Fishing Forum

[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, May 17, 2007 [/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report[/font]
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[url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]

Walleye caught in waters on the east side of the state are showing up with long white worms inside the body cavity. The DNR has confirmed that the worms are actually an adult tape worm. The fish are still safe to eat when normal cooking procedures are followed. These fish have been caught in the Detroit River, Saginaw River, Saginaw Bay, Tittabawassee River, Tawas River and the Pine River. The Fisheries Division continues to investigate this new infestation to determine the species and life cycle of the parasite and why they are suddenly showing up in walleye.

Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - Walleye are being caught in 12 to 20 feet of water off Bolles Harbor. Most are using crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers. The action has been very good when the waters are clear. Good numbers of white bass have been caught. Those fishing near the Banana Dike reported good northern pike fishing.
Detroit River - Walleye fishing has been very good just south of Detroit Edison and on the east side of Grosse Ile. Limit catches were reported in Canadian waters. Good numbers of white bass have been caught.
Lake St. Clair - Anglers are starting to catch walleye off Twelve Mile Road, Fourteen Mile Road and up near the 400 Club. Some are jigging or handlining while others are trolling with crankbaits.
St. Clair River - Walleye anglers are jigging or handlining at night. There has been no word on perch fishing this week because most are targeting walleye.
Lexington - They were still getting salmon and trout when using a variety of lures in 15 to 30 feet of water. Pier anglers were taking a few perch in the harbor. If you fish all day and do a lot of sorting, you can get enough for dinner.
Port Sanilac - Boat anglers continue to catch chinook, coho and brown trout when trolling both north and south of the piers. The brown trout are still in shallow waters, but the salmon will be out deeper. Pier fishing was fair.
Harbor Beach - Lake trout were caught straight out and north of the harbor when using bodybaits and spoons in 25 to 50 feet of water. A few salmon were caught south of the harbor. Brown trout are in shallow waters 15 to 25 feet deep, but anglers need to be careful of the rocks when fishing that close to shore.
Port Austin - Lake trout have been caught in 30 feet of water. Rumor has it some walleye were taken of the pier before dawn.
Saginaw Bay - Walleye fishing was really good with limit catches reported, and then it got windy. Hot spots were 15 to 17 feet of water near Buoy H off Linwood and the whole south end of the bay from Finn Road east to Quanicassee in 5 to 6 feet of water. Crawler harnesses are the ticket. Anglers at the south end were going out at Patterson Road and those on the west end were using the Quanicassee access site. Walleye anglers also did well in the Slot off Sunset Bay Marina and off Sebewaing in 9 feet of water. Up the thumb side, walleye were taken off the tip of Sand Point when fishing at night. Caseville has been slow.
Tittabawassee River - Anglers are still getting some limits of walleye down around Center Street. The run of white bass has started and anglers are catching good numbers of fish.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph - Boats are picking up good numbers of coho, chinook, lake trout and steelhead when trolling with downriggers set 35 to 50 feet down in waters 100 to 180 feet deep. Most are using spoons or plugs.
South Haven - Boat anglers are taking a few chinook and lake trout when trolling 30 to 40 feet down in 80 to 100 feet of water.
Kalamazoo River - Has good walleye fishing, just try to avoid the areas where they are dredging as the churned up and dirty waters will hamper fishing efforts.
Grand Haven - Boats are trolling in waters 150 to 200 feet deep for trout and salmon. Perch have been caught in 60 to 75 feet of water, using perch flies with gold hooks that are tipped with wigglers or minnows. There are a lot of alewife swimming around the piers.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Anglers are catching lots of smallmouth bass during the catch and release season. Bluegills are hitting on leaf worms and wax worms in the slow waters. Crappies are hitting on shiners. Some big channel cats have been caught on crawlers and liver while the flatheads are hitting on sucker minnows. Northern pike are hitting on sucker minnows and Husky Jerks. The gates have opened at Millennium Park where anglers are catching bluegills, crappie and bass.
Rogue River - Anglers are catching trout on crawlers.
Thornapple River - Walleye have been caught when drifting crawlers below the Ada Dam. Good panfish action was reported above the Cascade Dam.
Grand River at Lansing - One lucky angler caught a big walleye on a leaf worm up near the North Lansing Dam. Carp fishing has been good with a nice 21 pound fish taken last weekend. Look for panfish opportunities to improve once the warm weather is here to stay.
Reeds Lake - Crappie are in the shallows near the Fire Station. Perch can be found in 10 feet of water. Some large bass have been caught and released when using large shiners and power bait.
Cranberry Lake - Has good bluegill and crappie fishing with the crappie hitting on small jigs and minnows and the bluegills are hitting on worms and top water spiders.
Lake Ovid - More anglers are now fishing the lake, but reports have been few. It will not be long before the bluegills will be on their beds.
Muskegon - Boats are taking chinook, steelhead and lake trout when fishing straight out of the channel. Most are trolling with spoons 30 to 60 feet down in waters 90 to 120 feet deep.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Rogers City - Good lake trout fishing has started but atlantic salmon and brown trout have also been caught. Most are trolling in shallow waters up to 40 feet deep between Calcite Harbor and Adams Point. They are using cowbells with a half ounce of lead or trolling bodybaits off planer boards.
Presque Isle - Not much is happening as water temperatures were still a bit chilly. A few lake trout were caught in the top half of waters 40 to 70 feet deep but the fish are scattered right now. Atlantic salmon were taken in the harbor when using shiners under a bobber, but this technique will not last long.
Rockport - Lake trout fishing has been slow to fair with most boats coming in with only one fish. They are trolling off Ferron Point or on the northeast side of Middle Island. No reports on walleye.
Alpena - Daytime fishing has picked up, but more are fishing for walleye at night. Boat anglers are targeting walleye, brown trout, lake trout and bass. Walleye fishing has been good for some and poor for others. Hot spots are the usual Grass Island, Thunder Bay, and the mouth of the river. If fishing for lake trout, try the 9-Mile Can and go deep. Anglers are ranging from full limits of 24 to 26 inch fish to some smaller ones that are just legal size. A chinook salmon was also caught. Smallmouth bass are hitting behind the plant and Partridge Point Marina.
Thunder Bay River - Steelhead fishing has virtually shut down at the dam with very few anglers trying and no hits at all.
Harrisville - Good lake trout fishing was reported when trolling in 45 to 70 feet of water. Chinook salmon have also been caught. There were rumors of walleye caught off the piers when casting rapalas.
Oscoda - Anglers are taking good numbers of walleye, with limits taken at dawn and dusk. Some of the fish are in the 24 inch range. Smaller walleye have been caught throughout the rest of the day. Some are using a worm under a bobber while others are casting rapalas.
Au Sable River - Some steelhead can still be found on the gravel though the numbers were low.
Tawas - Fishing slowed over the last week. Some small perch were caught off the pier and a couple walleye were taken from shore near the mouth of the Tawas River.
Au Gres - Walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses in 38 to 40 feet of water. Those fishing in the Great Lakes Marina caught walleye in shallow waters 8 to 10 feet deep when using crawler harnesses.
Higgins Lake - Boats are slow trolling for lake trout. The rainbow trout are suspended about halfway down in waters 70 feet deep. Perch can be found in 35 to 40 feet of water near the drop off and around the Sunken Island.
Houghton Lake - Anglers are catching walleye, pike, bass, crappie and bluegills. The bluegills were just starting to hit on the beds, but the cold will slow the bite. Look for good action once the warm weather returns.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Bear River - Only a couple steelhead have been caught near Petoskey.
Thumb Lake (Lake Louise) - Anglers are targeting splake in the shallow waters of the Western Basin. Anglers fishing in less than 15 feet of water are using rapalas, flatfish, crawlers or minnows. Those trolling can be found in waters 20 to 40 feet deep with minnows, crawlers and rapalas. Large and smallmouth bass have also been caught around the entire lake in shallow waters less than 15 feet deep. Try using crawlers, crankbaits, jigs and rattle traps. Bluegills have been caught in the deeper holes along the shoreline when using crawlers or minnows.
Traverse City - Fishing has been slow in the East Bay as the weather has not been cooperating. When boats can get out, lake trout and whitefish were taken off the Bluffs. In the West Bay, lake trout have been caught near the Gravel Pit and out near Red Buoy #8. Perch fishing slowed in Suttons Bay.
Elk River - Fishing continues to be good for steelhead at the dam when using spawn. Perch have been hit or miss, but those caught were in the 9 to 12 inch range.
Boardman River - Some spent steelhead are still present below the Union Street Dam. Smallmouth bass are showing up at the mouth of the river.
Long Lake - Good numbers of walleye have been caught along the north shore near Hartman Park when trolling crawler harnesses in 35 feet of water. They are also catching them past the northern most island when fishing jigs with minnows about 25 feet down in waters 50 feet deep. Lots of big perch are hitting on wigglers in 30 to 50 feet of water on the southern end of the lake. Anglers are starting to see bass in the shallows. Smallmouth can be found near the drop off around the islands, and the largemouth bass are in the bays.
Frankfort - Michigan has a new state record brown trout and it was caught in the harbor at Frankfort on May 13th. The fish weighed in at 36 lbs 13 oz. beating the old state record by 2 lbs 3 oz. It was 43 inches long with a girth of 27 inches. Boats trolling for brown trout have been catching good numbers of fish in the early morning and late evening. Most are fishing in the harbor or along the shoreline all the way up to Point Betsie. Try rapalas in silver, gold, firetiger, chartreuse, and orange. Pier fishing has been slow. Water temperatures are cold, so very few bait fish are hanging around the piers.
Onekama - Some brown trout and lake trout have been caught when trolling northward between the piers and the Barrel. Bright colored rapalas such as orange, chartreuse or black and gold were the hot colors.
Portage Lake - Boat anglers trolling in front of the Inn have picked up some brown trout. Perch fishing was slow and the fish are running small. Panfish were still out in deeper waters, but it will not be long before they move into the shallows. Good numbers of walleye have been caught when trolling at night, and those trolling during the day have taken some nice northern pike.
Manistee - Boats trolling towards Gurney Creek are still taking a few fish, mainly brown trout. A couple salmon were taken off the Shelf. Pier anglers had no luck, and those surfcasting reported a few bumps on their lines, but no takers.
Manistee Lake - Anglers are catching bluegills and crappie.
Manistee River - There are still some steelhead left at Tippy Dam.
Lake Cadillac and Lake Mitchell - Have good crappie and northern pike fishing.
Ludington - Fishing has been slow. A few walleye are still being taken off the North Pier at night, but those fishing for trout had no luck. Boats trolling to the north have caught brown trout between the State Park and the Point. Those trolling to the south have taken chinook, steelhead and lake trout. Green, blue and orange spoons worked best.
Upper Peninsula
Marquette - The coho fishing is just about done, and only a couple chinook salmon have been caught so far. Lake trout fishing also ranged from slow to fair but as the waters warm, fishing should improve.
Little Bay De Noc - Perch fishing has been spotty, with the better catches coming from the Narrows and north to the Second Reef in 35 to 40 feet of water when using worms, wigglers and minnows. Walleye fishing should be pretty good as many anglers have been marking or catching them throughout the entire Bay.
Big Bay De Noc - Has few anglers as most are waiting for the fishing to pick up.
Au Train - Anglers that ventured out had good success trolling for lake trout in 170 to 200 feet of water. Many were taking limits of fish ranging from 2 to 4 pounds.
Grand Marais - Boats trolling in front of the Sucker River were still taking coho and the occasional steelhead. Pier anglers have taken a few round whitefish and lake whitefish on spawn and worms.
De Tour - The chinook salmon have arrived. They are good size and look healthy. Chinook and atlantic salmon as well as lake trout have been caught when trolling from Frying Pan Island south to the #3 Green Can, and around the lighthouse. Green and orange spoons are working best. Rumor has it smelt have been taken in some of the smaller creeks around Drummond Island.
Cedarville and Hessel - Splake fishing this spring has been excellent. Anglers are catching splake in Hessel around the pier, but the bigger fish have moved out to deeper water 15 to 20 feet deep in Hessel Bay. Minnows, spoons and stickbaits have worked well with and green has been the hot color. Smallmouth bass have also been caught.
St. Ignace - Fishing is generally slow in the spring and this year is no exception. There is no action at the mouth of the Pine River or the Carp River. City launches are not seeing any activity and the primitive launch is only getting a few that are spearing carp.
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Upper Peninsula:[/url]

Musky, pike and walleye seasons opened earlier this week around the Upper Peninsula. Reports are just starting to come in from Lake Gogebic, so it is a little early to gauge how walleye fishing is going on the lake.

In the Marquette area, the lake trout and salmon fishing is good on Lake Superior outside the harbors. Anglers are trolling with spoons.

Perch fishing is fair on Little Bay de Noc near Escanaba. Wigglers are the preferred bait, but minnows and worms are also being used. No reports are available on how the first few days of the walleye season have been on the bay.

Out of the Manistique area, the walleye fishing ranges from fair to good on the Manistique River.

By Sault Ste. Marie, the perch fishing is slowing on the upper end of the St. Marys River.

Anglers around Drummond Island are reeling in a few salmon near the lighthouse by the St. Marys River.

Fishing activity is slow this week on Munuscong Bay and near St. Ignace. Feedback is just starting to come in on the pike and walleye fishing in these areas.

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Northwest:[/url]

Out of the Alanson area, the walleye fishing is fair on Crooked Lake. Mornings are the best time to be out. Try using a crawler harness tipped with a minnow.

Around Boyne City, the walleye fishing is improving on Lake Charlevoix. The best areas to cast a line are on the South Arm and on the west end of the lake. Anglers on the lake are also reeling in a few pike.

By Traverse City, the whitefish and lake trout fishing is fair on both East Grand Traverse and West Grand Traverse bays. Anglers along the Boardman River are reeling in a few steelhead. Long Lake and Lake Leelanau are producing fair walleye fishing.

Whitefish fishing is very good on Crystal Lake near Frankfort. Wigglers are the preferred bait. Perch fishing on the lake is fair. Anglers trolling on Lake Michigan near the pier are catching a few brown trout.

In the Manistee area, the bluegill fishing ranges from fair to good on most of the inland lakes. On Lake Michigan, cold water and winds are limiting fishing activity this week.

Anglers are finding good walleye fishing where Elk Lake and Lake Skegemog connect with each other. Marble eyes are hitting on crawler harnesses. Perch fishing on Clam Lake is fair.

Fly-fishers by Gaylord are finding very good trout fishing on the Manistee River. The best fishing occurs between the midday and evening hours. Brook trout fishing is very good on the Black River. Brookies are hitting on a variety of flies.

At Cadillac, the pike fishing is good on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. Crappie fishing ranges from fair to good on both lakes.

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West:[/url]

Hamlin Lake near Ludington is producing very good crappie fishing. The best fishing is found on the upper end of the lake, where minnows are the preferred bait. Pike fishing is fair on the upper end of the lake. Anglers along the breakwater on Lake Michigan are reeling in fair to good numbers of walleye at night. On Lake Michigan, the brown trout, lake trout and steelhead fishing is spotty.

Out of the Pentwater area, anglers on Pentwater Lake are reeling in a few crappie. Fishing activity on Lake Michigan has been slow due to the strong winds that have stirred things up.

Around Muskegon, the walleye fishing is fair in the middle of Muskegon Lake and by the mouth of the Muskegon River. Salmon fishing ranges from slow to fair on Lake Michigan. Fish are found 40 to 60 feet below the surface in water up to 130 feet deep.

Anglers on Chippewa Lake are catching good numbers of bluegill. Both wax worms and leaf worms are being used as bait.

Out of the Baldwin area, the bluegill fishing is very good on Idlewild and Paradise lakes. Leeches are the hot bait. Fly-fishing on the Pere Marquette River ranges from fair to good.

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Southwest:[/url]

In the Holland area, the walleye fishing is good on the Kalamazoo River between the bridges. Early mornings or evenings are the best times to be out. On Lake Michigan, the salmon fishing is fair. Fish are found 40 to 60 feet below the surface in water up to 200 feet deep. South of Grand Haven in water about 70 feet deep, the perch fishing is reported to be pretty good. Anglers on the west end of Lake Macatawa are reeling in a few perch, using minnows as bait. Crappie fishing on Hutchins Lake is fair. The best fishing is found near the drop-offs on the lake.

Out of the Benton Harbor area, the salmon fishing is good on Lake Michigan. Fish are found in the top 40 feet of water up to 250 feet deep. Along the St. Joseph River, anglers are reeling in a few walleye.

By New Buffalo, the coho fishing is fair on Lake Michigan close to shore.

Around Kalamazoo, the bluegill fishing is pretty good on most local lakes. Gills are moving into the shallows. Pine Lake is producing good crappie fishing. Anglers on the Kalamazoo River are catching a few pike.

At Three Rivers, the crappie fishing is good on most local lakes and the bluegill fishing is fair. Gills are hitting on red wigglers and wax worms, while the crappie seem to prefer minnows as bait.

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Northeast:[/url]

By Alpena, the salmon and walleye fishing on Lake Huron is fair. Anglers along the Thunder Bay River are also reeling in a few walleye. Morning and evening hours are the best times to be out.

In the Grayling area, the bluegill fishing is fair on Frog and Manistee lakes. Anglers on Lake Margrethe are catching a few walleye.

Around Oscoda, the walleye fishing is good on Au Sable River. Steelhead fishing is fair on the river. Anglers on Cooke Dam and Foote Dam ponds are finding good perch and pike fishing. Crappie fishing is fair on Foote Dam Pond. Anglers on Cooke Dam Pond are reeling in a few bluegill. Van Etten Lake is producing good pike, perch and walleye fishing.

Anglers on Higgins Lake are finding fair to good brown and lake trout fishing. The best time to be out fishing is in the morning.

Houghton Lake is producing good pike and walleye fishing. Anglers on the lake are also reeling in a few panfish.

At Au Gres, the walleye fishing is fair on Saginaw Bay between Point Au Gres and Point Lookout. Try using a crawler harness with a bottom bouncer in water about 24 feet deep. Anglers at the mouth of the Au Gres River are reeling in a few catfish. Crawlers are working well as bait.

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East:[/url]

On Saginaw Bay near Linwood, the walleye fishing is good in water eight to 14 feet deep. Try trolling with a Rapala or crawler harness.

In the Bay City area, the walleye fishing is very good on Saginaw Bay. Fish are biting all day long.

Along the Saginaw and Tittabawassee rivers near Zilwaukee, the walleye fishing is fair. White bass are starting to bite. Bluegill and crappie fishing is reported to be good.

The wind has been limiting fishing activity near Bay Port.

Out of the Harbor Beach area, the walleye fishing is good off the breakwall on Lake Huron during the evening hours. King salmon fishing is much improved on the lake. The best fishing is found south of Harbor Beach. Lake trout and steelhead fishing is pretty good on the lake and the perch fishing is starting to improve.

By Port Sanilac and Lexington on Lake Huron, the king salmon fishing ranges from fair to good in water up to 20 feet deep. Salmon are hitting on body baits, where orange is the hot color.

The St. Clair River by Port Huron is producing very good walleye fishing. Anglers in boats are limiting out at night whipping pencil plugs. Anglers from shore are reeling in good numbers of walleye, as well. Anglers along the Black River are catching a few catfish and crappie. Pike fishing on the 40th Street Pond ranges from fair to good.

On the St. Clair River between St. Clair and Marine City, the walleye fishing is good. Perch fishing on the Pine River near St. Clair is fair.

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Central:[/url]

Around Mount Pleasant, the bluegill and crappie fishing is pretty good on Coldwater, Deerfield and Isabella lakes.

In the Lansing area, the bluegill fishing is good on Jordan Lake, Lake Ovid and on the Grand River. The best spot to cast a line in the river is by Frances Park. Anglers on Park Lake are catching a few pike.

Out of the Jackson area, the bluegill fishing is very good on most local lakes. Wax worms and leaf worms are being used as bait. Vineyard Lake is producing good crappie fishing. Pike and walleye fishing on the local lakes remains slow this week.

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Southeast:[/url]

Anglers are finding very good walleye fishing on the St. Clair River near Algonac. During the day, try using a vertical jig. The best area to fish is near the ferry to Russell Island. At night, anglers are whipping pencil plugs, with the best fishing found closer to the state park.

On Lake St. Clair, the walleye and perch fishing is improving near Metropolitan Beach. Anglers are dragging crawler harnesses in water up to eight feet deep.

Along the north end of the Detroit River, the walleye fishing is very good. Marble eyes are hitting on various baits and setups.

In the Downriver area, the walleye fishing is excellent on the Detroit River. The best fishing is found in the Trenton Channel in water 12 to 20 feet deep. The white bass fishing is also very good in the river.

Out on Lake Erie, the walleye fishing is reported to be good in water up to 22 feet deep. Anglers on Brest Bay and on the pier at Bolles Harbor are reeling in a few perch.

At Belleville, the bluegill and crappie fishing is fair on Belleville Lake. Anglers on the lake near Rawsonville Road are also catching a few walleye.

I didnt go fishing this week, so I can only add that walleye in the detroit river and lake errie are infested with tape worm.

the dnr states the fish are still edible, but you must cook them theroughly though and pratice safe handling of raw foods and keep the puppies from getting a lick of the fish or left overs and place them in plastic bags and keep away from any animals including racoons or cats that can come in contact with your pup....
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Saganaw bay and it's tribs have the same thing to report , tapeworms !
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