery @ (231) 843-2058
The Eyes Have It reports great fishing in the Leroy area call Craig @ 231-768-5653
Houghton Lake - Was slippery with some water on top. Anglers would be wise to wear some sort of cleats for easier travel across the ice. Walleye fishing continues to be steady off the north shore and in the East Bay. The big bluegills have started to bite. Anglers are doing well when fishing the Middle Grounds with a tear drop and wax worm. Target the weedbeds in 4 to 6 feet of water. Call Lyman??s Sport and Shanty Rental @ 989-422-3231
Near the Kalkaska area, Skegemog Lake - Bluegills are starting to bite off the Baggs Road public access site in 12 to 15 feet of water. Try minnows or wax worms. A few more pike were caught over the last week. Try minnows in 12 to 15 feet of water in the flats between the access site at Baggs Road and the mouth of the Torch River. A couple big muskie were speared off Baggs Road. For yellow perch, lots of small ones have been caught off Baggs Road when using small minnows, wax worms or wigglers. A few bigger fish in the 7 to 10 inch range were caught by those willing to put in the time. Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens. Call Jack??s Sport Shop for the latest info @ 231-258-8892
Lake St Helen has been good this week for pike, walleye and panfish and has great ice conditions. Call Malcoms Sport @ 989-389-2100 for latest info
Sanford Lake at the first fill has been hot for crappie this week with minnow working best. Call Sanford Sport Shop @ 989-687-5161 for latest info.
Otsego Lake has a good perch bite with some walleye being caught and Bradford has nice perch being caught. Also some Stugeon being caught with three keepers last weekend. They have been seeing quite a few sturgeon in the evening. Call Stugeon Joe @ 989-732-5866 for the latest info.
Burt Lake has been good at Maple Bay for jumbo perch. I had reports that it was slow the last couple days as three guys caught 33 perch in five hours but they were from 10 to 14 inches.
Green Lake by Interlochen has been good for smelt off both access sites with halis and waxworms working best.
Traverse City - Good angling action near Traverse City on Long Lake and most inland lakes for walleye, blue gill and pan fish. Minnows, wax worms and spikes are popular. Anglers need to check the ice before attempting to walk on the ice.
Big Glen Lake - The warm weather did not seem to help the perch bite. Only those willing to move around caught fish as it seems the perch were moving through the feeding areas like clockwork. Minnows are the favorite but some are biting on wigglers. The bigger fish seemed to come in 30 to 40 feet of water east of the bridge. The ice was holding however there was a good inch of standing water after the rain.
Betsie River - Those willing to brave the cold could very well hook into an occasional steelhead.
Lake Missaukee - Lots of fisherman out this weekend catching gills and pike with ice conditions great.
Lake Cadillac - Pike are still active. Those using tip-ups or spearing have done well. Catch rates for panfish should improve by the weekend.
East Twin Lake - The top layer of ice was in pretty poor shape by mid week and there was plenty of water on top of the ice. Ice anglers may want to stay close to shore until cold weather can once again firm the ice back up. Some are targeting perch. They reported good days and some slow ones. Perch minnows worked best.
West Twin Lake - The top layer of ice here is also in pretty bad shape. Walleye anglers need to use extreme caution and fish the shallows until the ice firms back up. Some nice fish have been caught and those doing the best are using a plain rapala jig that looks like a minnow with no bait on it or a Swedish Pimple tipped with a minnow. Tip-up anglers are taking the occasional pike..
Lake Mitchell - This has been a good winter for pike anglers but the panfish action has been slow. Catch rates will improve once the weather stabilizes and warms up.
Indian Lake by Manistique has a good perch and walleye bite this week. South Manistique Lake - Still has good walleye action when jigging or using tip-ups. For those spearing, try the southeast side between the access site and Norton Island in 5 to 10 feet of water.
Brevoort Lake - Is still producing some nice bluegills on the northwest end of the lake near the campground. Look for walleye along the east shoreline in the early morning or late evening.
Munuscong Lake has decent ice at this time but the temperatures are extremely cold. A few brave soles are getting out and fishing for perch using minnows and reeling in some good sized fish.
Around St.Ignace a few anglers are getting out on Christiansen Bay and pulling in a few perch and walleye on minnows.
Lake Gogebic near the Bergland area is giving up a few walleye, pike and perch on minnows. However it has been so frigid that most anglers are staying indoors. Ice shanties are appearing on the north and south ends of the Lake as anglers are getting geared up for ice fishing this weekend.
Near the Alanson and Boyne areas, Burt, Crooked, Pickeral, Mullett, and Walloon lakes are all freezing up nicely, as well as most of the rivers and parts of Lake Charlevoix. Ice fishing should be able to commence this weekend; however anglers should use extreme caution when attempting to walk out on any body of water.
Saginaw Bay - The ice is sloppy and will continue to deteriorate with the warm up. Anglers need to use extreme caution and watch for pressure cracks and wind direction. This report may not reflect true ice conditions by the weekend. Walleye fishing has been good with the best bite at dawn or dusk. The average catch has been one or two legal fish per angler and some anglers are getting skunked while a few others are taking limit catches. Those heading out off Pine River Road and Palmer Road were going about six miles out to the Catfish Hole. Small perch were caught closer to shore. Off White’s Beach, try 10 to 12 feet of water near the Pinconning Bar. Off Erickson Road, head three to four miles out to the Black Hole. Off Linwood, head out three to four miles. Off the Bay City State Park, go northeast to 17 to 22 feet of water. At the Hot Ponds, those wading have caught walleye and pike when casting. Off Quanicassee, pike were speared off Vanderbilt Park. For Tietz Drain and Thomas Road, walleye anglers were heading out seven to nine miles and fishing 22 to 27 feet of water.
Saginaw River - The ice conditions have deteriorated to the point that it is no longer safe for ice fishing.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye catches were fair to good with the majority of fish caught in the north half of the bay and the better catches between Gladstone and the Center Reef. In Kipling, anglers were jigging rapalas in 27 to 40 feet of water. Tip-up anglers were taking good catches of northern pike with several fish over 40 inches. There has been a real surge in pike catches this year, especially in this area. Walleye action was fair near the mouth of the Escanaba River when jigging rapalas and minnows in 20 to 32 feet of water. At Gladstone, walleye were caught in 25 to 35 feet of water but many were sub-legal. Good catches of jumbo perch near Kipling when jigging minnows in 25 to 35 feet of water or using tip-ups with 3 inch minnows. Several nice catches were taken off Gladstone in the same depths. This has been the best year in some time for jumbo perch. Pike spearing was good off the “Buckeye” near Kipling in 8 to 10 feet of water and in the harbor at Escanaba in 6 to 18 feet of water. Whitefish reports remain steady throughout the bay with the best catches off Sand Point in 80 feet of water and off the Terrace Bay Inn in 45 feet of water. Recent warm weather created some water on the ice but travel was good as of this report. Warm temperatures along with rain this week could change ice conditions in a hurry.
Muskegon Lake- Perch fishing has been good. If the ice can hold on until the weekend, look for the action to continue. A few walleye and one brown trout were also caught. The ice was very slippery so you might want to bring along some cleats. Use caution and avoid any areas where there are pressure cracks or a current. Anglers will also want to keep a watchful eye for any boat traffic that might come through the lake.
White Lake - Yellow perch have been caught along the southwest portion of the lake including Indian Bay. Look for pike up in the narrows off Montague.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
Ice remains good around the Manistique area and warmer temperatures melted some of the snow making it easier for anglers to get out. However, angling activity is very minimal this week.
Anglers fishing all around the Munuscong Bay area are finding good fishing opportunities. Perch are hitting on minnows, and walleye activity is very good. Ice thickness averages between 25-35 inches.
St. Ignace anglers are doing well for walleye when they can get away from the crowds. Minnows seem to be working well on Brevort Lake. The ??Brevort Lake Ice Fishing Jamboree? gets underway Saturday, call 906-643-7289 or 906-643-6743 to pre-register. Entry fees have been reduced.
Anglers around Bergland experience extreme cold to mild temperatures in one week. Lake Gogebic is in rough shape with plenty of water over the ice, creating sloppy conditions. There is enough slush for anglers to get snowmobiles and four-wheelers stuck. Minimal fishing activity at this point.
Off of Marquette, ice on Lake Superior has blown out from high winds, leaving open water. Most rivers and inland lakes have plenty of water covering the ice thanks to mild temperatures this week. Many lakes have up to a foot of water covering the ice, creating the need for waders. Fishing activity is hit or miss.
Fishing is hit or miss around Escanaba this week. Big Bay De Noc is giving up walleye. The best activity is north of Gladstone in 30-feet of water. Anglers are using tip ups with sucker minnows for good results. Perch are found in 10-30 feet of water. The ice remains good, but is sloppy on top.
Northwest:
The warm weather increased perch and walleye activity for Alanson anglers. Ice remains good on Burt Lake and anglers are jigging with blues.
Good action around Boyne City where anglers are doing well on Walloon Lake, Thumb Lake and Lake Louise for perch, walleye, and splake. Lake Charlevoix is giving up perch and walleye near the east end. A variety of baits are working that include perch wigglers, blue spoons and Swedish Pimples in pink and chartreuse.
In Traverse City, Long Lake is producing plenty of blue gill for anglers and walleye activity on Arbutus Lake is hit or miss.
Around Kalkaska, the ice is good just about everywhere. Good activity taking place on Torch Lake for lake trout, whitefish and Burbot. Perch action is picking up on Skegemog Lake, and Lake Margrethe is giving up some walleye. Manistee is producing decent counts of crappie on blues, perch minnows and wigglers, while walleye are hitting on blues and grays.
Near Gaylord, anglers are doing well on Otsego and Bradford lakes and closer to Lewiston on Twin Lakes for walleye, pan fish and pike. The warmer weather has perked up the fish. Little blues and grey minnows seem to be working well and tip ups on walleye.
Everything is biting on Lake Cadillac, but don??t expect any limits on anything. Anglers are doing a lot of hopping holes for pike, sunfish and crappie. No patterns for anything. Sloppy conditions prevail on the ice due to plenty of standing water. The ice is very slick and anglers need creepers.
West:
Ludington anglers are experiencing a thaw right now due to very warm temperatures this week. A good amount of water covers the ice and the ice is very unpredictable at this point. No angling activity is currently taking place. By the weekend if the temperatures drop, angling activity is expected to improve.
Around the Baldwin area, very warm temperatures this week has left anglers with water up to their knees covering the ice. The Pere Marquette River has plenty of high and low areas, flowing ice chunks and ice jams. A few anglers are fishing for steelhead, but it is not recommended. A few anglers are fishing the backside of the Tippy Dam with spawn and wigglers. Idelwild Lake is giving up some small blue gill.
Warm weather and rain has created slippery conditions on the ice and currently anglers need cleats or creepers to get around. However, if rain continues the ice may become compromised and extreme caution should be taken. Perch action is very good to excellent in the deep water or central portion of the lake. Spikes, mousies, wigglers and jigging Rapalas, and large minnows under a tip up seem to be working well.
Chippewa Lake anglers continue to have very good conditions for pike and blue gill. Minnows seem to be doing the trick. Despite the warm weather, the ice remains thick with some water cover.
Grand Rapids anglers experienced very warm weather this week which left many lakes with lots of water on top of the ice, as well as ice flowing down the rivers. The Grand River is running very high this week, has flowing ice chunks, yet some anglers are attempting to fish for steelhead using spawn. Near the 6th Street Dam walleye are biting on green jigs. Morrison Lake is giving up a few crappie.
Northeast:
Au Gres anglers are finding a few walleye on small and glow in the dark Cleo??s, do-jiggers and jig Rapalas. The snow is gone and there is some water over the ice. With the warmer weather and windy conditions anglers need to take extra precaution.
Anglers fishing in Oscoda will find open water below the Dams and some steelhead action on spawn, wax worms and wigglers. Tawas Bay has decent ice fishing for big size pike and walleye. Anglers will need creepers to get around. The Au Sable River is giving up some blue gill, pan fish and perch on minnows, wax worms and wigglers.
Rain in the Alpena area this week has slowed angling activity. The ice is safe with only a little bit of standing water, but seems to be draining off well. The snow is gone and anglers can see the fish through the clear ice.
Grayling anglers are doing well on Manistee Lake for blue gill and Lake Margrethe for pike and musky. Perch action is picking up. Otsego Lake is giving up a few walleye and perch. Ice is very slippery with some standing water, you will need cleats.
Rain isn??t stopping anglers from fishing Houghton Lake, big blue gill are being caught on wax worms and walleye on blue shiner minnows with Rapalas. The ice is good and clear, still around 20-inches in thickness. The little bit of standing water on the ice is draining off. Anglers fishing off the shoreline need to watch for some thin ice as well as broken and jagged ice. Be smarter than the ice.
Good fishing on Higgins Lake just about everywhere. Lake trout are biting on gray shiners. Perch action is excellent but be prepared to do a lot of sorting. Smelt is good in the morning and evening hours.
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