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Gone fishin’

Upper Peninsula

• Marquette: Most boats found good numbers of lake trout in deeper water between White Rocks and Granite Island in 130 to 200 feet while trolling dodgers, spin-glows and various spoons. A couple Chinook were caught on high lines running 40 to 60 feet down. Lake trout were caught out at Stannard Rock as well.

• Au Train: Lake trout were being caught east and north of the Au Train Island, however most catches were hit-or-miss. Most anglers trolled in 130 to 150 feet. Wood Island Reef was still producing good catch rates.

• Munising: Surface water temperatures have been increasing coming in in the mid-60s to almost 70 degrees offshore and nearshore in the low 70s. Pressure was low from boat anglers but those out were reporting lake trout in fair numbers.

• Grand Marais: Water temperatures offshore were in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees. Lake trout fishing was good, however very few boats were out. Lake trout were biting from Big Reef to Five Mile Reef. No salmon were reported.

• Little Bay De Noc: Walleye anglers reported good catches from the Escanaba River area south to Round Island. The bite was best in early morning or late evenings, usually in and around eight feet of water. Perch anglers reported fair catches with some large size fish coming in. Catches at Kipling were reported in 22 to 30 feet using minnows or crawlers while at Gladstone Beach they were in 18 to 25 feet. At the ship docks in Escanaba anglers reported spotty catches with still fishing with minnows in 28 to 32 feet. Northern pike were active, especially around the river mouths. Smallmouth bass anglers reported good catches throughout the bay with the best areas are Squaw Point in 10 to 12 feet, the mouth of the Escanaba River in 16 to 20 feet, and south of the Ford River along the weed lines in six to 10 feet using plastics, crawlers or minnows.

• Big Bay De Noc: This past week’s smallmouth bass fishing was reported as fantastic. The Ogontz area and south to Martins Bay reported catches in three to 10 feet using plastics, cranks, minnows and leeches. In the Nahma area, straight out to the Rock was also good in and around eight feet. Garden, Puffy and Kates bays reported good catches using the same gear in four to 10 feet.

— The Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Fairport: Salmon numbers were low but anglers reported better catches in 105 to 130 feet and 60 to 80 feet down from the Gap and north off Point De Tour. Smallmouth bass anglers reported fish off the west side of Little Summer Island while casting plastics in two to six feet.

Detour: Fishing slowed during the past week, but anglers did catch lake trout 1.5 miles south of Detour Lighthouse. Most fish were found at the 90-foot flat that runs east and west for two miles. Spin-glow lures with 24-inch leaders, behind flashers, worked best. Preferred colors were orange and chartreuse. Those trolling planner boards for walleye in and around Pipe Island had fair results while using bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses. Anglers targeting salmon hung out around Fry Pan Island just south of the ferry boat lane to Drummond Island. Both Atlantics and Chinook were reported coming in at eight to 12 pounds. Most trolled within 12 feet of the island with baits set at 60 feet over 90 feet. Orange and gold four-inch spoons worked best for Atlantics while five to six-inch purple or black spoons attracted Chinook best.

Cedarville and Hessel: Anglers reported a few catches of yellow perch measuring eight to 10 inches. They were found while drift fishing the 12-foot channel that runs between La Salle Island and Islington Road on the main land. They were biting on small worms and shiner minnows. Largemouth bass were reported throughout Cedarville Bay with willow leaf spinner blades working best. Northern pike were found while still fishing with chubs in 12 to 20 feet of water, between Little La Salle Island and Peck Bay. At Hessel anglers reported northern pike catches, 25 to 27 inches, while fishing with creek chubs in the early morning hours off the marina fishing pier. Good panfish numbers were reported in Mackinaw Bay one mile east of Hessel Marina. Small worms worked best in six feet of water just off weeds.

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