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Little Bay de Noc: High winds rendered Little Bay de Noc too rough for angling throughout much of the week. Anglers who ventured out reported fair walleye and yellow perch fishing. Anglers targeted reefs near the head of the bay, as well as adjacent drop-offs. Anglers trolling utilized crawler harnesses with inline weights or bottom bouncers, while anglers casting used lures with erratic, darting action. Rear-finned, snap-style jigs worked well when paired with forward-facing sonar. Anglers reported catching yellow perch on minnows and worms, with the most success occurring from morning into late afternoon.
Munising: Angling activity slowed considerably. Anglers trolling the bay caught a few coho salmon, though the bite slowed compared to previous weeks. Anglers fishing off the Anna River reported slow fishing when targeting coho salmon but experienced a good bite for splake along with a few rainbow trout. Casting spoons and drifting spawn proved most effective.
Ontonagon River: Angling effort on the river remained extremely low over the past week. A few anglers attempted trolling for walleye, though outings yielded minimal success. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling effort from the Ontonagon, Silver City, and Union Bay access sites increased slightly over the past week. Inclement weather conditions limited lake access on occasion. Anglers experienced good success targeting lake trout when conditions allowed, with fish taken primarily by jigging in depths of 70 to 90 feet. Trolling in slightly deeper waters yielded similar results. Shore anglers reported minimal success. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.
Black River Harbor: The harbor experienced an increase in angling effort over the past week. Weather conditions slightly limited lake access on occasion throughout the week. When conditions allowed, anglers reported high catch rates of lake trout. Reports indicated that fish were caught by anglers trolling in depths around 120 feet of water. Shore anglers fishing from the breakwall and within the harbor reported no success.
Grand Marais: Anglers fishing off the mouth of the Sucker River reported a good fishing for rainbow trout along with a few coho salmon while casting spoons and fishing spawn.
Manistique: Anglers fishing the river reported catching a few chinook salmon, though remaining fish were in poor condition as the run neared completion. Anglers reported fair steelhead angling with consistent catches, primarily comprised of smaller-sized fish along with a few brown trout. Anglers drifted beads or artificial egg patterns.
Marquette: A few lake trout and coho salmon were caught off the end of the lower breakwall near the lighthouse during early morning hours and before sunset. Anglers trolling the river mouths from Lower Harbor continued to catch fair numbers of coho salmon and steelhead, along with an occasional Chinook salmon. Brown trout numbers remained higher than in previous years in both rivers and river mouths. Coho salmon catches were strong throughout the week, though numbers began to decline with rising water temperatures over the final two days. Anglers reported catching steelhead in the Carp River, as well as a few in the Chocolay River near the river mouth.
Au Train: A few anglers targeted lake trout on the west side of Au Train Island, as commercial nets were set in 20 to 50 feet of water in Au Train between the Brownstone boat launch and the Au Train River. Anglers trolling for salmon and steelhead utilized open water between the Au Train River and Scott Falls, as well as areas extending toward Five-Mile Point in 20 to 45 feet of water, and near the Rock River and Shelter Bay. Anglers targeting brown trout and salmon in 10 to 20 feet of water marked numerous fish and experienced good success when weather permitted following recent rain. Salmon remained active in shallow water in front of river mouths and near Scott Falls, with several chinook salmon reported.
-- By the Michigan Department of Natural Resources