Buc’s Fishing Report — 09-16-2025

ON SITE UPDATE. Light nearshore winds this morning. Recent wind driven mixing pushed salmon tight to pier mouths and harbor entrances. Trolling is largely parked and anglers are switching to pier casting and vertical jigging in harbor mouths and tailrace seams.MOON AND SOLUNAR BITES. Moon waning crescent about 26 percent illumination. Major bite window ET 08:35 to 10:35 AM and 09:02 to 11:02 PM. Minor bite windows ET 12:44 to 01:44 AM and 05:12 to 06:12 PM. Check local solunar charts for minute by minute windows.WEATHER BRIEF. Mostly sunny today with morning mist and light variable nearshore winds. Watch for an afternoon sea breeze shift with slightly stronger onshore winds late day.BAROMETER. Traverse City about 30.24 inHg. Manistee about 30.24 inHg. Ludington about 30.11 inHg.RIVER FLOWS AND WATER TEMPS, instantaneous readingsManistee River near Wellston Tippy Dam, discharge 1,550 cubic feet per second, gage 8.71 feet, water temperature 64.2 degrees Fahrenheit, reading timestamp 09-16-2025 04:30 Eastern.White River near Whitehall, discharge 215 cubic feet per second, gage 0.64 feet, no continuous water temperature reported at this station, reading timestamp 09-16-2025 04:15 Eastern.Boardman River at Beitner Road Traverse City, discharge 181 cubic feet per second, gage 4.59 feet, no continuous water temperature reported on this station page, reading timestamp 09-16-2025 04:00 Eastern.Betsie River USGS station Benzonia US 31 online for current instantaneous values. Check station page for the latest discharge and temperature read.Pere Marquette River near Baldwin station page online for current flow and temperature. Check station page for latest instantaneous read.HOT SEVEN PIERS AND JIGGING FOCUSFRANKFORT. Pier mouths staging fish. Pier casting glow spoons and short vertical jig hops producing best at first light.MANISTEE. Pier and river mouth action headline. Vertical jigging and pier casting into seams producing Chinook and coho in morning marks. Guides report fish holding in lower harbor and tailrace areas.LUDINGTON. Pier casting spoons early and small boat vertical jigging near Big Sable points producing fish on deeper marks.WHITEHALL. Pier and nearshore jigging producing salmon and steelhead 40 to 60 feet on glow spoons and tipped jigs.GRAND HAVEN. Light pier action for salmon today. Most fish marking deeper 70 to 140 feet though a few coho are still showing to spoons.MUSKEGON PIER. Piers and basin producing scattered fish. Boats finding marks 80 to 120 feet and jigging glow plugs where fish hold.BURT LAKE MAPLE BAY. Fair for perch and occasional walleye. Fish weed edges and points and expect sorting.SALMON RIVER DETAILED PRIORITYMANISTEE RIVER near Wellston. Many salmon staging at the mouth and in lower tailrace pools. Fish first light with beads spawn sacks and short leader drift presentations. Target deeper seams and tailrace slots. Discharge 1,550 cfs, gage 8.71 feet, water temp 64.2 F at 04:30 Eastern.WHITE RIVER below HESPERIA DAM. Salmon staging in deep pools and tailrace holes below the dam. Float drifts bead and spawn sack rigs and short leaders through tailrace seams are producing. Station shows 215 cfs discharge and gage 0.64 feet at 04:15 Eastern. Temperature not reported on this station page.BETSIE RIVER. Low flows but heavy staging reported in lower reaches. Fish concentrated near the mouth and moving upriver after rain pulses. Check USGS station page for latest instantaneous read.BOARDMAN RIVER. Fish staging in deeper holding pools and tailrace sections. Work run to pool transitions with subtle float and bead presentations. Station near Traverse City shows 181 cfs discharge and gage 4.59 feet at 04:00 Eastern.PERE MARQUETTE BALDWIN. Flows low near typical early fall levels. Watch gauge readings for upriver pushes after rain. See station page for current flow and temperature.TIPPY DAM WELLSTON TAILRACE. Tailrace and downstream pools holding salmon. Drift spawn and bead rigs along seams and target deeper tailrace slots at first light.SALMON TACTICS QUICK. Pier cast spoons or small plugs into the seam and retrieve with short ripping strips. Use a slip bobber skein in calm and a sliding pyramid or mesh bag skein in current. Vertical jigging tip let the jig fall to the mark then use slow 6 to 24 inch hops with pauses and tip Mission Luna or P Line glow jigs with a pea size skein piece. River fish first light use 18 to 30 inch leaders with beads or spawn sacks and try a small skein under a slip bobber for a scent forward presentation.PERCH REPORT FULL MINNOWS FIRSTPerch summary Slow but improving. Primary presentation minnows on perch rigs or slip bobbers with wigglers or Perch Pounder bottom rigs for deep schools and drop shot with a crawler chunk as a follow up. Local reports show perch on first breaks and weed edges in multiple inland lakes.WHITE LAKE. Yellow belly perch on the west end by the channel and bluegill on Eagles flats. Minnows on slip bobbers.PENTWATER LAKE. Perch around docks and weedlines six to fifteen feet. Minnows on perch rigs.PM LAKE. Perch in coves and docklines six to fourteen feet. Minnows on perch rigs.MANISTEE LAKE. Perch and bluegill taking minnows and small perch rigs.PORTAGE LAKE ONEKAMA. A few perch in thirty eight feet on weedbeds with best window about nine to ten thirty in the morning. Minnows working best.BIG GLEN. Perch on the first break around forty feet on wigglers and minnows on Perch Pounders. Lots of small fish and sorting required.NORTHPORT. A few perch being taken in approximately thirty eight feet on weedbeds. No large schools found in the usual hotspots.BOWERS HARBOR. Perch around the launch and breakwall six to twelve feet. Minnows on short leaders.SKEGEMOG TORCH CHANNEL. Perch on weed edges and narrows six to fifteen feet. Slip bobber minnows.TORCH LAKE. Perch on structure and ledges ten to twenty five feet. Minnows or short drop shot.BURT LAKE MAPLE BAY. Perch and occasional walleye on weed edges and humps eight to eighteen feet. Minnows on slip floats.BLACK LAKE. Perch on flats and weed cuts six to twelve feet. Slip bobber minnows.OTSEGO LAKE. Perch near shallow bays eight to fifteen feet. Perch rigs with minnows.MULLETT LAKE. Perch on weed edges eight to eighteen feet. Slip bobber minnows.LAKE CHARLEVOIX. Perch along rockpiles and docklines six to fourteen feet. Short leaders with minnows.LAKE LEELANAU south end by the Cedar River. Small perch on the south end by the Cedar River. Minnows best.LONG LAKE TRAVERSE CITY. Perch on small rigs and minnows.GREEN LAKE TRAVERSE CITY. Perch on minnows small worms or crawler chunks with small slip bobbers.MUSKEGON LAKE. Perch on small minnows wigglers or Perch Pounder rigs on the bottom. Sand Docks Bear Lake Channel and Snug Harbor are top spots and electronics help locate schools.HOUGHTON LAKE. North weed bed producing perch. Minnows and small perch rigs on slip bobbers.TOP 15 INLAND LAKESLAKE CADILLAC. Smallmouth and largemouth around humps and weed edges. Drop shot crawlers shaky head plastics and weedless frogs with bluegill on minnows and waxworms.LAKE MITCHELL. Largemouth and panfish near lily pads and stumps. Weedless soft plastics and small jigs.LAKE ST HELEN. Pike and largemouth in weedy bays. Spinnerbaits bucktails and topwater frogs early with panfish on small jigs.HIGGINS LAKE. Deep smallmouth and lake trout structure. Vertical jigs and drop shot minnows for smallmouth with panfish on small jigs and minnows.FREMONT LAKE. Bass and pike around weedlines and points. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits with panfish on minnows.ELK LAKE. Deep smallmouth and lake trout water. Vertical jigs and drop shot minnows.WALLOON LAKE. Smallmouth and largemouth on points and rocks. Drop shot jerkbaits and medium swimbaits with panfish on small baits.LAKE MISSAUKEE. Bluegill and largemouth in shallow weedy bays. Minnows and waxworms under bobbers.HOLTON LAKE. Bass and panfish around docks and weed edges. Small jigs and slip bobbers with minnows.CRYSTAL LAKE GREENVILLE. Town lake for panfish and largemouth. Small jigs and slip bobbers.WABASIS LAKE. Public access lake near Greenville producing bass and panfish. Spinnerbaits and minnows.LONG LAKE GREENVILLE. Local favorite with boat access and bass and panfish opportunities. Drop shot and slip bobbers.SUNRISE LAKE LEROY. Park lake near LeRoy with bass and panfish. Topwater early and small jigs.PENASA LAKE LEROY. Quiet local lake producing panfish and bass. Minnows and small plastics.TAMARACK LAKE LAKEVIEW. All sports Tamarack Lake producing largemouth and pike. Spinnerbaits and live minnows.TOP 10 UP HOTSPOTS 1. Little Bay De Noc walleye and perch. 2. Munising Grand Island lake trout reefs and ledges. 3. Marquette lake trout steep drop offs. 4. Keweenaw Copper Harbor trout and salmon on rocky points. 5. Escanaba Big Bay De Noc walleye and smallmouth. 6. St Marys River Sault Ste Marie salmon and steelhead in current seams. 7. Portage Entry Grand Marais lake trout and salmon. 8. Tahquamenon Bay river mouths walleye and panfish on weedlines. 9. Drummond Island Les Cheneux smallmouth and walleye. 10. Au Train Ford River area trout walleye and perch on points and narrows.LIVE BAIT PRO TIP. For pier anglers cast a glow spoon and use a short ripping retrieve into the seam. For vertical jigging let the jig fall to the mark and use slow 6 to 24 inch hops with a pause and tip jigs with a pea size skein piece for extra scent.TIGHT LINES BAIT MAN OUT#LiveBait #bucsbait #pierfishing #jigging #perch #tightlines … See MoreSee Less

Buc’s Fishing Report — 09-15-2025

ON-SITE UPDATE. Recent wind-driven mixing cooled surface water and pushed most salmon tight to pier mouths and harbor entrances; trolling is largely parked and anglers are switching to pier-casting and vertical jigging.MOON & SOLUNAR BITES. Waxing crescent about 43 percent illumination. Major Bite Window ET 04:30 to 06:30 AM. Minor Bite Windows ET 12:00 to 01:00 PM and 10:15 to 11:15 PM.WEATHER BRIEF. Mostly sunny today with morning mist and light variable nearshore winds.BAROMETER. Traverse City about 30.15 inHg. Manistee about 30.22 inHg. Ludington about 30.10 inHg.HOT SEVEN PIERS AND JIGGING FOCUSFRANKFORT. Pier mouths staging fish; pier-casting spoons and short vertical jig hops producing best at first light.MANISTEE. Vertical jigging and pier action headline; target lake-tailrace seams and deep pools with 2 ounce P-Line and 1 ounce Luna Mission glow jigs.LUDINGTON. Pier-casting spoons and small-boat vertical jigging producing near harbor marks and Big Sable points.WHITEHALL. Pier and nearshore jigging producing salmon and steelhead 40 to 60 feet on glow spoons and tipped jigs.GRAND HAVEN. Pier action light for salmon; most fish marking deeper 70 to 140 feet though a few coho are coming to spoons.MUSKEGON PIER. Piers and the basin producing scattered fish; boats finding fish 80 to 120 feet and jigging glow plugs where fish are marked.BURT LAKE MAPLE BAY. Fair for perch and occasional walleye; fish weed edges and points and expect sorting.SALMON RIVER DETAILED PRIORITYMANISTEE RIVER near Wellston Tippy. Flow about 1,640 cubic feet per second and gauge near typical early fall levels; many salmon are staging at the mouth so fish first light and target tailraces deep pools and main seams with beads spawn sacks or float rigs on short leaders.WHITE RIVER below HESPERIA DAM. Salmon staging in deep pools and tailrace holes below the dam; float-drifts bead and spawn-sack rigs and short leaders through tailrace seams and plunge pools are producing.BETSIE RIVER. Low flows but heavy staging reported in lower reaches; lots of salmon holding and moving in spurts after rain.BOARDMAN RIVER. Fish staging in deeper holding pools and tailrace sections; work run to pool transitions with subtle float and bead presentations.PERE MARQUETTE BALDWIN. Baldwin flow low near 430 cubic feet per second and Scottville near 380 cubic feet per second; recent rain bumped gauges slightly and may trigger upriver pushes so watch readings.TIPPY DAM WELLSTON TAILRACE. Tailrace and downstream pools holding salmon; drift spawn and bead rigs along seams and target deeper tailrace slots at first light.SALMON TACTICS QUICKPier cast spoons and small plugs into the seam and retrieve with short ripping strips. Use a slip-bobber skein in calm and a sliding-pyramid or mesh-bag skein in wind or current.Vertical jigging let the jig fall to the mark then use slow 6 to 24 inch hops with pauses and tip Mission Luna or P-Line glow jigs with a pea-size skein piece.River and tailrace fish first light use 18 to 30 inch leaders with beads or spawn sacks float-drift tailraces and try a small skein under a slip-bobber for a scent-forward presentation.PERCH REPORT FULL MINNOWS FIRSTPerch summary Slow but improving. Primary presentation is minnows on perch rigs or slip-bobbers with wigglers or Perch Pounder bottom rigs for deep schools and drop-shot with a crawler chunk as a follow-up.WHITE LAKE. Yellow-belly perch on the west end by the channel and bluegill on the Eagles flats; minnows on slip-bobbers.PENTWATER LAKE. Perch around docks and weedlines six to fifteen feet; minnows on perch rigs.PM LAKE. Perch in coves and docklines six to fourteen feet; minnows on perch rigs.MANISTEE LAKE. Perch and bluegill taking minnows and small perch rigs.PORTAGE LAKE ONEKAMA. A few perch in thirty eight feet on weedbeds with best window about nine to ten thirty in the morning; minnows working best.BIG GLEN. Perch on the first break around forty feet on wigglers and minnows on Perch Pounders with lots of small fish and sorting required.NORTHPORT. A few perch being taken in approximately thirty eight feet on weedbeds; no large schools found in the usual hotspots.BOWERS HARBOR. Perch around the launch and breakwall six to twelve feet; minnows on short leaders.SKEGEMOG TORCH CHANNEL. Perch on weed edges and narrows six to fifteen feet; slip-bobber minnows.TORCH LAKE. Perch on structure and ledges ten to twenty five feet; minnows or short drop-shot.BURT LAKE MAPLE BAY. Perch and occasional walleye on weed edges and humps eight to eighteen feet; minnows on slip floats.BLACK LAKE. Perch on flats and weed cuts six to twelve feet; slip-bobber minnows.OTSEGO LAKE. Perch near shallow bays eight to fifteen feet; perch rigs with minnows.MULLETT LAKE. Perch on weed edges eight to eighteen feet; slip-bobber minnows.LAKE CHARLEVOIX. Perch along rockpiles and docklines six to fourteen feet; short leaders with minnows.LAKE LEELANAU south end by the Cedar River. Small perch on the south end by the Cedar River; minnows best.LONG LAKE TRAVERSE CITY. Perch on small rigs and minnows.GREEN LAKE TRAVERSE CITY. Perch on minnows small worms or crawler chunks with small slip bobbers.MUSKEGON LAKE. Perch on small minnows wigglers or Perch Pounder rigs on the bottom; Sand Docks Bear Lake Channel and Snug Harbor are top spots and electronics help locate schools.HOUGHTON LAKE. North weed bed producing perch; minnows and small perch rigs on slip-bobbers.TOP 15 INLAND LAKESLAKE CADILLAC. Smallmouth and largemouth around humps and weed edges; drop-shot crawlers shaky-head plastics and weedless frogs with bluegill on minnows and waxworms.LAKE MITCHELL. Largemouth and panfish near lily pads and stumps; weedless soft plastics and small jigs.LAKE ST HELEN. Pike and largemouth in weedy bays; spinnerbaits bucktails and topwater frogs early with panfish on small jigs.HIGGINS LAKE. Deep smallmouth and lake trout structure; vertical jigs and drop-shot minnows for smallmouth with panfish on small jigs and minnows.FREMONT LAKE. Bass and pike around weedlines and points; spinnerbaits and crankbaits with panfish on minnows.ELK LAKE. Deep smallmouth and lake trout water; vertical jigs and drop-shot minnows.WALLOON LAKE. Smallmouth and largemouth on points and rocks; drop-shot jerkbaits and medium swimbaits with panfish on small baits.LAKE MISSAUKEE. Bluegill and largemouth in shallow weedy bays; minnows and waxworms under bobbers.HOLTON LAKE. Bass and panfish around docks and weed edges; small jigs and slip-bobbers with minnows.CRYSTAL LAKE GREENVILLE. Town lake for panfish and largemouth; small jigs and slip-bobbers.WABASIS LAKE. Public access lake near Greenville producing bass and panfish; spinnerbaits and minnows.LONG LAKE GREENVILLE. Local favorite with boat access and bass and panfish opportunities; drop-shot and slip-bobbers.SUNRISE LAKE LEROY. Park lake near LeRoy with bass and panfish; topwater early and small jigs.PENASA LAKE LEROY. Quiet local lake producing panfish and bass; minnows and small plastics.TAMARACK LAKE LAKEVIEW. All-sports Tamarack Lake producing largemouth and pike; spinnerbaits and live minnows.TOP 10 UP HOTSPOTS 1. LITTLE BAY DE NOC Walleye and perch. 2. MUNISING GRAND ISLAND Lake trout reefs and ledges. 3. MARQUETTE Lake trout steep drop-offs. 4. KEWEENAW COPPER HARBOR Trout and salmon on rocky points. 5. ESCANABA BIG BAY DE NOC Walleye and smallmouth. 6. ST MARYS RIVER SAULT STE MARIE Salmon and steelhead in current seams. 7. PORTAGE ENTRY GRAND MARAIS Lake trout and salmon. 8. TAHQUAMENON BAY RIVER MOUTHS Walleye and panfish on weedlines. 9. DRUMMOND ISLAND LES CHENEUX Smallmouth and walleye. 10. AU TRAIN FORD RIVER AREA Trout walleye and perch on points and narrows.LIVE BAIT PRO TIP. For pier anglers cast a glow spoon and use a short ripping retrieve into the seam. For vertical jigging let the jig fall to the mark and use slow 6 to 24 inch hops with a pause and tip jigs with a pea-size skein piece for extra scent.TIGHT LINES BAITMAN OUT#LiveBait #bucsbait #pierfishing #jigging #perch #tightlines … See MoreSee Less