Upper Peninsula Fishing Report
Reporting a good perch bite on Drummond Island
Keweenaw Bay: Windy conditions made fishing difficult in all parts of the bay. The bite was slow with very few coho and lake trout taken.
Marquette: Boat anglers are trolling in shallow waters 60 to 100 feet deep. Catch rates for trout and salmon were slow. Surface water temperatures are in the mid 50’s but warmer near the mouth of the rivers.
Dead River: Anglers were fishing between the 550 Bridge and the mouth or below the generating plant but catch rates were very slow.
Carp River: A couple coho were taken on small spoons, spinners or crawlers.
Chocolay River: Catch rates were slow with only a few coho and brown trout taken on crawlers or spinners. Water levels are still low for boat launching.
Menominee: Bay fishing was slow because of the high winds. Those able to get out were trolling for trout and salmon but none were caught.
Menominee River: Chinook salmon are moving up into the river but trying to get them to bite has not been easy. Most anglers were drifting spawn bags or casting small spoons. Shore anglers drifting crawlers caught smallmouth bass, rock bass, walleye, catfish and bluegill. Those targeting lake sturgeon caught fish near the Hattie Street Dam when using crawlers on the Michigan side and near the rock pile in the middle of the river. The area between the Hattie Street Dam and the mouth is catch and immediate release only.
Au Train: Had few anglers because of windy conditions. Surface water temperatures were in the mid 50’s.
Au Train River: Had higher water levels.
Munising: Had fair catch rates for those trolling in Trout Bay and Munising Bay. Pier fishing has increased with anglers taking a fair to good number of splake and coho. Splake were hitting on spawn while coho were caught by those casting or floating spawn bags.
Grand Marais: Had few anglers. Some are still targeting lake trout in the shipping channel while others are trolling for coho. Catch rates were slow. Shore anglers targeting coho near the mouth of the Sucker River came up empty handed.
St. Mary’s River: A few walleye were caught in Raber Bay by those trolling just north of the Lime Island dock in 14 feet. Purple Hot-n-Tots caught fish in the early morning. Off Barbeau, perch were caught on minnows and leaf worms in 8 to 12 feet near the green buoy and rock cut or upstream of Neebish Island in 12 to 16 feet.
Detour: Catch rates were slow for chinook however coho and pink salmon were caught around the #3 green can.
Cedarville and Hessel: Perch fishing in Hessel continues to improve. Anglers are fishing off the pier, the east end of Hessel Bay, Snows Channel, Musky Bay, Middle Entrance, and Cedarville Bay. Most are drifting crawler harnesses. Anglers report great pike action for those still-fishing with chubs or casting in the weed beds. A good number of large and smallmouth bass have been caught and splake are moving into the Hessel Marina. Salmon are moving into Bush and Beavertail Creek.
Carp River: Chinook salmon are in. Harvest is taking place at the mouth and upstream at the McDonald Rapids. The fish are 15 to 18 pounds and were in good shape. Most are using spawn.
St. Ignace: Anglers are catching chinook between the Coast Guard Station and the flats. Orange and green lures were the ticket.