12-22-2007, 01:05 AM
Upper Peninsula:[/url]
The fishing action around Copper Harbor is slow. There is ice forming on the harbor, but nothing that is safe enough for anglers to get out on.
Lake Gogebic is producing fair to good walleye fishing. The best fishing is found on the north and south ends of the lake. Afternoons seem to be the best time to be out. Most of the marble eyes are hitting on tip-ups tipped with a sucker minnow.
Anglers in the Marquette area are finding some decent ice on the local lakes, but the action is slow since most of the fish are line shy.
By Gladstone, the walleye fishing is good on Little Bay de Noc. Anglers are using jigging poles and tip-ups. The perch fishing on the bay is fair.
Out of the Manistique area, the perch fishing is good on Indian Lake. Minnows are working well as bait. The walleye action on the lake is fair. In the Sault Ste. Marie area, anglers are just starting to get out on the ice covering the shallow bays along the St. Marys River.
Information is limited on what, if anything, is being caught.
Munuscong Bay is producing fair perch fishing. Mornings are the best time to drop a line through the ice.
Fishing activity around Drummond Island is slow this week, due to the lack of safe ice. By Cedarville, anglers are catching a few perch on Muscallonge (Musky) Bay. Minnows are the preferred bait.
And at St. Ignace, the perch action is fair on Brevort Lake. Both minnows and wigglers are being used as bait.
Northwest:[/url]
Fishing activity this week is slow by Alanson, due to the poor weather conditions.
Out of the Boyne City area, people are starting to get out on the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix and on the north end of Walloon Lake. A few perch, pike and walleye are being caught on the lakes.
West of the Traverse City area, the perch fishing is fair on Glen Lake.
Around Frankfort, Arcadia Lake is producing fair perch and pike fishing. Anglers on Bass Lake are catching a few crappie.
Skegemog Lake by Kalkaska is producing some very good perch fishing. The pike fishing on the lake is fair. The walleye fishing on Fife Lake is very good. Anglers are using jigs and tip-ups, with minnows being the preferred bait.
In the Gaylord area, the panfish and walleye fishing is fair on Otsego Lake. The walleye are hitting on minnows hooked on the end of a tip-up.
And at Cadillac, both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell are producing excellent pike fishing. The bigger northerns seem to be coming out of Lake Cadillac. Anglers on the lakes are catching good numbers of bluegill and crappie, with the best fishing found on the east side of Lake Cadillac. The perch and walleye fishing on the lakes is fair.
West:[/url]
Anglers on Hamlin Lake near Ludington are catching good numbers of bluegill, crappie and pike. Pere Marquette Lake is producing some good perch and pike fishing, however, anglers need to be very careful on the ice, which is still on the thin side. Anglers along the Pere Marquette River are catching a few steelhead. Both wigglers and spawn are being used as bait.
Out of the Muskegon area, anglers still able to get a boat in Muskegon Lake are catching a few perch during the day. The best area to fish is on the west end of the lake, in water about 35 feet deep. At night, anglers are trolling for walleye in water about 15 feet deep.
Chippewa Lake is producing some very good walleye fishing. Anglers on the lake are also catching a few panfish and pike through the ice.
And at Baldwin, anglers are starting to get out on many of the local lakes. The bluegill fishing is fair, with both waxworms and mousies being used as bait.
Southwest:[/url]
In the Holland area, the bluegill fishing is fair on Gun Lake. Waxworms are working well as bait.
Anglers able to get out on the ice covering some of the bayous along the Grand River are also catching a few bluegill.
Out of the Benton Harbor area, the steelhead fishing is fair on the St. Joseph River. Anglers along the Galien River near New Buffalo are reeling in a few steelhead.
And at Kalamazoo and Three Rivers, fishing activity this week is slow due to the poor ice conditions on the local lakes.
Northeast:[/url]
By Alpena, the perch and walleye fishing is good on both Grand and Long lakes. Minnows are working well as bait. Hubbard Lake is also producing some good walleye action. The best area to drop a line through the ice seems to be on the east side of the lake.
Lake Margrethe by Grayling is producing some excellent walleye fishing. Anglers are using jigging poles and tip-ups. The perch fishing on the lake ranges from slow to fair.
Out of the Oscoda area, the perch fishing is good on Van Etten Lake. The pike and walleye action on the lake is fair. Foote Dam Pond is producing fair to good perch and walleye fishing. Anglers along the Au Sable River are catching a few whitefish, walleye and steelhead.
With no safe ice, fishing activity is slow this week on Higgins Lake.
Houghton Lake is producing good pike and walleye fishing. Anglers are using jigs and tip-ups, with minnows being the preferred bait.
And at Au Gres, the bluegill and crappie fishing is fair in the cuts and channels along Saginaw Bay. The perch action is slow on the ice that has formed along the bay.
East:[/url]
Around Linwood, the perch fishing is fair along Saginaw Bay. Anglers will have to sort through the fish that are caught to find any keepers.
In the Bay City area, the walleye fishing is fair on Saginaw Bay. The perch fishing is slow to fair. Anglers are catching quite a few fish, but many of them are too small to keep.
Fishing activity this week is slow near Bay Port, due to the poor weather from earlier in the week. By Lexington, anglers are starting to get out on the ice in the harbor, but the fish have been line shy.
And at Port Huron, the steelhead fishing is fair along the St. Clair River from the city building to the mouth of the Black River.
Central:[/url]
Out of the Mount Pleasant area, the pike fishing is good on Deerfield Lake. Some of the northerns are being caught on tip-ups, others by anglers using spears. The crappie fishing is good on Lake Isabella. Stevenson Lake is producing some good bluegill action.
Around Lansing, the bluegill fishing ranges from fair to good on Narrows Lake. The best fishing is found on the south end of the lake. Anglers out on Lake Lansing are catching a few pike using tip-ups.
And at Jackson, the ice is still a little shaky. Some anglers are venturing out on the lakes, but overall fishing activity in the area is slow due to the poor ice conditions.
Southeast:[/url]
Ice conditions are still shaky in the Fair Haven area, however, by the Raft Restaurant anglers are catching a few bluegill through the ice. A couple of small perch are mixing in with the catches. In the Bouvier (boo-VEE-aye) Bay Marina the crappie fishing is spotty.
Along the western shoreline of Lake St. Clair, the perch fishing is good in the canals. However, access is limited since most of the property is privately owned.
Out of the Downriver area, the perch fishing is good on the lower end of the Detroit River. Anglers are fishing from shore and off docks. The steelhead action is fair on the Huron River near Flat Rock.
And at Monroe and Belleville, fishing activity is slow this week due to the lack of safe ice on the local waterways.
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday December 20, 2007 [/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report[/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]![[Image: fish_reportmap2_23340_7.gif]](http://www.michigan.gov/images/fish_reportmap2_23340_7.gif)
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[url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]
Special Note: The report will not be updated for the next two weeks due to the holidays. The next update will come on January 10, 2008. Happy Holidays!!
Anglers are reminded that both large and smallmouth bass season on the Great Lakes and the inland waters will close on December 31, 2007.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - Is in between seasons as most anglers are now waiting for ice. There is some ice around Metro Park where anglers are fishing in shallow waters only. Some are punching holes in the ice while standing on the docks.
Huron River - Water levels are currently on the high mark. Some 5 to 6 pound steelhead are still being caught just not in big numbers. Try using small jigs with wax worms, spawn or Hot-n-Tots.
Detroit River - Boat anglers are open water fishing for perch along the shoreline and in the canals from the River Rouge all the down past Gibraltar. They are catching fish that range from 8 to 13 inches. Try fishing near the Edison Plant with small boats or off the docks.
Lake St. Clair - Ice fishing in and around the lake at this time is limited. There is ice on the canals here and there and a little shore ice in some spots, but even that is tricky right now. Access to the canals is a problem as most are private with no parking. Anglers are fishing the shallow waters close to shore. Good ice fishing here over the holidays might not be possible.
St. Clair River - Good steelhead action has been reported all the down to the mouth of the Black River. Try using live bait such as large emerald shiners or crawlers. This is a great opportunity for those that like to fish for trout.
Saginaw Bay - Perch are being caught in shallow waters along the shoreline. Many are fishing between Palmer Road and the north side of the Pine River while others are fishing off Linwood or Thomas Road. There have been reports of 8 to 12 inch fish.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph - Fishing has been slow except for a few whitefish being caught.
St. Joseph River - Water levels are up some but the bite has been slow because of all the fronts moving through the area. Steelhead and brown trout were hitting on spawn or Wobble Glows up near the Berrien Springs Dam. A few walleye were caught on jigs or twister tails.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Steelhead and walleye are still being caught however anglers will have to dodge the ice coming down the river. Anglers are still fishing spawn off the Fulton Street Bridge.
Reeds Lake - Has open water. No ice fishing here.
Cranberry Lake - Near Rockford, is reporting good crappie action.
Lake Lansing - The northern pike fishing has been good.
Narrow Lake - Near Springport in Jackson County has good bluegill and crappie action when fishing the narrows.
Muskegon Lake - Boat anglers are fishing for perch over on the west end of the lake. Try just off the bottom in 38 feet of water. Walleye have been caught when trolling about 7 to 8 feet down in 12 to 15 feet of water along the edge of the weedbeds. Boats have been spotted near the Bear Lake Channel and behind the Paper Mill. Some are ice fishing for bluegills in Snug Harbor which is in the northwest corner of the lake.
Muskegon River - Steelhead are being caught in the deeper holes between Maple Island and Bridgeton.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Fletchers Floodwaters - Those venturing out were reporting various levels of ice. Extreme caution needs to be used. Currently, the pike fishing has been good with many legal size fish caught.
Lake Margrethe - Near Grayling is reporting good walleye catches. Deep snow on the ice is making for difficult travel.
Otsego Lake - Near Gaylord, has good walleye fishing but deep snow is making travel difficult.
Van Etten Lake - Anglers are taking good catches of large perch when fishing on the bottom in 12 to 14 feet of water. Take a variety of baits with you including wax worms, minnows and wigglers.
Au Sable River - Steelhead are still in the river however angler pressure has been low. For those that do not like crowds, this is the perfect time of year to fish as you will most likely have the river to yourself.
Cedar Lake - In Oscoda is producing walleye, bluegills and some perch.
Tawas - Since the waters have opened up around the Tawas State Dock, anglers are once again catching whitefish.
Higgins Lake - Has some shore ice but most of the lake still has open water. It looks like anglers will be waiting until maybe the middle or end of January to go ice fishing. Those looking for trout may want to try the shallow waters over near the Conference Center when using wigglers or wax worms.
Houghton Lake - Those ice fishing have caught pike and walleye. The pike are hitting on tip-ups with minnows and though a lot of the fish are on the small side, a few keepers have been caught. Walleye have been caught on tip-ups with minnows or when jigging. Travel across the ice may be a little difficult for some due to snow cover, drifts and slush around the pressure cracks.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Traverse City - Those seeking whitefish have not been able to get out because of strong winds.
Long Lake - Anglers are advised to fish shallow waters because of unsafe ice. Most are seeking walleye and perch.
Spider Lake - Anglers are ice fishing for panfish.
Fife Lake - Has anglers ice fishing for walleye off the launch site on the north end of the lake. Try tip-ups for pike along the east shoreline.
Skegemog Lake - Anglers were catching bluegills on wax worms.
Hamlin Lake - Anglers are ice fishing on Upper Hamlin. A few pike have been caught on tip-ups and bluegills are hitting in 8 to 12 feet of water.
Upper Peninsula
Most of the inland lakes have snow cover which will slow the freezing process and cause unsafe ice conditions. Slush covered lakes pose difficult travel conditions for most. Remember to use extreme caution at all times.
Little Bay De Noc - Has ice and anglers are out fishing for walleye.
South Manistique Lake - Those ice fishing have caught walleye and perch in waters 7 to 12 feet deep. Some of the perch are 8 to 9 inches however anglers will need to sort out the small ones. Lots of small pike have also been caught. There is slush on the lake.
North Manistique Lake - Is also covered with slush and the ice formation is not uniform. Because of this, most anglers are fishing the southern end of the lake where there was less snow. Some nice walleye have been caught.
The fishing action around Copper Harbor is slow. There is ice forming on the harbor, but nothing that is safe enough for anglers to get out on.
Lake Gogebic is producing fair to good walleye fishing. The best fishing is found on the north and south ends of the lake. Afternoons seem to be the best time to be out. Most of the marble eyes are hitting on tip-ups tipped with a sucker minnow.
Anglers in the Marquette area are finding some decent ice on the local lakes, but the action is slow since most of the fish are line shy.
By Gladstone, the walleye fishing is good on Little Bay de Noc. Anglers are using jigging poles and tip-ups. The perch fishing on the bay is fair.
Out of the Manistique area, the perch fishing is good on Indian Lake. Minnows are working well as bait. The walleye action on the lake is fair. In the Sault Ste. Marie area, anglers are just starting to get out on the ice covering the shallow bays along the St. Marys River.
Information is limited on what, if anything, is being caught.
Munuscong Bay is producing fair perch fishing. Mornings are the best time to drop a line through the ice.
Fishing activity around Drummond Island is slow this week, due to the lack of safe ice. By Cedarville, anglers are catching a few perch on Muscallonge (Musky) Bay. Minnows are the preferred bait.
And at St. Ignace, the perch action is fair on Brevort Lake. Both minnows and wigglers are being used as bait.
Northwest:[/url]
Fishing activity this week is slow by Alanson, due to the poor weather conditions.
Out of the Boyne City area, people are starting to get out on the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix and on the north end of Walloon Lake. A few perch, pike and walleye are being caught on the lakes.
West of the Traverse City area, the perch fishing is fair on Glen Lake.
Around Frankfort, Arcadia Lake is producing fair perch and pike fishing. Anglers on Bass Lake are catching a few crappie.
Skegemog Lake by Kalkaska is producing some very good perch fishing. The pike fishing on the lake is fair. The walleye fishing on Fife Lake is very good. Anglers are using jigs and tip-ups, with minnows being the preferred bait.
In the Gaylord area, the panfish and walleye fishing is fair on Otsego Lake. The walleye are hitting on minnows hooked on the end of a tip-up.
And at Cadillac, both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell are producing excellent pike fishing. The bigger northerns seem to be coming out of Lake Cadillac. Anglers on the lakes are catching good numbers of bluegill and crappie, with the best fishing found on the east side of Lake Cadillac. The perch and walleye fishing on the lakes is fair.
West:[/url]
Anglers on Hamlin Lake near Ludington are catching good numbers of bluegill, crappie and pike. Pere Marquette Lake is producing some good perch and pike fishing, however, anglers need to be very careful on the ice, which is still on the thin side. Anglers along the Pere Marquette River are catching a few steelhead. Both wigglers and spawn are being used as bait.
Out of the Muskegon area, anglers still able to get a boat in Muskegon Lake are catching a few perch during the day. The best area to fish is on the west end of the lake, in water about 35 feet deep. At night, anglers are trolling for walleye in water about 15 feet deep.
Chippewa Lake is producing some very good walleye fishing. Anglers on the lake are also catching a few panfish and pike through the ice.
And at Baldwin, anglers are starting to get out on many of the local lakes. The bluegill fishing is fair, with both waxworms and mousies being used as bait.
Southwest:[/url]
In the Holland area, the bluegill fishing is fair on Gun Lake. Waxworms are working well as bait.
Anglers able to get out on the ice covering some of the bayous along the Grand River are also catching a few bluegill.
Out of the Benton Harbor area, the steelhead fishing is fair on the St. Joseph River. Anglers along the Galien River near New Buffalo are reeling in a few steelhead.
And at Kalamazoo and Three Rivers, fishing activity this week is slow due to the poor ice conditions on the local lakes.
Northeast:[/url]
By Alpena, the perch and walleye fishing is good on both Grand and Long lakes. Minnows are working well as bait. Hubbard Lake is also producing some good walleye action. The best area to drop a line through the ice seems to be on the east side of the lake.
Lake Margrethe by Grayling is producing some excellent walleye fishing. Anglers are using jigging poles and tip-ups. The perch fishing on the lake ranges from slow to fair.
Out of the Oscoda area, the perch fishing is good on Van Etten Lake. The pike and walleye action on the lake is fair. Foote Dam Pond is producing fair to good perch and walleye fishing. Anglers along the Au Sable River are catching a few whitefish, walleye and steelhead.
With no safe ice, fishing activity is slow this week on Higgins Lake.
Houghton Lake is producing good pike and walleye fishing. Anglers are using jigs and tip-ups, with minnows being the preferred bait.
And at Au Gres, the bluegill and crappie fishing is fair in the cuts and channels along Saginaw Bay. The perch action is slow on the ice that has formed along the bay.
East:[/url]
Around Linwood, the perch fishing is fair along Saginaw Bay. Anglers will have to sort through the fish that are caught to find any keepers.
In the Bay City area, the walleye fishing is fair on Saginaw Bay. The perch fishing is slow to fair. Anglers are catching quite a few fish, but many of them are too small to keep.
Fishing activity this week is slow near Bay Port, due to the poor weather from earlier in the week. By Lexington, anglers are starting to get out on the ice in the harbor, but the fish have been line shy.
And at Port Huron, the steelhead fishing is fair along the St. Clair River from the city building to the mouth of the Black River.
Central:[/url]
Out of the Mount Pleasant area, the pike fishing is good on Deerfield Lake. Some of the northerns are being caught on tip-ups, others by anglers using spears. The crappie fishing is good on Lake Isabella. Stevenson Lake is producing some good bluegill action.
Around Lansing, the bluegill fishing ranges from fair to good on Narrows Lake. The best fishing is found on the south end of the lake. Anglers out on Lake Lansing are catching a few pike using tip-ups.
And at Jackson, the ice is still a little shaky. Some anglers are venturing out on the lakes, but overall fishing activity in the area is slow due to the poor ice conditions.
Southeast:[/url]
Ice conditions are still shaky in the Fair Haven area, however, by the Raft Restaurant anglers are catching a few bluegill through the ice. A couple of small perch are mixing in with the catches. In the Bouvier (boo-VEE-aye) Bay Marina the crappie fishing is spotty.
Along the western shoreline of Lake St. Clair, the perch fishing is good in the canals. However, access is limited since most of the property is privately owned.
Out of the Downriver area, the perch fishing is good on the lower end of the Detroit River. Anglers are fishing from shore and off docks. The steelhead action is fair on the Huron River near Flat Rock.
And at Monroe and Belleville, fishing activity is slow this week due to the lack of safe ice on the local waterways.
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday December 20, 2007 [/font] [font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report[/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]
[/font] [url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]
Special Note: The report will not be updated for the next two weeks due to the holidays. The next update will come on January 10, 2008. Happy Holidays!!
Anglers are reminded that both large and smallmouth bass season on the Great Lakes and the inland waters will close on December 31, 2007.
Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - Is in between seasons as most anglers are now waiting for ice. There is some ice around Metro Park where anglers are fishing in shallow waters only. Some are punching holes in the ice while standing on the docks.
Huron River - Water levels are currently on the high mark. Some 5 to 6 pound steelhead are still being caught just not in big numbers. Try using small jigs with wax worms, spawn or Hot-n-Tots.
Detroit River - Boat anglers are open water fishing for perch along the shoreline and in the canals from the River Rouge all the down past Gibraltar. They are catching fish that range from 8 to 13 inches. Try fishing near the Edison Plant with small boats or off the docks.
Lake St. Clair - Ice fishing in and around the lake at this time is limited. There is ice on the canals here and there and a little shore ice in some spots, but even that is tricky right now. Access to the canals is a problem as most are private with no parking. Anglers are fishing the shallow waters close to shore. Good ice fishing here over the holidays might not be possible.
St. Clair River - Good steelhead action has been reported all the down to the mouth of the Black River. Try using live bait such as large emerald shiners or crawlers. This is a great opportunity for those that like to fish for trout.
Saginaw Bay - Perch are being caught in shallow waters along the shoreline. Many are fishing between Palmer Road and the north side of the Pine River while others are fishing off Linwood or Thomas Road. There have been reports of 8 to 12 inch fish.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph - Fishing has been slow except for a few whitefish being caught.
St. Joseph River - Water levels are up some but the bite has been slow because of all the fronts moving through the area. Steelhead and brown trout were hitting on spawn or Wobble Glows up near the Berrien Springs Dam. A few walleye were caught on jigs or twister tails.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - Steelhead and walleye are still being caught however anglers will have to dodge the ice coming down the river. Anglers are still fishing spawn off the Fulton Street Bridge.
Reeds Lake - Has open water. No ice fishing here.
Cranberry Lake - Near Rockford, is reporting good crappie action.
Lake Lansing - The northern pike fishing has been good.
Narrow Lake - Near Springport in Jackson County has good bluegill and crappie action when fishing the narrows.
Muskegon Lake - Boat anglers are fishing for perch over on the west end of the lake. Try just off the bottom in 38 feet of water. Walleye have been caught when trolling about 7 to 8 feet down in 12 to 15 feet of water along the edge of the weedbeds. Boats have been spotted near the Bear Lake Channel and behind the Paper Mill. Some are ice fishing for bluegills in Snug Harbor which is in the northwest corner of the lake.
Muskegon River - Steelhead are being caught in the deeper holes between Maple Island and Bridgeton.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Fletchers Floodwaters - Those venturing out were reporting various levels of ice. Extreme caution needs to be used. Currently, the pike fishing has been good with many legal size fish caught.
Lake Margrethe - Near Grayling is reporting good walleye catches. Deep snow on the ice is making for difficult travel.
Otsego Lake - Near Gaylord, has good walleye fishing but deep snow is making travel difficult.
Van Etten Lake - Anglers are taking good catches of large perch when fishing on the bottom in 12 to 14 feet of water. Take a variety of baits with you including wax worms, minnows and wigglers.
Au Sable River - Steelhead are still in the river however angler pressure has been low. For those that do not like crowds, this is the perfect time of year to fish as you will most likely have the river to yourself.
Cedar Lake - In Oscoda is producing walleye, bluegills and some perch.
Tawas - Since the waters have opened up around the Tawas State Dock, anglers are once again catching whitefish.
Higgins Lake - Has some shore ice but most of the lake still has open water. It looks like anglers will be waiting until maybe the middle or end of January to go ice fishing. Those looking for trout may want to try the shallow waters over near the Conference Center when using wigglers or wax worms.
Houghton Lake - Those ice fishing have caught pike and walleye. The pike are hitting on tip-ups with minnows and though a lot of the fish are on the small side, a few keepers have been caught. Walleye have been caught on tip-ups with minnows or when jigging. Travel across the ice may be a little difficult for some due to snow cover, drifts and slush around the pressure cracks.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Traverse City - Those seeking whitefish have not been able to get out because of strong winds.
Long Lake - Anglers are advised to fish shallow waters because of unsafe ice. Most are seeking walleye and perch.
Spider Lake - Anglers are ice fishing for panfish.
Fife Lake - Has anglers ice fishing for walleye off the launch site on the north end of the lake. Try tip-ups for pike along the east shoreline.
Skegemog Lake - Anglers were catching bluegills on wax worms.
Hamlin Lake - Anglers are ice fishing on Upper Hamlin. A few pike have been caught on tip-ups and bluegills are hitting in 8 to 12 feet of water.
Upper Peninsula
Most of the inland lakes have snow cover which will slow the freezing process and cause unsafe ice conditions. Slush covered lakes pose difficult travel conditions for most. Remember to use extreme caution at all times.
Little Bay De Noc - Has ice and anglers are out fishing for walleye.
South Manistique Lake - Those ice fishing have caught walleye and perch in waters 7 to 12 feet deep. Some of the perch are 8 to 9 inches however anglers will need to sort out the small ones. Lots of small pike have also been caught. There is slush on the lake.
North Manistique Lake - Is also covered with slush and the ice formation is not uniform. Because of this, most anglers are fishing the southern end of the lake where there was less snow. Some nice walleye have been caught.