Weekly Fishing Report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources: 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.

Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers reported good walleye fishing with large fish caught and some potentially in the trophy size category. Areas out of the Ford River were productive. Most anglers were fishing shallower water where they were able to sight fish in depths of around 10 to 15 feet of water. However, some anglers were able to locate fish at the bottom of deeper drop offs. Other anglers fishing the head of the bay had varied success. Anglers were using assorted types of jigging raps or shiver minnows. Anglers reported an increase in bites on the set lines this week. Perch anglers reported scattered schools out in front of Kipling and between first and center reef. Anglers had the most success with wigglers.

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers reported an increased number of smelt during night and daytime fishing. The increased number of smelt was reported in waves appearing from the bottom of the water column to as high as 15 feet below the ice. Anglers had success catching smelt as well as lake trout, whitefish and burbot over the last week. Many anglers had luck fishing for burbot at dusk with natural bait. During the day, anglers were finding whitefish in decent numbers when imitating flashy fish such as smelt. Some anglers reported seeing fish such as rainbow trout mixed in with the movement of smelt. With warmer weather coming, anticipate more movement of fish chasing this increase of smelt.

Munising Bay: Fishing picked up dramatically with anglers catching coho, splake and smelt. There were reports of some nice herring being caught. Some nice catches of whitefish were also reported over the weekend. The coho were averaging around the 15 to 17-inch range. Some of the splake were up to 20 inches. There were schools of smelt anywhere from 30 to 60 feet of water. Anglers were fishing from Sand Point to Bay Furnace.

Les Cheneaux/Munuscong Bay: Anglers were catching perch in Musky Bay and a few perch in Hessel Bay while using minnows, wiggles and wax worms. They were also catching a few splake and lake trout in Wilderness Bay. Munuscong Bay anglers were catching a few walleye, but the bite was slow. The same went for the perch bite at the Conley Point ramp.

Southeast

Lower Peninsula

Saginaw Bay: A few anglers were catching some bluegill in 10 feet of water at the end of Pinconning Road. At Vanderbilt Park, a few limits of yellow perch were caught in 10 feet of water. Fishing was slow with light activity on the east side of Saginaw Bay. A few yellow perch were caught in the Sebewaing area with mostly small fish caught. There were numerous open pockets of water from Sebewaing and up into Wildfowl Bay.

Saginaw River: A few walleye were caught in downtown Saginaw and at the confluence of the rivers. In both cases finding a place out of the wind to more effectively vertically jig was key to catching walleye. Anglers were using about a æ-ounce jig head due to fast current. Anglers did best while using a black or blue ice twister tail tipped with a minnow. About two to three walleye were caught per angler, at best.

Northeast

Lower Peninsula

Tawas: There were a few perch caught in 20 feet of water off jigs tipped with minnows. A few lake trout and walleye were caught out near the artificial reef in 20 to 22 feet of water off spoons and jigs tipped with minnows. The Tawas River is open, but the boat ramp was still iced up.

Au Gres: There were a couple of steelhead caught north of the breakwall in 5 to 8 feet of water off jigs tipped with plastics.