Winding down your fishing to gear up for hunting season? Make sure you download the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. Not only can you purchase your fishing and hunting licenses through the app, you can get your kill tags, report harvests, or check the regs from your boat, tree stand, or couch.
No service out on the water or in the field? No problem--your licenses and kill tags are automatically downloaded and stored in the app so you can access them any time.
All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie: Yellow perch fishing continued to improve over the past week. Anglers found fish straight out from Stony Point in 23 feet of water. Perch rigs with minnows and feathers performed well. The dumping grounds east of Luna Pier were also productive, although angler effort in that direction was light. Very few walleye were caught.
Lower Saginaw Bay: Fishing for yellow perch was very slow and spotty. Boat anglers tried several different spots with little to no success. Walleye anglers jigged in the lower part of the Saginaw River, catching one or two walleye at best.
Eastern Saginaw Bay: Fishing was very slow over the past week. Some anglers fished for yellow perch off Sebewaing, Fish Point, Quanicassee, and farther offshore out to the shipping channel. Perch fishing was slow. A few anglers trolled for walleye off Fish Point in the slot with nightcrawler harnesses and body baits but had no success. Shore fishing was slow at all locations.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
Muskegon: A few anglers targeted steelhead off the breakwalls but had no success.
Grand Haven: Good numbers of immature Chinook salmon and steelhead were caught in 80 to 130 feet of water. The top 50 feet of the water column yielded the best results using green and orange spoons. Pier anglers were unsuccessful when targeting steelhead with spawn.
South Haven: Boat anglers targeting salmon experienced slower fishing, with the most productive depth around 80 feet of water. Most fish were caught on spoons. Overall fishing activity was slow, and pier anglers reported slow action for all species. No yellow perch catches were reported.
St. Joseph: Yellow perch fishing slowed slightly, though anglers continued to catch good numbers of quality-sized fish. Fish were more scattered, but depths around 60 feet of water were productive. Boat anglers targeting salmon also had fair success, with the best results in 80 to 100 feet of water. Spoons produced nearly all salmon catches. Pier fishing was slow for all species.
St. Joseph River: A fair number of salmon remained in the system. Anglers caught fish upstream at the Berrien Springs Dam, while anglers in the lower river also reported catching a fair number of fish.
Black River: Anglers targeting salmon reported slow fishing. Anglers reported salmon in the system but fishing was very slow.
Calhoun County: Panfish were active and plentiful across most lakes for anglers actively targeting them.
Branch County: Panfish were plentiful on most local lakes. Northern pike were caught on the Marble Chain of Lakes.
Ingham County: Salmon were reported running through the Grand River.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Tawas/Au Gres: Chinook salmon were caught in the Tawas River on spawn and various artificial baits. A few walleye were caught from the pier. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and an occasional northern pike were caught in the Au Gres River and from shore in the Standish area. Out from the Pine River, anglers caught primarily throwback yellow perch. Overall, boat activity remained low.
Alpena: No boat activity was observed over the past week. A few anglers cast for Atlantic salmon and coho salmon from the pier with no success. Anglers targeting yellow perch inside the harbor reported only a few small fish in the area.
Thunder Bay River: Chinook salmon were caught near the 9th Street Dam on spawn, beads, and crankbaits. A few Chinook salmon moved in over the past week along with a few steelhead. Anglers targeting steelhead and Atlantic salmon had the best results while fishing with beads. Coho salmon were reluctant to bite, but anglers who were successful cast spinners in gold, orange, and green.
Cheboygan: There was heavy fishing pressure over the past week. Anglers experienced slow fishing. A few anglers reported landing a Chinook salmon. Anglers floating or bottom-bouncing spawn or beads had the most success. Spoons and minnow-style crankbaits were effective as well.
Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers casting spoons off the pier reported catching a few coho salmon. Blue and silver or orange and gold were popular color combinations. A few walleye were also caught off the pier using jigheads with paddletails or split-tail plastics. Anglers fishing in the river caught a few Atlantic salmon on spinners and smaller streamers in bright white or olive. A handful of Chinook salmon were caught on body baits or floating skein under a float. Anglers also caught a few steelhead over the past week using streamers, spinners, and spawn bags.
Harrisville: Anglers casting body baits such as J-13s, flicker shads, and Thundersticks caught a few Chinook salmon. Anglers using skein under a float caught a few coho salmon and Chinook salmon. A few steelhead were caught by anglers casting spoons and spinners.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Manistee: Pier fishing was slow, with only a few steelhead reported. Smallmouth bass and rock bass were caught on lures and worms. No boat activity was reported.
Ludington: Pier fishing was slow, but a few steelhead were reported. Boat anglers caught a few steelhead and salmon around Big Sable Point in 60 to 80 feet of water when fishing the top 40 feet of the water column with spoons.
Charlevoix: Anglers fishing the piers reported slow fishing for smallmouth bass when using natural bait.
Little Traverse Bay: Anglers fishing the Bear River reported slow catches of salmon. Fishing with spawn or skein produced the best results. Using beads and flies resulted in an occasional trout.
Leland: No boat activity. Pier anglers caught Chinook salmon while drifting beads, spawn bags, and skein from the docks.
Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Anglers reported a few Chinook salmon still entering the Betsie River. Two-year-old Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead were caught off the south breakwall when weather permitted. Casting Cleos and drifting or floating spawn yielded the best results.
Onekama/Lake Michigan: Pier anglers reported some activity when casting spoons off the North Pier in the evening hours, landing a few Chinook salmon.
Martiny Chain of Lakes: Panfish fishing was great across all lakes in the chain, with multiple anglers catching limits of large bluegill both from shore and on open water. Northern pike fishing was also good during the fall.
Tri Lakes: Fishing for bass and panfish was good to fair. Multiple anglers reported good bass catches after sunrise, and a few anglers caught limits of legal-sized bluegill. Anglers targeting northern pike also reported catching a few fish.
Muskegon River: Walleye were caught in the late evening out of Brower Park and Davis Bridge.
Haymarsh: Fishing was very good from kayaks and shore, with multiple panfish and bass caught.
Newaygo County: Salmon entered the Muskegon River and were caught from Croton Dam downstream to Muskegon Lake. Deep-diver minnow plugs in the lower Muskegon River served as the primary lure. Good numbers of salmon were also present in the South Branch of the Pere Marquette River in northern Newaygo County. Fall walleye fishing picked up on Newaygo County inland waters.
Oceana County: Water levels dropped, and Chinook salmon were present in the Pentwater, White, and North Branch of the White rivers, with a mix of dark and fresh fish. Anglers also reported catching lake-run brown trout and steelhead in the White River.
Grand Traverse County: Salmon were present in East and West Grand Traverse bays, the Boardman River, and Mitchell Creek.
Benzie County: Salmon were caught in the Betsie and Platte rivers.
Upper Peninsula
Little Bay de Noc: Windy conditions restricted angling efforts and access to fishable areas. Anglers reported fair fishing when casting for northern pike and smallmouth bass. Northern pike anglers reported doing well near vegetation and windblown points. Anglers targeting walleye reported fair fishing in the upper bay, with expectations that action will improve as water temperatures decrease. Anglers trolled harnesses and casting jig heads with live bait.
Munising: Boat anglers found success targeting coho salmon while trolling the bay, with a few splake mixed in. Anglers fishing the mouth of the Anna River did well with coho salmon and splake when casting spoons and using spawn.
Ontonagon River: The river continued to see low angling effort over the past week as inclement weather impeded fishing conditions. A few anglers targeted walleye, though these efforts reportedly yielded minimal success.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling effort from the Ontonagon, Silver City, and Union Bay access sites was low. Strong winds and heavy rain showers significantly limited lake access throughout the week. Angler reports were sparse, but included catches of lake trout, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon in low numbers. These fish were caught by anglers trolling in depths ranging from 20 to 100 feet of water. Shore anglers fishing from Union Bay also experienced limited success landing coho salmon in low numbers.
Black River Harbor: The harbor saw low angling effort over the past week as weather significantly limited lake access. As conditions allowed, anglers reported mixed catches of brown trout, coho salmon, and lake trout in low numbers. Reports indicated that these fish were caught by anglers trolling in 20 to 120 feet of water. Shore anglers reported no success fishing from the breakwalls or within the harbor.
St. Ignace: Few Chinook salmon were caught in the Carp River and offshore in Lake Huron near Nunns Creek. Anglers floating or bottom-bouncing skein had the most success. Salmon were also caught on spoons, beads, spinners, and minnow-style crankbaits.
Grand Marais: Anglers fishing the mouth of the Sucker River caught coho salmon and a few rainbow trout while casting spoons and using spawn.
Manistique: Chinook salmon were reported in the river, with anglers catching them on beads, skein, and shallow-diving, brightly colored crankbaits or spinners. Anglers reported that fish appeared to be nearing the end of the run, though enough fish remained in the river to provide active angling.
Marquette: No creel interviews were conducted with any boat anglers targeting lake trout. A few reports indicated shore anglers caught lake trout and coho salmon off the lower breakwall near the lighthouse during early morning and late evening hours. Boat anglers trolling near the river mouths out of Lower Harbor caught fair numbers of coho salmon and steelhead, along with an occasional Chinook salmon. Brown trout remained one of the most consistently caught species in both the Chocolay River and Carp River. Following recent rain, fish movement upstream increased significantly, resulting in a substantial surge in coho salmon numbers. Anglers also reported catching steelhead in the Carp River, with a few additional reports from the Chocolay River, particularly near the river mouth.
Au Train: No targeted lake trout effort was observed over the past week, though anglers caught a few incidentally while trolling for other species in Au Train Bay in shallow depths of 20 to 45 feet of water. Anglers targeting brown trout and salmon in shallower water reported marking high densities of fish on electronics and experiencing fair success when weather permitted. Boat anglers reported high fish counts on sonar in front of river mouths and near Scott Falls.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers reported fair fishing, with catches consisting primarily of coho salmon and splake while trolling and casting near shore around river mouths. A few brown trout were also caught. Shore anglers reported steady fishing over the past week, with many catching coho salmon and splake. Anglers jigging for lake trout and lake whitefish reported a slow bite.
Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Inclement weather and wind reduced angling pressure in these ports. However, anglers who were able to make it out reported fair fishing for lake trout while trolling spoons and flasher-and-fly combinations in 80 to 120 feet of water. Anglers also reported a few coho salmon in low numbers.
Les Cheneaux/DeTour: Fishing pressure in the area slowed significantly due to windy and rainy weather. No angling activity was reported in DeTour. In Hessel, pier anglers caught an occasional northern pike. Anglers also caught a few yellow perch out of the Cedarville boat launch and around the Government Bay area.