Upper Peninsula Fishing Report
Keweenaw Bay: The bite was hit-or-miss but trout and salmon were caught by those trolling from Sand Point to the red rocks and off Pequaming Point. Try spoons 25 to 75 feet down in 30 to 80 feet. Those jigging caught lake trout in 230 feet off Pequaming Point. From the South Portage Entry, anglers caught chinook, coho and lake trout when trolling near the Lighthouse, the reefs, the red rocks and the Mud Banks. Fewer fish were caught from Traverse Bay.
Marquette: Produced a few limit catches of lake trout. Average size was 6 pounds but some were 12 to 15 pounds. They are fishing at various depths in 110 to 220 feet of water between the white rocks and Granite Island. Try spoons and cut bait. A few coho were caught but no chinook. Shore anglers fishing near the mouth of the Chocolay River had poor results. Stannard Rock had good lake trout action for those jigging or casting spoons.
Menominee: Catch rates for salmon were very slow around Washington Island, Rock Island and Chambers Island. Walleye anglers are picking up a few fish especially at night. Try 20 to 30 feet when trolling north or south of the river. Fishing in Green Bay was slow.
Menominee River: Is producing walleye in the evening for those trolling crawler harnesses or stick baits. Smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie and perch were caught.
Cedar River: Is still producing smallmouth bass for those drifting crawlers or casting stick baits.
Little Bay De Noc: Walleye anglers were targeting the Second Reef off Kipling, and the “Black Bottom” in 14 to 23 feet of water. They are using crawlers or minnows. Perch fishing was fair to good off the mouth of the Escanaba River and near Kipling in 22 to 29 feet.
Big Bay De Noc: A couple anglers were targeting walleye down near Round Island. Perch fishing was fair in 18 feet off Ansell’s Point. In Fayette Harbor, perch were taken on minnows and crawlers in 8 to 14 feet. Smallmouth bass fishing was fair in Kate’s Bay, off Ansell’s Point and near the Bluff in 8 to 21 feet. Try minnows, crank baits or plastics. Catch rates for salmon improved off Fairport. Try spoons 35 to 65 feet down in 80 to 130 feet.
Au Train: Catch rates were slow but those willing to put in the time did catch a few east of Au Train Island and near Shelter Bay when fishing in 100 to 150 feet. Those fishing in deeper water out near the shipping channel and Wood Island had poor results. Surface water temperatures were in the low 60’s near shore and upper 50’s out deeper.
Munising: Boats targeting lake trout and salmon had fair results in Trout Bay and Murray’s Bay in 100 feet of water or less. Those fishing the Big Reef reported good catches including several large fish coming in at 20 pounds. Pier fishing was light as catch rates were poor.
Grand Marais: The majority of lake trout anglers are fishing in 100 to 250 feet of water in the shipping channel. Fish between 3 and 10 pounds were caught off the Southwest Bank. Those targeting coho did well east and west of the bay. Try halfway down in 50 to 60 feet. Shore anglers caught pike near the boat launch.
St. Mary’s River: Out from Raber Bay, walleye have been caught at the Canadian Rock Pile when jigging orange and brown twister tails in 6 to 10 feet. Early morning was best.
DeTour: Anglers continue to fish from Frying Pan Island to the #3 Green Can and to the #2 Red can near Drummond Island. They caught chinook, lake trout and steelhead. Hot colors were watermelon, purple, green or any color with white on it.
Drummond Island: Had a few reports of yellow perch were coming from the red buoy on the south end of Grape Island. They are drifting minnows in 8 to 12 feet in the early morning. Walleye fishing slowed however a few fish were taken on crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers in 12 to 14 feet on the northwest side of Peck Island.
Cedarville and Hessel: Perch anglers did well off the Hessel Pier and the north end of the Snows Channel when using minnows or crawlers in 8 to 10 feet. Musky Bay, Middle Entrance and the Moscoe Channel are also producing good numbers of perch. Pike are there too for those still-fishing with chubs. Government Bay had excellent pike fishing in 10 to 16 feet. Good salmon fishing off Hessel in 70 feet or more.
St. Ignace: Boats are still heading from the city launch to the flats and over to the Coast Guard Station and water treatment plant. Trout and salmon were caught around Bois Blanc Island, Round Island and the backside of Mackinac Island.