June 20, 2024
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All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.
Little Bay de Noc:Smallmouth bass anglers were catching quality fish. They also noted that most of the fish had moved off beds. Anglers reported catching fish both in the shallows and deeper near bait, although fish were harder to entice due to the mayfly hatch earlier in the week. Additionally, some anglers had success targeting bass in open water, where they were feeding on alewives. Walleye anglers reported a tough bite, as walleye are also feeding on the plentiful supply of alewives. Minneapolis Shoals and “black bottom” offered some action, although overall anglers were struggling.
Manistique:Anglers reported some bait showing up. However, the bite was tough, and there were only a few reports of Chinook salmon being caught. Flasher/fly combinations or spoons were the preferred lures anglers used when trolling.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay:Anglers who were able to get out in the last week found plenty of lake trout while jigging and trolling, but the catch on salmon slowed down from previous weeks. Reports indicated that the fish were holding near bait balls, and fish were biting soft while trolling and jigging. Lake trout were found throughout the water column and during all times of the day, but a majority of the fish were caught during the mornings. Most large salmon were reported to have been caught during slightly windy days before noon.
Traverse Bay/South Portage Entry Canal:Anglers were having successful fishing trips while both trolling and jigging, with the focus being on salmon. Jigging produced more fish when anglers were using cut bait of either smelt or sucker; however, lake trout were biting on both natural and artificial presentations. Trolling trips produced lake trout mainly, with plenty of good-sized fish being caught.Some anglers also targeted northern pike in the nearshore water in former weed beds with some luck.
Ontonagon River:Fishing was tough over the past week, as recent storms caused high turbidity in river waters. Some walleye were still being caught, most successfully in the early morning hours. Trolling artificial lures has recently been the best reported method used.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay:These ports saw somewhat low fishing efforts over the past week, with inclement weather being a primary cause. Reports show that anglers were catching lake trout in average numbers. These fish were found at varying depths while trolling.
Black River Harbor:Angling efforts at the harbor were limited by weather conditions over the past week. Those who got out on the lake reported catching lake trout in average numbers. Angler reports show that the fish being caught while trolling are in varying water depths.
Le Cheneaux/De Tour:Anglers in Detour had luck catching plenty of lake trout when trolling with spoons in the flats. Lake trout were also reported to have been caught when jigging in 80 to 100 feet of water. There were a few Atlantic salmon caught when trolling around both the lighthouse and the green can area in approximately 45 feet of water. In Hessel, high numbers of perch were reported to be present; however, anglers were unable to get them to bite. Leaches, minnows, wax worms, leaf worms and wigglers were all reported to have been used to try and catch the perch. There were a few splake hanging around the area. A few anglers were lucky enough to pick some of them off using single eggs or casting stick baits. There were also some nice smallmouth bass spotted swimming along the concrete wall. Boat anglers caught a few pike and smallmouth bass within Mismer, Hessel and Musky bays. There were also perch reports in Moscow Channel.
St. Ignace:Lake trout anglers caught fish trolling spoons in 40 feet of water between Bois Blanc and Mackinac islands. Good spoon colors to use were reported to be pinks, whites and chartreuse.At the Carp River, a pike was caught near the boat launch using baitfish. At the Pine River, there were smaller walleye caught using night crawler harnesses with orange, red and white, and gold colors on the blades.
Fishing tip:Using a float while fishing
Floats can be a useful tool for anglers looking to find bigger fish while also enjoying a relaxing fishing opportunity, sitting back and letting the gear work its magic.
Using a float, such as a traditional bobber, classic teardrop or oval-shaped option, will allow fish to have time to check out your bait up close and decide if they want to take a bite.
Anglers will also need to decide between using a spring-type fixed bobber or a slip bobber. A slip bobber offers you more flexibility because it can move up and down the line – depending on where you put a stopper.
This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from Fisheries staff and conservation officers. With more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, not all locations can be listed. However, it is safe to say if a species is being caught in some waters in the area, they are likely being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.
