02-22-2007, 11:11 AM
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#00e010]Weekly Fishing Report[/#00e010][/font]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, February 22, 2007 [/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report[/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]![[Image: fish_reportmap2_23340_7.gif]](http://www.mi.gov/images/fish_reportmap2_23340_7.gif)
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[url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]
Anglers are still ice fishing, but warm temperatures this week may change conditions, especially in the Southern Lower Peninsula. Snow melt along with rain showers in the forecast could also produce flooding in certain areas of the state. Caution needs to be used by all.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - Anglers heading out might want to think about wearing creepers for easier travel across the ice. Walleye have been caught in Brest Bay, with the better fishing after dark. There are a couple ice breaks about 2 miles out, so anglers need to use extreme caution. Good perch fishing was reported on the north end of the Banana Dike. A few pike and walleye were caught. Perch fishing was slow off Lake Erie Metropark.
Detroit River - Still has good pike action at the southern end of Grosse Ile. Most fish have been speared in Gibraltar Bay. A few perch have also been caught.
Lake St. Clair - Fair to good perch fishing continues off Metro Beach and Brandenburg Park. Those fishing Anchor Bay and off Fair Haven reported spotty action. Move around until you find fish and try to stay away from the crowds. Good perch fishing was reported in the Canadian waters of Mitchell's Bay. The better fishing seems to be in the late afternoon when using jigs with spikes or minnows.
Saginaw Bay - On the west side, walleye action seems concentrated in 23 to 25 feet of water just north of the Black Hole. Most are using the end of Erickson Road and Coggins Road for access, but it is still a good 3 to 5 mile run to get out to the fishing grounds. Anglers need to pay close attention and watch for a section of open water located about 2 miles off Erickson Road. The section of open water is about 30 feet wide and half a mile long. Walleye were taken in 17 feet of water off the Pinconning Bar. A few nice perch were taken out by Spoils Island. Walleye and pike have been caught near the Hot Ponds. On the east side, those going out about 5 miles or so off Thomas Road have caught walleye in 14 to 23 feet of water. At Sebewaing, a few pike were speared in the marina. At Mud Creek, perch success has been spotty. Most anglers were getting 6 to 8 perch per trip, but a few guys took limits. Just keep moving until you find an active school of fish, and try to stay away from the crowd. Perch action has been slow in the harbor at Caseville.
Saginaw River - Lots of fishing activity all the way from Bay City to Saginaw. They are starting to get some legal size walleye off Wickes Park, which is between M-46 and the Tittabawassee River. Anglers are catching fish all along the river, but many are sub-legal. Keepers are running 15 to 18 inches or larger. Most are jigging rapalas with minnows. Lots of fishing activity was reported just downstream from the Independence Bridge in Bay City, off Essexville, and near the mouth of the river.
Pigeon River - Perch fishing has been slow.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph River - Has open water from the dam at Berrien Springs down to the Sportsmen Club. Shore ice will prevent shore fishing; however the boat anglers are doing well for steelhead and walleye.
Kalamazoo River - Should have fair to good numbers of steelhead up near the dam.
Thornapple Lake - In Barry County has fair to good perch and bluegill fishing. Walleye are hitting on fire-tiger rapalas.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Good numbers of steelhead have been caught up near the Sixth Street Dam. Jigs with wax worms or spawn and #10 stone flies have caught fish. As of this report no ice is coming down the river, however ice could be moving by the weekend and waters could turn muddy. Anglers are reporting lots of walleye hitting on bucktail jigs, walleye minnows or chartreuse and white paddle-tails.
Cranberry Lake - In Ottawa County has good crappie fishing with limits taken in 20 to 25 feet of water. Most are just letting the hook sit there about 10 to 12 feet down.
Reeds Lake - Lots of pike are hitting on tip-ups in the East Cove of the lake.
Murray Lake - Near Cannonsburg, anglers are still using minnows with their tails cut off to catch musky and pike, but keep the hole covered. Crappie have been caught right off the island.
Grand River at Lansing - Check the shallow backwaters for perch and crappie.
Hawk Island County Park - Anglers have reported taking catfish on a teardrop. Secret color is black with a white belly and a red dot.
Lake Lansing - Anglers are seeing pike, however the bite has been slow. Some pike have been speared.
Lake Interstate - Some 7 to 8 inch bluegills were caught through the ice.
Morrison Lake - In Ionia County, has bluegills and crappie hitting just before dark. Spikes have worked best in 18 to 20 feet of water.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Long Lake - Just north of Alpena, has good perch fishing in 10 to 15 feet of water just east of Fitzgerald Creek which is on the south end of the lake, and also straight across on the north end of the lake. Try jigging rapalas or Swedish Pimples with minnows.
Hubbard Lake - Action is finally picking up with numerous walleye being caught when using minnows in 55 to 60 feet of water on both the north and south ends of the lake. Only a couple perch have been caught by those walleye fishing.
Van Etten Lake - Perch fishing continues to be good near the YMCA Camp. Try jigging Swedish Pimples with minnows in 10 to 15 feet of water.
Tawas - Has fair walleye and perch fishing in 20 to 25 feet of water. Perch anglers are getting a lot of little ones and pike spearing did slow.
Au Gres - Walleye fishing is concentrated in about 30 feet of water. The popular fishing holes have been off the hotel, just south of Point Lookout, and straight out from the mouth of the Au Gres River. Perch fishing has been slow off Palmer Road and Pine River Road with only a few fish taken in 2 to 5 feet of water.
Higgins Lake - Smelt were taken off the access site on the west side of the lake. Fish are hitting all day and all night, but they tend to turn off for a while then turn right back on. Perch minnows, wax worms and spikes have caught fish. Whitefish were taken in about 100 feet of water, but warm temperatures will push the smelt in shallow so try 20 to 60 feet of water. Lake trout have been caught on tip-ups in 100 to 120 feet of water. Use smelt for bait and fish just off the bottom. Anglers are reminded that a Motor Vehicle Permit is required in the State Parks.
Houghton Lake - Walleye fishing has been good in the evening when jigging blue shiners, rapalas or small spoons. Pike are hitting on tip-ups with golden shiners in 7 to 9 feet of water. Panfish action has been slow.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Lake Charlevoix - Thin ice has been reported near the middle of the lake so anglers should avoid this area. Walleye fishing slowed with only a few small fish taken east of Young State Park. Yellow perch fishing was fair in 13 to 50 feet of water when using Swedish Pimples, perch minnows and wigglers. Hot spots have been Young State Park, Tannery Park, Whiting Park and Lakeshore Drive. Anglers are spearing for pike in 10 feet of water near the access site at Boyne City, but no fish have been taken. Some are using tip-ups in 12 to 14 feet of water at the East Jordan Tourist Park. Some 19 to 21 inch whitefish were taken off Hemmingway Point when using spawn in 60 feet of water.
Traverse City - In the West Bay, a few anglers have fished in front of the Boardman River however the ice is not locked in and extreme caution needs to be used.
Long Lake - Look for walleye off the Township Park, Gilbert Park and on the southwest end of the lake while fishing in about 30 feet of water.
Glen Lake - Has pretty good lake trout fishing. Perch and cisco have been caught. Look for walleye in 10 to 15 feet of water on the east side of the lake just off the causeway. Rainbow trout have also been caught.
Crystal Lake - In Benzie County, has slow lake trout fishing. Even the longtime anglers are having a difficult time locating the fish. Perch have been caught on the east end of the lake near the village of Beulah. Whitefish have been caught when fishing smelt, wigglers or a single egg near the bottom.
Pentwater Lake - Look for walleye on the north end of the lake near the State Park or on the south end straight out from the Pentwater River. Try jigging perch minnows or wigglers in 15 to 30 feet of water. Look for crappie in both the Big Bayou and the Little Bayou.
Upper Peninsula
Keweenaw Bay - Has had lots of fishing activity with good catches of coho, herring, whitefish and lake trout.
Little Bay De Noc - Ice conditions remain 14 to 20 inches north of the narrows while ice on the southern sections of the bay still vary from 6 to 12 inches. Caution needs to be used. Walleye anglers are doing well from the Terrace Inn north to the Center Reef when jigging glow raps or using tip-ups with sucker minnows a couple feet off the bottom in 30 to 45 feet of water. While fish have been everywhere, the hot spots have been 16 to 21 feet of water off Hunters Point, 40 feet of water just east of the Second Reef, and in 35 to 45 feet of water near Gladstone. Good perch fishing was reported with a fair number of jumbo perch taken in 23 to 40 feet of water near Kipling. Perch were caught in 11 to 14 feet of water north of Butler Island. Whitefish are hitting on spawn and minnows in 70 to 85 feet of water off Sand Point
Munising - Ice thickness varies from 6 to 12 inches, and recent snowfall has created quite a bit of slush making travel difficult. Anglers will need to use extreme caution as much warmer weather along with swift currents in the bay could produce dangerous conditions. Though fishing has slowed, anglers were catching whitefish along with a few splake. Most of the whitefish were running small, with only the occasional large fish taken. Sand Point was one of the hot spots.
Munuscong Bay - Walleye and perch action has picked up at the west end of the bay near Grassy Island when fishing with minnows in about 3 feet of water. A few herring have been speared in Raber Bay. [/font]
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, February 22, 2007 [/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report[/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]
[/font] [url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]
Anglers are still ice fishing, but warm temperatures this week may change conditions, especially in the Southern Lower Peninsula. Snow melt along with rain showers in the forecast could also produce flooding in certain areas of the state. Caution needs to be used by all.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - Anglers heading out might want to think about wearing creepers for easier travel across the ice. Walleye have been caught in Brest Bay, with the better fishing after dark. There are a couple ice breaks about 2 miles out, so anglers need to use extreme caution. Good perch fishing was reported on the north end of the Banana Dike. A few pike and walleye were caught. Perch fishing was slow off Lake Erie Metropark.
Detroit River - Still has good pike action at the southern end of Grosse Ile. Most fish have been speared in Gibraltar Bay. A few perch have also been caught.
Lake St. Clair - Fair to good perch fishing continues off Metro Beach and Brandenburg Park. Those fishing Anchor Bay and off Fair Haven reported spotty action. Move around until you find fish and try to stay away from the crowds. Good perch fishing was reported in the Canadian waters of Mitchell's Bay. The better fishing seems to be in the late afternoon when using jigs with spikes or minnows.
Saginaw Bay - On the west side, walleye action seems concentrated in 23 to 25 feet of water just north of the Black Hole. Most are using the end of Erickson Road and Coggins Road for access, but it is still a good 3 to 5 mile run to get out to the fishing grounds. Anglers need to pay close attention and watch for a section of open water located about 2 miles off Erickson Road. The section of open water is about 30 feet wide and half a mile long. Walleye were taken in 17 feet of water off the Pinconning Bar. A few nice perch were taken out by Spoils Island. Walleye and pike have been caught near the Hot Ponds. On the east side, those going out about 5 miles or so off Thomas Road have caught walleye in 14 to 23 feet of water. At Sebewaing, a few pike were speared in the marina. At Mud Creek, perch success has been spotty. Most anglers were getting 6 to 8 perch per trip, but a few guys took limits. Just keep moving until you find an active school of fish, and try to stay away from the crowd. Perch action has been slow in the harbor at Caseville.
Saginaw River - Lots of fishing activity all the way from Bay City to Saginaw. They are starting to get some legal size walleye off Wickes Park, which is between M-46 and the Tittabawassee River. Anglers are catching fish all along the river, but many are sub-legal. Keepers are running 15 to 18 inches or larger. Most are jigging rapalas with minnows. Lots of fishing activity was reported just downstream from the Independence Bridge in Bay City, off Essexville, and near the mouth of the river.
Pigeon River - Perch fishing has been slow.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph River - Has open water from the dam at Berrien Springs down to the Sportsmen Club. Shore ice will prevent shore fishing; however the boat anglers are doing well for steelhead and walleye.
Kalamazoo River - Should have fair to good numbers of steelhead up near the dam.
Thornapple Lake - In Barry County has fair to good perch and bluegill fishing. Walleye are hitting on fire-tiger rapalas.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Good numbers of steelhead have been caught up near the Sixth Street Dam. Jigs with wax worms or spawn and #10 stone flies have caught fish. As of this report no ice is coming down the river, however ice could be moving by the weekend and waters could turn muddy. Anglers are reporting lots of walleye hitting on bucktail jigs, walleye minnows or chartreuse and white paddle-tails.
Cranberry Lake - In Ottawa County has good crappie fishing with limits taken in 20 to 25 feet of water. Most are just letting the hook sit there about 10 to 12 feet down.
Reeds Lake - Lots of pike are hitting on tip-ups in the East Cove of the lake.
Murray Lake - Near Cannonsburg, anglers are still using minnows with their tails cut off to catch musky and pike, but keep the hole covered. Crappie have been caught right off the island.
Grand River at Lansing - Check the shallow backwaters for perch and crappie.
Hawk Island County Park - Anglers have reported taking catfish on a teardrop. Secret color is black with a white belly and a red dot.
Lake Lansing - Anglers are seeing pike, however the bite has been slow. Some pike have been speared.
Lake Interstate - Some 7 to 8 inch bluegills were caught through the ice.
Morrison Lake - In Ionia County, has bluegills and crappie hitting just before dark. Spikes have worked best in 18 to 20 feet of water.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Long Lake - Just north of Alpena, has good perch fishing in 10 to 15 feet of water just east of Fitzgerald Creek which is on the south end of the lake, and also straight across on the north end of the lake. Try jigging rapalas or Swedish Pimples with minnows.
Hubbard Lake - Action is finally picking up with numerous walleye being caught when using minnows in 55 to 60 feet of water on both the north and south ends of the lake. Only a couple perch have been caught by those walleye fishing.
Van Etten Lake - Perch fishing continues to be good near the YMCA Camp. Try jigging Swedish Pimples with minnows in 10 to 15 feet of water.
Tawas - Has fair walleye and perch fishing in 20 to 25 feet of water. Perch anglers are getting a lot of little ones and pike spearing did slow.
Au Gres - Walleye fishing is concentrated in about 30 feet of water. The popular fishing holes have been off the hotel, just south of Point Lookout, and straight out from the mouth of the Au Gres River. Perch fishing has been slow off Palmer Road and Pine River Road with only a few fish taken in 2 to 5 feet of water.
Higgins Lake - Smelt were taken off the access site on the west side of the lake. Fish are hitting all day and all night, but they tend to turn off for a while then turn right back on. Perch minnows, wax worms and spikes have caught fish. Whitefish were taken in about 100 feet of water, but warm temperatures will push the smelt in shallow so try 20 to 60 feet of water. Lake trout have been caught on tip-ups in 100 to 120 feet of water. Use smelt for bait and fish just off the bottom. Anglers are reminded that a Motor Vehicle Permit is required in the State Parks.
Houghton Lake - Walleye fishing has been good in the evening when jigging blue shiners, rapalas or small spoons. Pike are hitting on tip-ups with golden shiners in 7 to 9 feet of water. Panfish action has been slow.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Lake Charlevoix - Thin ice has been reported near the middle of the lake so anglers should avoid this area. Walleye fishing slowed with only a few small fish taken east of Young State Park. Yellow perch fishing was fair in 13 to 50 feet of water when using Swedish Pimples, perch minnows and wigglers. Hot spots have been Young State Park, Tannery Park, Whiting Park and Lakeshore Drive. Anglers are spearing for pike in 10 feet of water near the access site at Boyne City, but no fish have been taken. Some are using tip-ups in 12 to 14 feet of water at the East Jordan Tourist Park. Some 19 to 21 inch whitefish were taken off Hemmingway Point when using spawn in 60 feet of water.
Traverse City - In the West Bay, a few anglers have fished in front of the Boardman River however the ice is not locked in and extreme caution needs to be used.
Long Lake - Look for walleye off the Township Park, Gilbert Park and on the southwest end of the lake while fishing in about 30 feet of water.
Glen Lake - Has pretty good lake trout fishing. Perch and cisco have been caught. Look for walleye in 10 to 15 feet of water on the east side of the lake just off the causeway. Rainbow trout have also been caught.
Crystal Lake - In Benzie County, has slow lake trout fishing. Even the longtime anglers are having a difficult time locating the fish. Perch have been caught on the east end of the lake near the village of Beulah. Whitefish have been caught when fishing smelt, wigglers or a single egg near the bottom.
Pentwater Lake - Look for walleye on the north end of the lake near the State Park or on the south end straight out from the Pentwater River. Try jigging perch minnows or wigglers in 15 to 30 feet of water. Look for crappie in both the Big Bayou and the Little Bayou.
Upper Peninsula
Keweenaw Bay - Has had lots of fishing activity with good catches of coho, herring, whitefish and lake trout.
Little Bay De Noc - Ice conditions remain 14 to 20 inches north of the narrows while ice on the southern sections of the bay still vary from 6 to 12 inches. Caution needs to be used. Walleye anglers are doing well from the Terrace Inn north to the Center Reef when jigging glow raps or using tip-ups with sucker minnows a couple feet off the bottom in 30 to 45 feet of water. While fish have been everywhere, the hot spots have been 16 to 21 feet of water off Hunters Point, 40 feet of water just east of the Second Reef, and in 35 to 45 feet of water near Gladstone. Good perch fishing was reported with a fair number of jumbo perch taken in 23 to 40 feet of water near Kipling. Perch were caught in 11 to 14 feet of water north of Butler Island. Whitefish are hitting on spawn and minnows in 70 to 85 feet of water off Sand Point
Munising - Ice thickness varies from 6 to 12 inches, and recent snowfall has created quite a bit of slush making travel difficult. Anglers will need to use extreme caution as much warmer weather along with swift currents in the bay could produce dangerous conditions. Though fishing has slowed, anglers were catching whitefish along with a few splake. Most of the whitefish were running small, with only the occasional large fish taken. Sand Point was one of the hot spots.
Munuscong Bay - Walleye and perch action has picked up at the west end of the bay near Grassy Island when fishing with minnows in about 3 feet of water. A few herring have been speared in Raber Bay. [/font]