Northwest Lower Peninsula Fishing Report
Salmon fishing is going strong. At this point, offshore is the place to be, in depths deeper than 100 feet. Heavy south winds pushed the fish deep so the piers and drowned river mouth lakes have not been as productive.
Harbor Springs: Had a small number of salmon and lake trout in and around the harbor. Boat anglers were fishing around Harbor Point. Chinook were caught 70 to 90 feet down and lake trout 100 to 130 feet down. Try spoons, flies and squid. Green and white was the hot color.
Petoskey: Some boat anglers did catch the odd salmon or lake trout. Most were fishing from the water treatment plant and east to the buoy just past the pier. Salmon were caught 100 to 115 feet down on glow spoons, meat rigs and flies. A few lake trout were also caught.
Bear River: Had a few salmon moving in even with the low water levels. Those fishing up near the dam caught the occasional fish on spawn or yellow flies.
Charlevoix: Salmon fishing was still a bit slow as anglers were averaging maybe one fish per trip. Boats are trolling 60 to 85 feet down in 120 feet of water between North Point and South Point. Try plugs, spoons, meat rigs and dodgers with flies or squid. Lake trout were 80 to 125 feet down in 120 to 250 feet. Pier anglers are still taking sub-legal bass but a good number were also keepers. Try just off the bottom with crawlers, leeches or minnows. Some nice rock bass were caught near the end of the piers.
Lake Charlevoix: Anglers are marking some large fish where Round Lake comes into Lake Charlevoix.
Traverse City: Those trolling in the East Bay caught chinook 60 to 110 feet down in 80 to 200 feet. Try blue and green spoons with flies or glow spoons early and late. A few lake trout were caught. Those looking for smallmouth bass were fishing 20 to 50 feet or deeper. In the West Bay, salmon were found 40 to 100 feet down. Try spoons, plugs and meat rigs or flies with flashers. Those jigging in 110 feet caught the occasional whitefish or lake trout.
Grand Traverse Bay has been good for perch off of M-72 with jumbo perch being caught.
Long Lake has been great for perch and walleye with leeches for walleye and preserved wigglers and minnows for perch.
Elk River: Fishing was relatively slow with only smaller bass and panfish caught on crawlers or leeches. No large number of salmon yet.
Boardman River: Had a few salmon. Anglers were targeting chinook with spawn, flies and stick baits.
Frankfort: Good numbers of large chinook salmon have been caught between the piers, straight out and near the Herring Hole. The fish were starting to stage. Many are trolling 30 to 90 feet down in 200 to 225 feet. Platte Bay has coho running in 40 to 80 feet. Spoons work best. Pier fishing was good between 2:00am and daybreak for those casting wobblers. Green, orange and blue were good colors.
Betsie River: The chinook are in and all the way up to the Homestead Dam.
Onekama: Had good fishing just outside the “Barrel” when trolling 40 to 80 feet down with J-plugs in chrome, splatter back and perch or meat rigs. Lake trout are hitting on cowbells and spin-glows throughout the day.
Portage Lake: Continues to have good bass fishing for those working the weed beds and along the drop offs. A nice largemouth bass was caught off the wall in the channel. Panfish are hitting on worms along the weed beds in the morning and moving to deeper water by afternoon.
Lake Cadillac: Catch rates were very good for panfish and bass.
Lake Mitchell: Has also been good for bass and panfish.
Manistee: Salmon have been caught 40 to 80 feet down in 80 to 200 feet of water off the Shelf. Glow spoons and plugs worked well in low light, standard size spoons and meat rigs have produced during mid-day. Pier and harbor fishing was slow.
Manistee River: Anglers have caught a few salmon in the lower river. Try fishing the deeper holes as the fish will seek out colder water. Bass fishing slowed a bit but those fishing near the brush piles in the early morning or late evening should find some fish.
Ludington: Salmon are 40 to 90 feet down in 80 to 160 feet of water. Spoons, plugs and meat rigs are all taking fish. Pier and harbor fishing was slow.
Pentwater: Fishing was fair. Salmon were caught 50 to 70 feet down in 80 to 90 feet or as deep as 150 to 180 feet. Meat rigs were the ticket this week however fish were also taken on pearl colored J-plugs or spoons. Bass were caught by those using live bait in the channel.
Awesome perch bite at Grand Haven and Holland on Lake Michigan