Where Do Fish Eat This Week, September 14 Report – 9&10 News

Here’s what the fishing looks like this week in the northwest Lower Peninsula, northeast Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, according to the latest report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Northeastern Lower Peninsula

Presque Isle: Fishing pressure was low. However, those who have succeeded have done well. North Bay to Black Point has been good for Chinook, coho, steelhead and lake trout. Salmon have been caught in 40 to 70 feet of water while mid-shaft fishing. The use of yellow, green and blue plugs and spoons has been the most productive. Lake trout are found in 50 to 100 feet of water near the bottom. Fishing with melons, white spoons and chartreuse has caught good numbers of fish. Steelhead have been scattered at all depths in the top 30 feet of water, and orange and gold have been the most productive colors.

Rockport: Anglers have caught their limits of lake trout while fishing in anywhere from 90 to 130 feet of water. The walleye bite has slowed, but anglers are reporting the best bite is at night. Salmon were caught, but not in large numbers. Anglers found most of them in 30 to 60 feet of water.

Alpina: Walleye anglers have had success fishing from Whitefish Point to Thunder Bay Island. Gold, purple and black/silver body baits are being caught in the evening in 15 to 25 feet of water. Partridge Point and Sulfur Island have produced walleye after dark on crankbaits in 10 to 15 feet of water. Anglers have had good luck catching Chinook in the bay while running long lines with plugs, body baits and spoons on short lead cores. Black, purple, and lilac were most productive early and late in the day. Pier anglers have had success casting glow spoons and body baits after dark.

Thunder Bay River: A few walleye were caught near Mill Island Park while casting body baits after dark, with fire tiger patterns having the best results. Anglers targeting Chinook have had great success trolling plugs and casting spoons early and late in the day. A few fish were caught by anglers who drifted between the dam and the Ninth Avenue Bridge. Due to the warm water temperatures, large numbers of fish have not been reported.

Rogers City: Chinook salmon have been launching off Swan Bay. Fishing early in the morning or later in the day seems to be best. The catchers were long jigs and J-plugs from planer boards. Best depths were within 40 feet of water. Anglers are reporting a heavy presence of baitfish, with immature salmon, steelhead, lake trout and walleye feeding on them. The best bite has been reported to be in the evening as the sun goes down, and the best depths are where the bait is, in about 50 to 70 feet of water. Anglers using green, yellow, blue and glowing objects early and late have had good success. Anglers used bottom piles, dipsies, and lead cores as well.

They are wrong: Perch anglers don’t seem to have much luck, but those who do report using natural bait, such as minnow.

Oscoda/O Sable: There weren’t many anglers getting out on the water, but those who did make it reported catching steelhead and walleye in about 100 feet of water. Pier anglers have reported an increase in the amount of Chinook and Coho salmon caught from the pier. Anglers report that using spoons at dawn and dusk seems to work best.

Cheboygan: Salmon fishing in Cheboygan has improved, but the run is not yet in full swing. Both the pier and the dam have produced fish for shore anglers, with eggs, spoons and articulated crankbaits being the most popular lures. The current was fast because three dam gates were open, making the bobber more difficult to float. Boat anglers targeted salmon in the river channel and lake trout around nearby reefs. The best way to catch salmon remains at night or early in the morning, although they can be caught at any time.

alum: Walleye anglers were satisfied with their catches when fishing both natural and artificial bait in about 70 feet of water. A couple of coho salmon showed up and were caught by anglers using spoons.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Charlevoix: Salmon anglers have had most of their success fishing near Medusa in the early morning. A variety of casting, trolling, jigging and drifting spoons have produced results. Rains earlier in the week drove the fish inland, resulting in numerous bites near the pier heads and in Lake Charlevoix. Good numbers of Chinook salmon, some coho and a few additional steelhead were reported. Those targeting bass in the channel have reported slow results on keepers.

Petoskey/Harbor Springs: Anglers targeting salmon in front of the Bear River have had some success catching a variety of plugs, flies and spoons. Chinook, Coho and a few nice steelhead have been reported while fishing from boats. Those fishing the Bear River have had success during and immediately after heavy rains. Slow but steady success after the rains has produced good sized chinook, small coho and a few steelhead. Anglers fishing on the north side of Little Traverse Bay are reporting a few lake trout, chinook, and the occasional smallmouth bass.

Frankfurt: Chinook were moving toward the river where smaller numbers were being caught in front of the dock heads and away from the break walls. However, fishermen reported good numbers in the harbour. In Platte Bay, coho numbers are at their peak, with anglers reporting peaks in the early morning while trolling, jigging and casting.

Unicam: Anglers are reporting Chinook activity offshore and in the barrel in 40 to 60 feet of water and setting lines in the top 30 feet of water. Darker chinook have been reported, slowing angler pressure.

Upper Peninsula

Little bye de noc: Perch anglers have reported catching a few, although the success and location of active schools varies from day to day. It was not uncommon for areas containing fish to become scarce the next day, with searches having to be conducted to achieve any degree of success. Anglers have reported a rough bite, likely due to unstable weather conditions. Anglers also report having limited success further south, near the Cedar or Park rivers.

Big By De Noc: Smallmouth bass anglers from Nahma have had some luck and reported catching a few large smallmouth bass. Both perch and walleye anglers reported fishing was slow.

Carp River/Nuns Creek: The Carp River has been reported to produce more fish than Noone’s Creek. Anglers at both locations have had more success when wading and throwing spoons or drifting salmon eggs. The most common access points to the Carp River downstream or upstream were a few miles away at McDonald Rapids.

Marquette: Anglers report that the best place to catch lake trout is near the northeast side of the White Islands. Warmer weather seems to drive fish back to deeper water. Anglers who were fishing for trout in water 120 to 180 feet deep caught the most lake trout near the White Islands, while anglers who were fishing for lake trout around Granite Rock had the most luck catching or Jumping in 120 to 200 feet of water. Anglers have reported catching Chinook and Coho salmon in 100 feet or more of water. Multi-colored spoons of watermelon, silver and red, cowbells and bright green and blue striper flies have been good lures for lake trout while gold spoons, bass baits or green lures and moonshine glow have been hot colors for salmon.

On the train: Several anglers reported catching lake trout close to their limit. The fish were caught in deeper water, and the best places to fish were near the northwest side of Au Train Island and toward the clay banks of Shelter Bay. Green spins and flares at about 80 to 120 feet have been successful for lake trout on clay banks. Anglers who were trolling or jigging in 70 to 120 feet of water or were fishing along the flats caught the most lake trout. Also, fishing cowbells in about 145 feet of water using meat or scent has had good success for some anglers north of Au Train Island. Chinook and Coho salmon have been caught in about 70 feet of water while trolling at a slower speed of about 1.8 mph. Anglers report that black/gold or orange spoons and pink striper flies have been hot for coho and chinook.

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Gulf: Anglers have been steadily bringing trout out of the lake with the occasional coho. Anglers report that most fishing occurs during the morning hours, with most fish being caught near the top or bottom of the water column regardless of depth. Anglers got most of their catch from artificial lures such as spoons and while trolling. Water temperatures were ranging from cool to warm, and some angler reports indicated fish moving into the bays.

Grand Traverse Bay/South Portage Channel: Anglers continued to catch dozens of lake trout, with silver fish being found farther north. These fish are expected to move to closer waters in the coming weeks, as the season changes. Cooling waters showed some fishing moving slightly southward after those cooler temperatures. Anglers were fishing mostly with spoons and flies, and the fish were caught in the upper third of the water column. Anglers report that morning trips are the most successful.

Ontonagon River: Fishing in the river has been slow over the past week. Anglers have been lucky to find walleye and the occasional yellow perch. Anglers have reported success mostly in the morning hours, with the bite slowing as the day goes on. Anglers reported that both jigging and trolling produced similar results.

Ontagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Anglers brought in a good mix of lake trout, coho salmon and the occasional brown trout. Anglers reported that using artificial lures across a variety of depths was the key to this success, as the fish appeared to be randomly dispersed throughout the water column. Anglers were lucky to catch fish at all times of the day.

Black River Port: Fishing efforts outside the port were high over the past week. Anglers who successfully get out into the lake have been rewarded with good numbers of lake trout and the occasional coho salmon. Successful trips were made at all times of day, and fish were caught at varying depths when trolling artificial lures.

Munising Bay: Fishing pressure was low, but some anglers reported catching small numbers of cohos. Fishing at the pier off Anna has been slow, with no coho or splash reported.

Grand Marais: Fishing pressure was low, with very few coho caught by boat anglers making it out alive. However, anglers reported that the coho was a good size, with the fish weighing over 6 pounds. A few boat anglers have tried fishing for lake trout and have done well offshore near the shipping channels. There are still reports of large clouds of baitfish.

Les Chinos/The Detour: Fishing pressure has been slow in the area. However, Hessel anglers were able to catch a few fish around the marina and around and in Musky Bay. Splake has not yet been caught, and pike fishing from the pier has been reported to be very slow. Anglers reported catching a few lake trout around the east entrance. At the turn, anglers were catching a mixed bag of salmon and lake trout along with a few walleye. The fishermen mainly roamed around the lighthouse and on the flats. There were also a few pike caught further north around the islands.

Escanaba: The Escanaba River was giving up limits of coho salmon from the dam to the bay.

Fishing tip of the week

Do you carry a first aid kit with you when you go out fishing? You never know what could happen, so it never hurts to be prepared. If you are interested in putting together a kit, be sure to include the following:

• Rubber gloves
• scissors
• tweezers
• Thermometer
• Hemostatic
• Compresses
• Adhesive bandages
• Medical tape
• Compression bandage
• Antibiotic ointment
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Antibiotic wipes
• Eye wash liquid
• Aspirin/ibuprofen