Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

46 minutes ago

FIRST ANNUAL LUDINGTON BIG KING BONANZA
What: A Big King Tournament consisting of one division; with two different fishing periods. The first tournament spans from Thursday April 15th at 12:00 AM until Saturday July 3rd at 11:59 PM. The second tournament spans from Monday July 5th at 12:00 AM until 11:59 on the Saturday before Labor Day, September 4th, 2021. There will be an awards ceremony broadcasted on Facebook Live at Captain Chucks on Sunday July 4th at 2:00 in the afternoon for the first tournament winner(s)… as well as an awards ceremony also broadcasted on Sunday September 5th at 2:00 PM for the winner(s) of the second tournament.
Where: Any fish caught out of the Port Cities of Ludington, Pentwater, Muskegon, Whitehall, Manistee, Onekama, or Frankfort… basically any port city falling in between the Ports of Muskegon and Frankfort. For those fishing rivers, tributaries, and Lakes connected to Lake Michigan, Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Manistee, and Benzie counties are the decided fishing counties.

How to Register: Kindly stop at or mail your payment and registration form to Captain Chucks in Ludington. Cash only please! Let’s keep it simple!! If mailing, please write “CC: Big King Bonanza” on the envelope so it can get to the appropriate parties
Registration Costs: You may register for this tournament via one of two methods… either individually or by the boat. Your registration fee will cover you or your entire boat (depending on how you decide to register) for the period in which you register.
If registering individually the cost is $20 per person with the
option to pay an extra $5 to register for a winner takes all big Lake Trout division.
If registering by the boat the cost is $100 with the option to pay an extra $25 to enter in to a winner takes all Big Lake trout division.
You may register for either or, or both Chinook Salmon and Lake trout divisions.
The payout structure for big king will be as follows:
-If $1,999 or less are received in registration fees the payout will be the winner takes all…
-If $2,000-$3,499 are received in registration fees, the payout will be 70/30 for First and Second Places. For example, if we have exactly a $3,000 pot, $2,100 will be paid to the winner and $900 will be paid to the runner up…
-If $3,500-$4,999 are received in registration fees the payout will be 70/20/10 for First, Second, and Third places. For example, if we have exactly $4,000 in our pot payouts will be…
*First place-$2,800
*Second place-$800
*Third place-$400
-If $5,000-$7,999 are received in registration fees, the payout will be 45/25/15/10/5 for First through fifth places. For example payouts for a pot of exactly $5,000 would be… *First place-$2,250
*second place-$1,250
*Third place-$750
*Fourth place-$500
*Fifth place-$250
-If we receive $8,000 or more in registration fees, payouts will be 35/20/15/10/8/6/4/2 for the top 8 fish… for example, if we have $10,000 exactly in registration fees payout will be: *First place-$3,500
*Second place-$2,000
*Third place-$1,500
*Fourth place-$1,000
*Fifth place-$800
*Sixth place-$600
*Seventh place-$400
*Eighth place-$200
There will be an awards ceremony done at Captain Chucks on Sunday July 4th and again on Sunday September 5th at 2:00 PM for the trophy presentations and cash payouts. Both tournaments will have the same payout structures as listed above. If you cannot attend, they will also be broadcasted on Facebook Live.
As mentioned before, the lake trout division will be winner takes all
Questions?
Contact Captain Chucks (75 N. Jebavy Dr. Ludington, MI 49431, (231) 843-4458) or
Logan Wessendorf (loganvwessendorf@gmail.com, (231) 224-3603).
Once registered, you will receive a business card with Scott Keegstra’s personal cell phone on it in case you need to get a hold of him for after hours weigh in… You may also contact Logan Wessendorf (number listed above) if and when this situation arises…
Rules and Regulations
This is a tournament (or derby if you go by Wisconsin standards) intended to give every angler who registers a shot at winning. Many smaller boats and more novice anglers cannot win a regular tournament because they are unlikely to catch the ten or twelve fish needed to place, as is the standard for the tournaments up and down the Lake. Anyone can catch that one special fish to win this derby, so long as you are in the right place, at the right time, with the right bait.
We will have a leaderboard at Captain Chucks. Additionally, a Facebook page (facebook.com/TBD) is in place where weekly rankings will be posted and friendly dialogue can take place.
Tiebreaker rules: Captain Chucks’ scales are accurate to the one one-hundredth of a pound; however in the rare event of a tie, the overall length of the salmon, to the closest one-eighth of an inch wins. If both fish are exactly the same weight and length, the fish caught the earliest in the season wins. If both fish were caught on the same day, a simple coin toss will determine the winner.
General Rules: As mentioned earlier, this fishing tournament spans from 12:00 AM on
Thursday April 15th until 11:59 PM on Saturday July 3rd, and again from 12:00 AM on Monday July 5th until 11:59 PM on Saturday September 4th 2021. Any Chinook Salmon or Lake Trout caught in between this time period is eligible to be weighed.
The physical fish must be present at Captain Chucks in Ludington to be weighed and counted. A picture of your monster fish, weighed and released will not be entered. It must be weighed on our official Tournament Scale at Captain Chucks.
Scott at Captain Chucks has graciously agreed to have a staff member weigh fish Even if it is after hours… So if you are from out of town and catch that one special fish, and are willing to make the trip, rest assured, someone will be there to weigh it.
If you catch a King, late in the day on July 3rd, or late in the day on September 4th, please keep in mind that it is your responsibility to get back to Captain Chucks before midnight to weigh your fish. We will have someone on stand by on both nights for this very scenario, however as previously stated, any angler attempting to weigh their fish on or after midnight will not be permitted to do so…
Any legal rod and reel fishing method is acceptable, including but not limited to trolling, jigging, casting, dead sticking with live bait, fly fishing, center pin, etc. Fish must be caught legally in the mouth!! Remember, any lake or river connected to Lake Michigan in Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Manistee, or Benzie counties as well as Lake Michigan itself from as far South as the Port of Muskegon to as far North as the Port of Frankfort constitutes as legal fishing waters… Be aware that the limitations of this tournament are classified by the Port City in which you depart, not by the exact location in which the fish was caught… so if you depart Frankfort and end up fishing North; in to waters of a neighboring County, you CAN weigh your fish because you departed from am eligible port…that being said, the fish must be caught in Michigan waters…
This is a big king tournament only. There is a separate Big Lake Trout Division you may choose to enroll in… we will not accept any other species, including but not limited to Steelhead or rainbow trout, brown trout, or coho salmon…
There is no cut off date for this tournament. If you would like to register the week before Labor Day weekend, you can. However, you must be registered beforehand to weigh in a fish. In our efforts to discourage cheating, you cannot weigh a fish until after 24 hour of registering for either tournament. In addition, fish must be weighed no more than twelve hours after the fish was landed
There are no limits to the amount of fish you weigh, so if you weigh a 31 pounder, and
the next day you upgrade to a 33 pounder, by all means, you are allowed to weigh that second fish. It is possible for one person or boat to win multiple places if they weigh multiple winning fish…
This is a fun tournament, and is intended to be that way. Any angler caught cheating will be immediately disqualified, and a decision will have to be made about their future eligibility in this contest. We reserve the right to administer a polygraph test to any potential winners. Also, we reserve the right to check the stomach contents of any fish being weighed for foreign objects intended to increase the weight of the catch…Additionally, any harassment or foul language on the facebook page will not be tolerated. Have fun, and be safe on the water!
Registration Form First Annual Ludington Big King
Bonanza 2021
____Check this box for an individual person registering for $20 (+$5?)
____Check this box for a boat registering for $100 (+$25?)
Name (first and last): __________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________________ City:_______________________ State:_______________ Zip Code:____________
Phone Number:________________________________________________________ Email Address:________________________________________________________

——————————————————————————————————————–
Registration Form Proof of Enrollment for our Records
Name (first and last): _______________________________ Address: __________________________________________
City:_____________State:______________Zip
Code:_________
Phone Number:_______________________________________ Email Address:________________________________________
Check Box to Indicate the applicable divisions registered: ___Individual _____Boat Check species: ___Both ___King Salmon only ___Lake Trout only … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

1 day ago

ELK LAKE MONSTER ! 56 INCHES … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

2 days ago

Fishing report 2/25/21

Photo is of Mark Martin as he reports from Mullett Lake in Cheboygan Michigan doing his ice seminars by the pro staff at Mullett Lake icefishing vacation school !!!!! It made me look good during One of my days of practice.

The reports are getting better this week as many report the fish have started biting again. The warm up has cause slush on may lakes making hard to get around.

Crystal Lake is froze with 6 inches of ice off of Lobb Rd. but reports have been slow bite on perch and smelt with a few lake trout.

Big Glen has many trying their luck for perch and some have reported good catches of nice perch and some are only finding small perch.

Duck and Green Lake by Interlochen are reporting pike fishing has picked up also lake trout are being caught. Some Smelt out of green lake with waxworms and Halis working best.

Long Lake by Traverse City has been slow with reports of lots of snow and slush.

Lake Skegemog by Kalkaska reports a great perch bite but lots of small ones so bring lots of minnows as you sort the bigger one to eat.

Mullet Lake has been fair on the walleye.

Torch Lake is froze with the North end many are tryin g for Burbot.

Otsego Lake has started to produce again the last couple days with perch and walleye biting.

Lake Margrethe is reporting a better bite this week with pike, walleye, gills and perch biting.

Higgins Lake: Was producing catches of smelt and some nice perch for the first time in years as some in the 12 inch class. Smelt fishing was fair at night. Lake trout were found in 80 to 100 feet. Large pike were caught off the first drop-off..

Houghton Lake: The walleye bite was starting to pick up in 12 feet or so when using glow jigs. Small perch and other panfish were hitting late afternoon and again about 3 in the morning.

Manistee County: Portage Lake, Manistee Lake, Bear Lake and surrounding lakes had steady fishing but slush on lake making hard to get around

Emmet County: Evenings are producing fair numbers of walleye on Crooked and Pickerel lakes. Crooked Lake had good pike and perch fishing.

Charlevoix County: Cisco fishing was active on Lake Charlevoix but has since slowed. The evening bite for walleye was good on Walloon Lake. Inland lakes in the area have slush on top of the ice, which is making travel more difficult for quads and other vehicles.

White Lake: Perch, bluegill and pike have been caught. The ice thickness was not consistent in a few of the deep areas. Spearing seems to yield more pike than tip-ups. Anglers are accessing on both the north and the south side.

Saginaw Bay: Lots of anglers have been out, but catch rates were slow. There is a large pressure crack roughly a mile to a mile and a half offshore that runs from the state park up past Linwood toward Pinconning. The crack has been a trouble spot for those trying to cross it, especially for quads, because of the pockets of open water. Walleye were caught near Buoy #1 in 30 feet, at the Spark Plug in 20 to 30 feet and near the Black Hole in 26 feet. Perch were found off the end of Linwood Road in 4 feet, near the range light at the mouth of the Saginaw River and up to the Pine River area when using perch rigs with minnows. Reports vary day to day, but those fishing shallow and staying away from the crowds seem to do better. On the east side, perch fishing activity was limited at Vanderbilt Park and from Sebewaing to Bay Port. Fish were caught in Wildfowl Bay, but most were small. Walleye anglers were going out anywhere from 3 to 15 miles and fishing in 17 to 28 feet. Success was limited off Finn Road, where anglers were going out 12 miles. Fish were marked out by the shipping channel, but they did not want to bite.

Saginaw River: With the warmup this week, ice conditions could change, so anglers should carry a spud to check the ice. Walleye anglers are getting lots of undersize fish but not a lot of keepers. Anglers are fishing the entire system from Saginaw to the mouth in Bay City. Some are fishing multiple access points in one day as they try to find fish that are more active. Most are using jigging raps, lead jigs, small spoons or a single hook with minnows just off the bottom.

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye were caught along the drop-off near Escanaba. Anglers are using tip-ups with sucker minnows, jigs and raps. No word on perch.

Munising: Fishing pressure was down, as catch rates were very slow with few fish being caught. Most angler trips resulted in few bites and no fish. Ice conditions were stable, but caution still needs to be used.

Luce County: Anglers on Frenchman’s Lake and Trout Lake were getting walleye, some perch and other panfish.

Munuscong Bay: Is producing some walleye out near the channel.

Cedarville and Hessel: Those fishing throughout the Les Cheneaux Islands were getting some perch. … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

1 week ago

Cold weather has slowed the bite. Most lakes are reporting slow bite as the sub zero weather has made fish dormant as we need a warm up to get water running back into the lakes to put oxygen in the lake to get the fish active again.

Crystal Lake and Torch lake have went over so these two lakes should have a bite as it will be first ice.

Most my sport shops reports slow bite everywhere but the warm up should get the bite going again.

Higgins Lake

Has just a couple inches of snow on the ice. Watch the pressure crack between Point Detroit and Flag Point. Lake trout can be found in 80 feet and deeper when using tip-ups or jigging with golden shiners or smelt. Rainbow trout can be found in the shallows between Big Creek and the Conference Center. Smelt anglers can be found between West Street and the North State Park however anglers may find smelt anywhere in 40 feet or less.

Lake Charlevoix

Those targeting Cisco have done well on the main basin when fishing off Hemingway Point.

Grand Traverse County

Ice conditions are not as great as they were a couple of weeks ago on lakes in the Traverse City area due to snow cover resulting in quite a bit of slush which is making it difficult for anglers traveling by foot. The perch action on Duck Lake near Interlochen was steady but the fish were small.

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell

Both lakes had very light fishing pressure with the extremely cold weather. The next warmup should help get more anglers out and improve the bite

Hamlin Lake

Ice anglers were targeting bluegills in the bayous. Crappie were found along the drop-offs.

White Lake

Pike anglers were on the east end near the Narrows. Some are using tip-ups while others are spearing.

Saginaw Bay

On the west side there are at least five open pockets of water and machines have gone in, so extreme caution needs to be used. There is open water straight out from Linwood, an area south and a little east of the “Black Hole,” up near Pinconning, off Cody Esty Road, and straight out from Whites Beach. On the east side there is open water off Callahan Road. Cracks are everywhere so anglers need to use extreme caution as the pressure cracks are changing depending on wind direction and speed. There is a lot of rough ice, jagged cracks and large snowdrifts making travel much more difficult, especially for quads.

A couple walleye were caught off Linwood Road in 22 feet and yellow perch were caught in 3 to 4 feet. Near Pinconning, pike were speared in 5 feet. Walleye were also caught in the Blackhole off Erickson Road. On the east side, walleye were caught about nine miles out from Finn Road in 23 feet. Yellow perch are finally starting to show up at Vanderbilt Park and were caught in 8 to 10 feet. Pike were speared in 4 to 6 feet. Perch fishing was inconsistent along the east side as anglers are sorting through a lot of small ones between Sebewaing and Bay Port. Fish were seen in Wildfowl Bay, but the bigger ones did not want to bite. No word on walleye, pike, or lake trout.

Saginaw River

Has had a good number of anglers. Walleye fishing was slow overall with only a few areas producing some smaller eating size fish. Most are doing a lot of sorting. Catch rates were not significant with only 2-4 keepers if lucky. The better spots were the Zilwaukee access site, Crow Island on the north side of the Zilwaukee Bridge in 24 feet, and at the mouth in 23 feet. Mornings were best with an orange or clown colored jigging rapala.

Ice anglers were targeting bluegills in the bayous. Crappie were found along the drop-offs.

Little Bay De Noc

Ice conditions improved, and anglers were fishing all the way down to Escanaba. Lots of anglers are walleye fishing, however catch rates have been spotty. Yellow perch fishing was fair to good.

Munising

Fewer anglers have been out due to bitter cold temperatures. Those that have gone out reported nice catches of coho and quality size splake. Whitefish numbers were low. Those targeting lake trout were starting to head out. Schools of smelt were scattered off Sand Point and the Anna River. … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report Buc’s Northern Michigan Fishing Report is in Higgins Lake, Michigan.

2 weeks ago

Dustin Wilson reports from Higgins Lake Had a great weekend up there Ice fishing . #icefishing #icefishinglife #icefishingnation #puremichiganfishing #livebait #livebaitfishing #bucsbait #bucsfishingreport #puremichigan #fishingreports #michiganfishing #icefishingmichigan #northernmichiganfishing #fishing … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

2 weeks ago

Osborns Big Ice Fishing Contest Feb 13th and 14th

Here is our Big Ice Fishing Contest Brochure. We will have a lot of good safe ice this year so come on out and enter. Bring the kids as we love seeing the new fishing generation! We are really getting excited as it is this coming Saturday and Sunday, which is also Free Fishing Weekend. You can enter in person at our store, over the phone with a card or from our website, just click the link below for the entry form from our website- You can pick the Adult or Kids entry form which pays through pay pal. www.osbornssportshop.com … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

2 weeks ago

Fishing Report 2/11/21

Fishing has been slow this week most places reporting cold weather has slowed bite.

A few fish are being caught but most report bite is slow and fishing pressure is light as it is really cold out.

South Lake Leelanau
Ice reports are good with snowmobiles and quads all over. Good amount of snow with some slush spots, especially the southern end. Bite has been hit and miss with not as many people out this past week due to the frigid temps.
Call Greg at 231-624-6201 the Lake Leelanau Narrows Resort Bait & Tackle for Leelanau reports. We carry a full line of live bait & tackle. Also doing personal guided trips on Leelanau, contact Lake Effect Fishing Charters

This upcoming coming weekend is Michigan’s Winter Free Fishing Weekend! Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday Feb. 14, both Michigan residents and nonresidents can fish for free. While no license is required, all regulations still apply. Even with the extremely cold temperatures, anglers are reminded to use caution. Never go out alone, take a cell phone, check the ice ahead of you with a spud and stay away from pressure cracks as well as any inlets or outlets where there is a constant current.

Cheboygan County: Burt Lake has slow catch rates for perch and walleye. The fish being caught are good size, but the numbers are low. Mullett Lake was producing some perch.

Montmorency County: Voyer Lake had good bluegill action. Clear Lake had moderate splake catches along with perch. Both East and West Twin Lake were slow, with only a few walleye and perch taken. Trout fishing picked up on McCormick Lake. Lake Fifteen was producing a few smelt and brown trout.

Fletchers Pond: Anglers caught small perch and pike.

Higgins Lake: Has a good number of anglers out on the ice. Anglers should avoid the areas with springs, inlets and outlets and near the points. The smelt action was good between West Street and the North State Park, where fish were hitting spikes and wax worms anywhere from 3 feet to 40 feet down. Smelt anglers are also getting a few cisco. Perch fishing was fair to good. Lake trout were found at 80 feet and deeper. Rainbow trout were still being caught in the shallows.

Houghton Lake: Was producing some nice perch. Bluegills and the occasional crappie were taken on small jigs with spikes, wax worms or wigglers. Anglers are reporting fewer northern pike. Walleye fishing was slow.

Lake St. Helen: Panfish and an occasional walleye were caught on the Third Lake.

Grand Traverse County: Both the East and the West Bay had open water. Anglers have caught fish through the ice on Lake Dubonnet, Long Lake and Silver Lake.

Leelanau County: A few limit catches of walleye were taken on the south end of South Lake Leelanau. On Little Glen Lake, the perch bite was slow. The occasional steelhead was seen in the Crystal River.

Benzie County: Ice conditions on the inland lakes are improving. Those on the smaller lakes have caught panfish.

Lake Missaukee: Fishing activity was slow, but anglers were getting a few walleye and perch.

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell: Had fewer anglers, as cold temperatures have kept many off the ice. Though the bite has been slow, those braving the elements did find some panfish.

Little Bay de Noc: Perch have been caught off Kipling. Walleye were caught off Escanaba when fishing along the drop-off. Anglers are using jigging raps and tip-ups with sucker minnows.

Munising: Fishing pressure decreased with the brutal cold weather and up to 12 inches or more of snowfall. Wind chills have been as low as 25 below with north winds. A few anglers were out; however, catch rates for coho, whitefish and splake were down. Whitefish were in 50 to 60 feet. Some were marking smelt. Schools of coho were coming through, but not everyone caught fish. The bite was best in the morning.

Big Manistique Lake: Was producing a fair number of walleye.

St. Marys River: A few whitefish were caught in Ashmun Bay. Perch were caught in Fowlers Bay.

Cedarville and Hessel: A fair to good number of perch were caught off Cedarville by those jigging minnows. Perch were also caught in Hessel Bay. No word on splake. … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

3 weeks ago

West Higgins Lake Hardware reports Emma wants to know how everyone is doing out on the ice… show us your recent catches! WHLH is fully stocked with bait and tackle! Tight lines 🎣🐟Ice fishing . #icefishing #icefishinglife #icefishingnation #puremichiganfishing #livebait #livebaitfishing #bucsbait #bucsfishingreport #puremichigan #fishingreports #michiganfishing #icefishingmichigan #northernmichiganfishing #fishing … See MoreSee Less

Buc's Northern Michigan Fishing Report

3 weeks ago

Fishing Report 2/2/2021

Fishing has picked up the last two days with a storm coming in by tomorrow 30 + winds will make fishing tough.

Greg Alsip reports from Lake Leelanau bait and Tackle
Walleye bite has been slow
Majority of people have been on south lake looking for walleye and perch. The perch bite has been pretty well in 8-14’ of water with minnows. Hoping this cold snaps helps with the bite.
Call 231-624-6201 for reports, live bait & tackle and guided ice trips.
Lake Leelanau Narrows Resort
Lake Effect Fishing Charters

Scott from Captain Chucks 2 reports from Ludington
Perch fishing on PM is steady lots of sorting, inland lakes good pike fishing and lots of ice.
Hamlin lake has good pike action the crappie bite has slowed up as well as the bluegill bite. Call (231) 843-4458 for the latest fishing info around Ludington

Higgins Lake ice is getting better I saw lots of quads out on the lake. They are catching perch, lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, pike, smelt and a few whitefish. Perch bite has been good with nice size perch this year.:More anglers are starting to get out on the ice, though caution still needs to be used. Call Sport Barn 898-821-9511 or West Higgins Lake Hardware 989-

Houghton Lake: Ice fishing continues, though anglers will need to watch the pressure cracks and for ice movement caused by strong winds. Avoid the areas near the river and creek mouths also. Some nice bluegills, crappie and a few perch have been caught right at sunset using small jigs with wax worms, spikes and mousies, or try wigglers. Walleye slowed; however, the bite was best late at night. Bass fishing was good, and a few big pike were caught.

Lake Skegemog reports the last two days the bigger perch finally started biting with wiggler and minnows working best.

Long Lake by Traverse City getting mixed reports on the bite for perch and walleye.

Green Lake by Interlochen has lots of shanties out and catching smelt, pike, perch and a few Lake Trout.

Duck Lake by Interlochen has been fair on pike, and a few lake trout.

Bear Lake by Bear Lake has slowed down as most are now heading to Portage Lake where most are still fishing in town but cold temps should help getting out in deeper water. Pike, walleye and perch are being caught on Porage.

Manistee Lake at Manistee has ice with good pike and perch bite.

Lots of people out on Hamlin Lake with a good bite this year.

Otsego Lake has slowed down this week.

Burt Lake: Anglers fishing along the east side reported slow catch rates for pike, walleye and perch.

Black Lake has been fair for pike, walleye and perch.

Mullet lots of shacks out and the perch and walleye bite has been fair.

Lake Margrethe: Ice anglers are targeting perch, walleye and pike. Bluegill and rock bass were found in the weed beds.

Crooked Lake: In Antrim County was producing a good number of pike on the east side, but most were undersize. Small perch were caught along with the occasional keeper. Pike were hitting on minnows and the perch were hitting wax worms.

Saginaw Bay: The bay has ice; however, IT IS NOT SAFE TO TRAVEL OFFSHORE, AND TAKING MACHINES OUT IS NOT RECOMMENDED AS ANGLERS AND MACHINES HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ICE. Those perch fishing near shore report various ice thickness where new ice has formed. Much of the bay has ice piled very high from strong winds. Those heading out should take a spud to test the ice ahead of you. Perch were targeted north of Linwood up to the Pine River in 2 to 4 feet. The trick is to move around and avoid crowds where noise will spook the fish. No walleye catches anywhere on the bay, as ice thickness was not safe to travel any distance. Fishing on the east side was slow at Vanderbilt Park. There were pockets of open water in front of Sunset Marina. At Finn Road, anglers were still catching small perch at the boat launch. Watch for areas of open water between Sebewaing and Bay Port. Fishing was slow, with only a few small perch caught. Wildfowl Bay was hit or miss on perch, and most were small.

Saginaw River: Ice was starting to form; however, EXTREME CAUTION NEEDS TO BE USED AS ICE THICKNESS VARIES GREATLY AND ANGLERS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ICE. Some were seen at almost all access points, but walleye fishing was slow and worth waiting until the ice firms up. Many sublegal fish were caught as well as a few keepers at First Street and downstream at Veterans Park. The mouth of the river had the best fishing, with anglers getting perch in the channel in 32 feet with perch rigs and minnows.

Keweenaw Bay: Ice was starting to form near shore. EXTREME CAUTION NEEDS TO BE USED, AS IT IS EARLY ICE. Anglers need to be aware of changing ice conditions, especially with a south wind.

Little Bay de Noc: Ice conditions were widely inconsistent around the bay. Good ice at the head of the bay has created a false sense of safe ice, as it may be a foot thick in one area and less than an inch nearby. Several anglers have fallen through the ice recently, either walking or operating snowmobiles and ORV’s. EXTREME CAUTION NEEDS TO BE USED. Areas of special concern include Saunders Point, Hunters Point, the access site at Fayette and Ogontz, Farmers Dock, and near the mouth of the Escanaba, Days and Ford rivers.

Munising: Ice anglers are out on the bay, and more ice shanties are popping up. ICE CONDITIONS ARE NOT CONSISTENT, SO ANGLERS NEED TO USE CAUTION, ESPEICALLY WITH MODERATE SNOWFALL AND STRONG WINDS IN THE FORECAST. Avoid the channels and Grand Island Access areas. There is a large pressure crack off Powell Point. Anglers are getting splake, coho, whitefish, burbot and perch, including some limit catches by those putting in the time. Fishing pressure was high in the mornings off the Anna River Access, the city docks and Sand Point. Splake were hitting jigs with minnows or wax worms in the bottom 6 feet. Coho were slow, with anglers getting maybe one fish per hour. Those spearing for herring reported slow catch rates. Those targeting burbot were seen off Sand Point and off the Anna River.

Grand Marais: A few anglers have started ice fishing in the harbor for coho and Menominee, but no reports have come in.

Cedarville and Hessel: There is ice fishing activity in Musky Bay, and a few anglers were out in Government Bay and the Cedarville Channel; however, ice conditions were unknown. Those out were taking 6- to 10-inch perch when jigging minnows. A few pike were caught. The ice in Hessel Bay was variable, with more on the east side than the west side. Perch fishing picked up with 7- to 10-inch fish caught when jigging minnows in 14 to 17 feet. A few splake ranging from 20 to 26 inches were also caught when jigging spoons in 10 to 16 feet.

Kalkaska County: Anglers are targeting walleye and perch, though the bite was slow on Manistee Lake. Cub Lake is producing bluegill and sunfish.

Grand Traverse County: The ice continues to firm up on Duck, Green and Long Lake. Small perch were caught on Green Lake. Ice shanties were seen off the Betsie River Road launch, where anglers are no doubt targeting smelt. Smaller inland lakes in the area are providing panfish opportunities.

Benzie County: Most of the smaller inland lakes had fishable ice. Catch rates were fair for bluegills and perch. Big Platte Lake has been producing a few walleye and perch. Crystal Lke has froze in Beluah but no ice reports yet.

Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell: Ice fishing continues; however, the bite must have slowed, as not many anglers were out. … See MoreSee Less