Free Fishing Weekend Northern Michigan Report

huge_LakerHuge Lake Trout out of Higgins Lake along with lots of smelt off the west access site

 

Northwestern Michigan

 

Leroy- Reports are guys are getting out and gills are biting with good pike action Call Eye’s Have It for latest info 231-768-5653

 

Baldwin- The little lakes around  Baldwin are safe and pan fish has been fair.  Call Baldwin Bait @ 231-745-3529 or  Ed’s Sport @ 231-745-4974

 

Big Glen- The lake is froze with 5 to 8 inches of ice, they are catching perch, trout and ciscoe’s. Had many reports of guys catching 12 to 14 inchers but there is no pattern on the bite as it has been later in the day and when they bite it last for about an hour.  Call Fishhook@ (231) 256-9496

 

Little Glen- Has ice the perch are biting fair Call Fishhook@ (231) 256-9496.

 

Lake Leelanau: North Lake Leelanau has ice and a good perch and walleye bite, South Lake Leelanau is froze with 5 to 8 inches of ice and fair walleye, perch and pike. Call Fishhook@ (231) 256-9496 for latest info

 

Manistee Lake by Kalkaska-  Good fishing this week with perch, pike, walleye and a few gills in the canals ice is 10 to 15 inches Call Jacks Sport Shop 231-258-8892

 

Spider Lake and Arbutus- 10 to 12 inches of ice with pike and pan fish biting, a huge pike was caught out of there last week Call Roy’s General Store @ 231-946-5633

 

Duck Lake: Lots of fisherman off of Strawberry Point and the penisula

 

Green Lake: The smelt fishing has been great with reports of 100 or more at night quite a few guys out today. Spikes and waxworms on Hali Jigs.

 

Long Lake:  They are fishing the whole lake with the better bite off of Cresant shores and a great perch bite.  They are catching nice perch but lots of short walleye. Call MC Sports @ 231-933-6158

 

Skegemog- Has completely froze over and lots of people are walking out also quads a driving with many shanties on the lake. The perch have been biting they last few days.They have been seeing some nice muskie’s Call Jack’s Sport Shop@231-258-8892

 

Fife Lake- Has ice and a few big pike have been caught, along with perch  There was a bunch of guys off the access site today. Call Lakeside Party @ 231-879-4346

 

Portage Lake-  They were out in force today on Portage with a awesome perch bite as a big school has moved in from Lake Michigan. Many limit catches with perch running up to 14 inches. Also they have been catching whitefish this week along with pike and walleye. Osborn’s Big Fish Contest. 

The dates of the 2013 Contest are February 15th, 16th

and 17th. The same as free fishing weekend Onekama will

have a poker run I think Saturday night, and the Lions will

have pancake Breakfast Sunday morning at the fair

grounds.

The entry fee will be $10.00 for Adults this year
and $5.00 for Children – 14 years and younger. The

contest will again include all of Manistee and Benzie

county lakes. You can enter at the Sports Shop or call 231-889-3775

 

 

Call Osborne’s@ 231-889-3775

 

Hamlin Lake- Has safe ice and many out and about catching crappie and gills with a good pike bite. Call PM Expeditions@ 231-425-8913 or Hamlin Grocery@(231) 843-2058

 

Bear Lake- Has 12 to 15 inches of ice today with a few getting out catching pike. Osborne’s@ 231-889-3775

 

Lake Missaukee- Has safe ice with a good crappie, gill and pike bite. report 10 to 15 inches of good ice with pike and gills are biting good Call Miller Corner@ 231-839-0440 or Hopkins Outfitters@ 231-839-FISH (3474)

 

Cadillac and Mitchell- Lake Cadillac they are fishing off the causeway and it has looked like a city on the ice this week Call Pilgrim Village for latest info@ 231-775-5412

 

Pentwater: Pentwater Lake is froze and the perch fishing has been great also a few pike. There was 50 shanties in front of Pentwater Angler and said the perch bite was on today. Call Pentwater Angler for the latest info@ 231-869-5357

 

Whitehall: White lake has ice with good pike and perch bite today. Call armstrongs@231–894-6753 or Johnson’s Outdoors @ 231-893-6688

 

Betsie River: Continues to produce some steelhead.

 

Big Manistee River: Is fishable and should have a fair to good number of steelhead including some fresh fish. Many are fly fishing below Tippy Dam.

 

Little Manistee River: Is producing steelhead and the occasional brown trout however the river will close to fishing on January 1st and will reopen on April 1st.

 

Pere Marquette Lake: Had decent northern pike action for those using tip-ups.Pere Marquette River: No word on steelhead activity however water levels were still quite high.

 

Crystal Lake a few guys went in the drink Tuesday so be careful and there is open water in the middle.

 

 

 

Northeast Michigan

 

Lewiston-  Both East and West Twin are froze and perch, pike and walleye are biting Call Mid Lakes Market @ (989) 786-3227

 

Mio- Mio Pong has froze and a few are getting out on the lake. Call Jig’s Bait Shop@ (989) 826-3467

 

Lake St. Helen- Fishing has been good with 10 to 15 inches of ice lots of pike, with pan fish on the bite with a few walleye being caught. Call Macomb’s Tackle Box @ 989-389-2100

 

Pratt Lake and Wiggins Lake– has safe ice and many have been doing good on pan fish and pike. Call Chappel Dam@ 989-426-7503

 

Wixom and Sanford Lake- Reports are the lake is safe and fisherman have been getting out on the shallow bays catching crappie, gills and pike. Call Sanford Sport Shop@989-687-5161 or Sandy’s Market@ (989) 435-9688

 

Secord Lake has had a great bite this week Sandy’s Market@ (989) 435-9688

 

Fletcher’s Floodwaters- Those using tip-ups caught some nice pike. Crappies were taken on minnows, wax worms or spikes. Call Bill’s @989-742-4874

 

Black Lake- Has 9 to 15 inches of ice and a good walleye bite Call Parrots Outpost for the latest ice conditions (989) 733-2472

 

Mullet Lake- Has been good for perch the last few days call Mullet Lake Party store@ (231) 627-4644 or  Topinabee Market@ 231-238-9578

 

Burt Lake: Perch and walleye fishing has been good. Call Pat & Gary’s Party Store 231-238-6776

 

Grand lake and Long Lake- Both lakes are safe and fisherman are venturing out catching perch and pike, Call Bucks@ 989-595-2121

 

Otsego Lake- The ice is safe and many shanties are on the lake. A few sturgeon have been caught off the State Park and good perch, pike and  a few walleyes on Otsego Lake. Perch fishing has been fair  on Bradford, chub Lake trout fishing has been good. Call Northern Sports@ 987-448-2014

 

Lake Margrethe-  The lake is completely froze with 10 to 15 inches of ice and good fish being caught. There are quite a few shanties on the lake.  Call Skip’s Sport @ 989-348-7111

 

Higgins Lake- Has from 8 to 12 inches of ice and the ice looks great today as they missed the snow storm South-end of the lake there are lots of shanties on the lake with great pike and perch right now. Good Lake Trout, pike and perch. The south end  report of limit catches of perch. Smelt fishing has picked up the two days with reports of some catching 600 a night off the west access site  . Call Phoenix Park 989-821-7220 or Sports Barn 989-821-9511 for latest ice conditions

 

Houghton Lake- Ice fishing is on Good pike, perch and walleye. Dave @ 4 season says off of long point good perch and walleye are being caught. he hurt his back so he had to take his shanties off the lake but fishing is good

 

Lyman’s has started putting their shanties out call them for your reservations@ 989-422-3231 Also Dave @ Four Season Party Store has his Shanties out and said last night they did good on the walleyes and pike. Call him @ 989-422-5230.

 

Angelos Party Store also has shanty retail call him @ 989-202-4422 ask for Lou.

 

Korbinski’s also rents shanties and has a full line of bait and Tackle call Rod@ 989-366-9500

 

Lake Avalon: In Montmorency County is producing a few bigger splake.

 

Alpena: The boat ramps are frozen in. A few perch were caught in the harbor.

 

Au Sable River: The ramps are usable. Steelhead were caught from Foote Dam all the way down to Oscoda and the mouth. Boat anglers are back drifting plugs or casting spawn.

 

Tawas: Was producing good numbers of decent size perch in 12 to 15 feet of water in the bay. Perch were also caught inside the State Harbor. Walleye were a little deeper in 15 to 20 feet of water and hitting at dawn or dusk. Those spearing have taken a few pike.

Au Gres River: Anglers were catching sublegal walleye and a few perch.

Rifle River: Is under a flood warning. Anglers may want to avoid the river until water levels have a chance to recede.