Baitman Fishing report

Bait Man Weekly Fishing Report

Michigan surface temperatures ran from about 48-55°F in the north to 55-65°F farther south. Fish fed well during morning and evening hours in the shallows and near structure. Live bait like crawlers and leeches, plus jigs and spoons, worked well. Weekend outlook (Thu-Sat):• Thursday: Partly to mostly sunny, highs in the mid-60s to low-70s°F, light winds. Good fishing ahead.• Friday: Sunny intervals, highs 68-75°F, light winds. Excellent for inland lakes.• Saturday: Scattered clouds with a chance of late showers or thunderstorms, highs in the low-70s°F. Fishable; hit the water early or late. Upper Peninsula: (5 most popular/most fished lakes per county, with notes)Alger County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Au Train Lake – Pike, perch and walleye active. Use live bait and jigs near river inflows and drop-offs in 10-25 feet.2. Fish Lake – Bass and panfish reliable. Bobbers with crawlers or small jigs in the shallows.3. Trout Lake – Trout and panfish. Try spoons or live bait in deeper cooler water.4. Sixteenmile Lake – Northern pike and perch. Fish weed edges and structure with spinners or live bait.5. Grand Sable Lake – Good mixed species action. Trolling and casting produced fish.Baraga County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Michigamme – Walleye, pike and smallmouth bass. Jigs and crawler harnesses near structure worked well.2. Otter Lake – Walleye, crappie, pike and bass. Live bait in 15-30 feet.3. Portage Lake – Multi-species including perch. Trolling and jigging effective.4. Twin Lakes – Panfish, bass and walleye. Good access with live bait.5. Alberta Pond – Panfish and bass. Family-friendly shallows with bobbers.Chippewa County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Brevoort Lake – Bass, pike and walleye. Live bait and jigs on drop-offs.2. Munuscong Lake – Walleye, perch and smallmouth. River connections hot.3. Caribou Lake – Smallmouth, pike and perch. Structure fishing good.4. Drummond Island lakes – Smallmouth and pike. Casting gobies or tubes.5. St. Marys River connected waters – Walleye and smallmouth. Drifts and jigs.Delta County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Little Bay de Noc – Walleye good around river mouths on crawler harnesses and jigs at dawn and dusk. Smallmouth on drop-offs with gobies. 2. Big Manistique Lake – Walleye, pike, perch and panfish. Live bait in shallows.3. South Manistique Lake – Walleye, pike and bass. Strong access.4. Indian Lake – Pike, bass, panfish and walleye. Weedlines productive.5. Camp 7 Lake – Family multi-species fishing.Dickinson County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Antoine – Bass, walleye, pike and perch. Easy access with live bait and jigs.2. Pine Lake – Walleye and bass. Fish structure and drop-offs.3. Hanbury Lake – Mixed walleye, bass and panfish.4. Lake Mary – Bass and panfish in the shallows.5. Menominee River impoundments – Walleye and smallmouth.Gogebic County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Gogebic – Walleye, jumbo perch, smallmouth and northern pike. Live bait and jigs on structure.2. Cisco Chain of Lakes – Multi-species including trout, musky, walleye, bass and panfish.3. Lac Vieux Desert – Walleye, bass and pike. Trolling and casting good.4. Bond Falls Flowage – Trout, bass and panfish.5. Lake of the Clouds – Smallmouth and trout.Houghton County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Portage Lake – Walleye, bass and perch. Deeper trolling.2. Otter Lake – Walleye, crappie, pike and bass.3. Twin Lakes – Panfish and bass in accessible shallows.4. Lake Fanny Hooe – Trout, splake, walleye, bass and perch.5. Emily Lake – Bass, walleye and panfish.Iron County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Chicagon – Walleye, bass, muskie and pike. Live bait effective.2. Fortune Chain of Lakes – Bass, walleye, pike and panfish.3. Lake Ottawa – Smallmouth bass on structure.4. Sunset Lake – Bass, walleye and panfish.5. Indian Lake – Perch and bass.Keweenaw County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Fanny Hooe – Trout, splake, walleye, bass and perch.2. Lake Medora – Trout and bass variety.3. Gratiot Lake – Bass and pike on weed edges.4. Lac La Belle – Multi-species action.5. Hunter’s Lake – Panfish and trout.Luce County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Big Manistique Lake – Walleye, pike and perch.2. Muskallonge Lake – Bass, pike and perch.3. Tahquamenon River connected lakes – Trout and walleye.4. Bodi Lake – Pike, bass, walleye and perch.5. Culhane Lake – Walleye, pike and bluegill.Mackinac County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Brevoort Lake – Bass, pike and walleye.2. Indian Lake – Pike, bass, panfish and walleye.3. Milakokia Lake – Bass, pike, walleye and perch.4. Round Lake – Bass, pike and panfish.5. Mackinac Island nearby waters – Smallmouth and perch.Marquette County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Michigamme – Walleye, pike and smallmouth.2. Deer Lake – Perch, bass and walleye.3. Lake Independence – Bass, pike, walleye and perch.4. Teal Lake – Multi-species.5. Harlow Lake – Bass, pike and panfish.Menominee County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Mary – Bass and panfish.2. Shakey Lakes chain – Bass, pike and perch.3. Menominee River impoundments – Walleye and smallmouth.4. Green Bay access lakes – Walleye and perch.5. Cedar River area lakes – Multi-species.Ontonagon County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Lake Gogebic – Walleye, perch and smallmouth.2. Bond Falls – Trout and bass.3. Ontonagon River impoundments – Walleye and smallmouth.4. Interior lakes near Porcupine Mountains – Brook trout and panfish.5. Lake Superior shoreline lakes – Mixed species.Schoolcraft County – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes:1. Indian Lake – Pike, bass, panfish and walleye.2. Big Manistique Lake – Multi-species.3. Colwell Lake – Panfish, bass and pike.4. McDonald Lake – Bass and pike.5. Thunder Lake – Pike, perch and bass.Northern Lower Peninsula – 5 Most Popular / Most Fished Lakes per County (with notes):Alcona County:1. Hubbard Lake – Perch and walleye strong on crawlers and jigs.2. Alcona Lake – Bass, pike and panfish in shallows with live bait.3. Clear Lake – Panfish and bass reliable.4. Brownlee Lake – Panfish and bass.5. Cedar Lake – Bass and pike on weed edges.Alpena County:1. Grand Lake – Perch and walleye top targets with live bait.2. Long Lake – Perch and walleye solid.3. Lake Besser – Bass and panfish.4. Thunder Bay River connected – Walleye.5. Devils Lake – Bass and pike.Antrim County:1. Torch Lake – Lake trout and smallmouth. Deep trolling or jigging.2. Elk Lake – Lake trout, smallmouth and perch.3. Skegemog Lake – Bass, pike and perch.4. Bellaire Lake – Bass and pike.5. Clam Lake – Mixed warmwater species.Benzie County:1. Crystal Lake – Bass, perch and trout.2. Platte Lake – Strong multi-species.3. Lower Herring Lake – Perch, bass and walleye.4. Upper Herring Lake – Bass and panfish.5. Bass Lake – Easy panfish and bass.Charlevoix County:1. Lake Charlevoix – Smallmouth, walleye and perch.2. Walloon Lake – Smallmouth, perch and trout.3. Round Lake – Bass, pike and panfish.4. Six Mile Lake – Bass and panfish.5. St. Clair Lake – Warmwater mixes.Cheboygan County:1. Mullett Lake – Walleye, bass and pike.2. Burt Lake – Walleye, smallmouth and perch.3. Black Lake – Walleye and bass.4. Douglas Lake – Mixed warmwater.5. Inland Waterway sections – Walleye and bass drifts.Crawford County:1. Higgins Lake – Trout and panfish.2. Beaver Lake – Walleye and bass.3. Manistee River impoundments – Walleye and bass.4. Dead Stream Flooding – Panfish and pike.5. Kettle Lake – Bass and perch.Emmet County:1. Crooked Lake – Bass, pike and panfish.2. Pickerel Lake – Warmwater reliable.3. Walloon Lake – Smallmouth and perch.4. Maple River impoundments – Walleye and bass.5. French Farm Lake – Multi-species.Grand Traverse County:1. Grand Traverse Bay – Smallmouth in shallows; lake trout jigging.2. Elk Lake – Trout and bass.3. Skegemog Lake – Bass and pike.4. Boardman Lake – Bass and trout.5. Spider Lake – Panfish and bass.Kalkaska County:1. Skegemog Lake – Bass, pike and perch.2. Elk Lake influence – Trout and bass.3. Manistee River sections – Walleye and bass.4. Starvation Lake – Panfish and pike.5. Big Twin Lake – Bass and perch.Leelanau County:1. Glen Lake – Bass, perch and trout.2. Lake Leelanau – Smallmouth and walleye.3. Platte Bay – Lake trout jigging.4. Lime Lake – Panfish and bass.5. Hatlem Lake – Mixed species.Manistee County:1. Manistee Lake – Chinook and smallmouth.2. Portage Lake – Bass and panfish.3. Hamlin Lake – Walleye and bass.4. Tippy Dam Pond – Walleye.5. Bear Lake – Panfish and bass.Mason County:1. Hamlin Lake – Walleye, bass and panfish.2. Pere Marquette Lake – Salmon, trout and bass.3. Bass Lake – Panfish and bass.4. Ludington Lake – Mixed bag.5. Lincoln Lake – Perch and bass.Missaukee County:1. Lake Missaukee – Walleye, bass and panfish.2. Clam River impoundments – Pike and walleye.3. Rose Lake – Bass and perch.4. Muskegon River area – Walleye.5. Dynamo Pond area – Panfish.Montmorency County:1. Grand Lake – Perch and walleye.2. Avery Lake – Bass and panfish.3. Thunder Bay River lakes – Walleye.4. Black River impoundments – Trout and bass.5. West Twin Lake – Mixed warmwater.Ogemaw County:1. Houghton Lake – Walleye and panfish powerhouse.2. Ogemaw Lake – Panfish and walleye.3. Rifle River impoundments – Trout and bass.4. Peach Lake – Bass and perch.5. West Branch Mill Pond – Bass and pike.Otsego County:1. Otsego Lake – Walleye, bass and panfish.2. Big Lake – Perch and bass.3. Black River lakes – Trout and bass.4. Lake Tecon – Mixed species.5. Dolph Lake – Panfish.Presque Isle County:1. Grand Lake – Perch and walleye primary.2. Long Lake – Multi-species.3. Bear Den Lake – Bass and panfish.4. Ocqueoc Lake – Walleye and bass.5. Lake Esau – Mixed bag.Roscommon County:1. Higgins Lake – Trout and panfish.2. Houghton Lake – Walleye and panfish.3. Backus Lake – Bass and pike.4. Cut River Flooding – Panfish.5. Lyman Lake – Walleye and perch.Wexford County:1. Cadillac Lake – Walleye, bass and panfish.2. Mitchell Lake – Walleye and bass.3. Manistee River impoundments – Salmon and walleye.4. Long Lake – Perch and bass.5. Lake Mitchell – Similar patterns.Weekly Lake Michigan Salmon Report – Eastport, Charlevoix, East & West Grand Traverse Bay, Leland, Frankfort, Manistee, Ludington, Whitehall, Muskegon:Fair to good mixed-bag action this week with scattered fish improving as waters warmed. Surface temps 48-65°F (cooler north, warmer south). Best depths 60-220 feet overall, with productive fishing often 70-140 feet or 100-200 feet near shelves, points and structure. Run lines 30-90+ feet down. Hot lures included green, blue and orange spoons, flasher-fly combos and meat rigs. Chinook led the mix with lake trout, some coho and steelhead. Early morning and evening best. • Eastport / Charlevoix: Lake trout and scattered Chinook in 100-150+ feet. Some cisco early with casting or jigging small spoons. Boat mixed bags possible.• East & West Grand Traverse Bay: Smallmouth bass active in shallows (5-15 feet) on tubes and swimbaits. Lake trout jigging deeper. Some scattered salmon near edges.• Leland: Lake trout strong while trolling the second bank in 100-150 feet (90-110 feet down). Scattered Chinook.• Frankfort: Good numbers of Chinook from the herring hole to Platte Bay. Trolling 40-100 feet down with spoons or meat rigs for larger kings. Lake trout jigging in Platte Bay 40-70 feet off the bottom.• Manistee: Chinook and lake trout along the shelf in 120-230 feet. Trolling spoons and flasher-fly combos 50-70 feet down produced well. Mixed bag action.• Ludington: Chinook around Big Sable Point in 90-120+ feet (45-70 feet down). Spoons worked best. Some suspended lake trout, coho and steelhead.• Whitehall: Salmon bite steady but slower than peak. Lake trout in 40-60 feet, coho and occasional steelhead shallower.• Muskegon: Fair numbers of scattered Chinook in 60-220 feet. Mixed with lake trout and steelhead. Trolling effective; watch for improving trends.Tight lines. BAITMAN. OUT. … See MoreSee Less

Not sure what they did but this new Familiar Bite Cut bait has been 🔥. It stays tight and the skin stays on till it gets ripped. … See MoreSee Less