Baitman Fishing report

🎣 Buc’s Fishing Report

Thursday, November 21, 2025⸻🌅 BAIT MAN’S MORNING BRIEFWe’re finally getting a little warm up, so a lot of folks might squeeze in one more trip before hard water arrives. Perch fishing has been excellent with strong reports coming out of Lake Skegemog and Torch Lake. Nothing huge, but lots of ten to eleven inch fish.Manistee Lake at Manistee has been really good for perch. PM Lake has been slow, and Pentwater has been spotty. White Lake continues to shine with excellent perch action and several limit catches reported. Big Glen and Lake Leelanau have both been producing respectable perch, with minnows working best.We’re also getting solid reports from Northport, Suttons Bay, and Bowers Harbor, with anglers finding some better fish mixed in. Walleye reports have been strong from Burt Lake and Long Lake by Traverse City. Burt and Mullett are producing perch as well.The good news — minnow catchers are finding a lot of big emerald shiners already this season, which means we should have a good live bait supply heading into winter.NORTHERN MICHIGAN WEATHERTraverse City RegionToday• High 47• Low 37• Wind: W 10 to 18 mph• Mostly cloudy with evening clearing• LightSaturday (11/23)• High 38• Low 27• Wind: NNW 12 to 22 mph• Cold and breezy, a few snow showersSunday (11/24)• High 40• Low 28• Wind: W 10 to 16 mph• Mix of clouds and sun, better fishing window⸻📉 BAROMETER — TODAY THROUGH SUNDAYThursday: 29.52 risingFriday: 29.71 steadySaturday: 29.88 falling mid-daySunday: 29.63 rising⸻🌙 MOON PHASE & BITE WINDOWSMoon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (Full Moon coming Nov 25)TODAY (Thu)• Major: 10:15 am to 12:15 pm• Minor: 4:55 am to 6:00 am, 5:10 pm to 6:15 pmFRIDAY• Major: 11:05 am to 1:05 pm• Minor: 5:50 am to 6:50 am, 6:00 pm to 7:00 pmSATURDAY• Major: 11:50 am to 1:50 pm• Minor: 6:35 am to 7:35 am, 6:45 pm to 7:45 pmSUNDAY• Major: 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm• Minor: 7:10 am to 8:10 am, 7:25 pm to 8:25 pm⸻🌊 RIVER FLOWSManistee River (Tippy Dam): 1610 cfs — good color, steelhead in the system.Pere Marquette (Baldwin): 489 cfs — early steelhead showing, spawn and beads.Betsie River: Up slightly, steelhead trickling in.Boardman River: Good stain, steelhead in deeper holes.Elk River: Several steelhead below the dam.Platte River: Coho mostly done, a few steelhead nosing in.Hesperia/White: Some steelhead below dam.Manistique River: Coho and steelhead mix, good color.⸻🟡 PERCH REPORTLake Skegemog: Excellent numbers, most fish ten to eleven inches.Torch Lake: Strong bite, lots of fish but scattered.Manistee Lake (Manistee): Very good bite, best with minnows.P.M. Lake: Slow.Pentwater Lake: Slow to fair.White Lake: Excellent, limits taken on minnows and wigglers.Big Glen Lake: Fair to good bite, better later in the day.Lake Leelanau: Steady bite, improves in late November.Northport: A few nicer fish mixed in.Suttons Bay: Fair, some sorting.Bowers Harbor: Fish found on flats, minnows best.Burt Lake: Fair perch, minnows best.Mullett Lake: Good perch on edges.Crystal Lake: Fair, fish sliding deeper.Portage Lake: Many smalls, some keepers.Muskegon Lake: Strong schools in forty plus feet.Drummond Island: Perch steady on minnows, worms, and wigglers.⸻⚡ WALLEYE REPORTBurt Lake: Strong evening jig bite.Long Lake (Traverse City): Good after-dark fishing.Mullett Lake: Fair, fish near Aloha.Lake Margrethe: Late-day jig bite.Manistee Lake (Kalkaska): Better on calm evenings.Otsego Lake: Good mix of perch and walleye.Indian Lake (Manistique): Great perch and walleye mixed action.Hamlin Lake: Steady on jig-and-minnow.⸻🪣 SMALLMOUTH BASS REPORTTorch Lake: Some fish hitting suckers and big minnows.Elk Lake: Deep breaklines still producing.Skegemog: Mixed perch and bass action.East Bay: A few late-season bass still being caught.Walloon Lake: Subtle plastics and hair jigs.⸻🧭 SAGINAW BAY / TAWAS / ALPENASaginaw Bay (Linwood to Sebewaing): Perch fair in 15–18 ft.Saginaw River: Early walleye activity around the bridges.Au Gres: Light perch action.Tawas: Shore anglers picking a few walleye.Oscoda: Pier steelhead slow.Harrisville: Trout slow.Alpena: Perch spotty near the marinas.Hubbard Lake: Walleye fair in twenty to thirty feet.⸻🐠 UP RIVERSAll rivers improving with cooler temps.Steelhead in the Manistique, Two Hearted, Tahquamenon, Chocolay, Ford, and Au Train.⸻🐟 UP LAKESIndian Lake, North Manistique, South Manistique, Muskallonge, Milakokia, Deer Lake, Au Train Lake, Teal Lake, Gogebic, Baraga Lake, Portage (Keweenaw), Peavy Pond, Camp 7, Thunder Lake, Bewabic, Michigamme, Big Bay de Noc, Little Bay de Noc — perch, walleye, and pike bites vary lake to lake but remain steady with cooling water.⸻🎯 CLARE • GLADWIN • HARRISON • MIDLANDBud Lake: Bluegill holding on edges.Arnold Lake: Crappie deep.Cranberry: Bluegill close to shore.Sutherland: Pike and panfish.Lake Thirteen: Excellent bluegill.Lancer Lake: Fair mixed panfish.Sugar Springs: Low water but fishable.Secord Lake: Good bluegill.Pratt Lake: Pike on minnows.Ross Lake: Walleye and crappie.Beaverton Lake: Steady panfish.Pleasant Lake: Fair mixed bite.⸻❄️ ICE FISHING PRODUCT OF THE DAYEskimo E40V Lite Electric AugerA lightweight, brushless electric auger designed for early- and mid-season ice. Fast cuts, quiet, no fumes, and easy to run with gloves. Designed for twelve to fourteen inch ice with excellent battery management — a perfect upgrade for anglers going all-electric in 2025–26.⸻Fish smart, fish hard, and tight lines — Bait Man out. … See MoreSee Less