Upper Peninsula

Little Bay de Noc: Anglers targeting walleye had limited success when trolling the Minneapolis shoals and ‘black bottom’ in the morning hours. Eater-sized walleye were caught out of Kipling, as well as some perch.

Manistique: Salmon anglers were catching fish near the ‘red can’, as well as Pointe Aux Barques. However, anglers had to move to deeper water to find adult salmon. Anglers fishing the river had some success with northern pike and walleye.

Marquette: Most anglers reported catching lake trout primarily from white rocks and Granite Island. Fishing was slower between the Chocolay River and Shot Point. Lake trout was the primary species reported coming from around Shot Point, but some coho and Chinook were reported being caught from that area. For lake trout around Granite Island, try trolling in 150+ feet of water while trolling spoons. Anglers fishing near White Rocks reported most catches in water from 60 to 100 feet of water while trolling spoons and stick baits. Shot Point anglers targeting lake trout and salmon reported catches on bottom lines in about 40 to 70 feet of water while trolling spoons and dipsies.

Munising: Boat anglers reported slow fishing with a few lake trout and splake mixed in. Best areas were in the west channel, portal, and towards Wood Island Reef.

Grand Marais: Boat anglers were reporting good fishing pressure. Anglers were fishing mainly towards Five Mile Reef near shipping channels, along with towards AuSable Point. Common depths were 150 to 200 feet of water. Anglers were having luck both with trolling and jigging.

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers were reporting an increase in salmon catches. Some anglers found luck trolling for coho and Chinook salmon as well as lake trout. Anglers fishing for these species had the most luck fishing in the mornings and more specifically fishing before 8 a.m. Fish seemed to be biting on lures that resemble smelt colorations. Expect fishing for these species to continue increasing as daytime temperatures drop while we move into fall.

Traverse Bays/ South Portage Entry Canal: Anglers reported seeing more salmon in the water as well as being able to catch a few. The coho and Chinook seem to be moving down from the north. Anglers were catching a fair share of lake trout from these bays as well. Most successful fishing trips were morning fishing trips with catch rates seeming to slow down throughout the day. Most anglers were trolling in water depths from 50 to 170 feet and all throughout that range. Most anglers on successful trips reported to look for as cool of water as they could find.

Au Train: Fishing activity increased with anglers launching from the Brownstone Boat Launch. Most reports came from anglers fishing around Au Train Island. Anglers were fishing the shallower water in the flats around the island, as well as in deeper water. In the shallower water, anglers reported only lake trout coming out of about 30 to 60 feet of water. Anglers fishing in deeper water (150 to 200 feet) reported mostly lake trout, but there were a couple reports of coho and Chinook salmon. In shallow and deep water, try trolling spoons, dipsies, or stick baits at around 2mph for best success.

Upper St. Mary’s: Anglers continued to target rainbow trout near the Soo Locks with limited success. Anglers found fishing into the night with crawlers and other natural bait to be the most successful. Some anglers were having success catching small perch, smallmouth bass, and white suckers off the bottom of the river in roughly 20 feet. In Waishkey Bay area, fishing continued to be slow with the occasional pike and some perch. Trolling with spinners and stick baits on planer boards was the method most anglers used. Anglers that were going out into deeper water near Iroquois Lighthouse found some success catching Chinook and coho using blue and orange spoons. Fishing halfway throughout the water column in 80 to 100 feet of water continued to be where fish were being marked.

— The Michigan Department of Natural Resources