Recreational Fishing Report Thursday, April 26, 2007

[lonehunter]

[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, April 26, 2007 [/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report[/font]
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[url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]

The walleye, northern pike and muskellunge opener for the Lower Peninsula inland waters is this coming Saturday April 28th. The catch and immediate release bass season on all the Lower Peninsula waters including the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and Detroit River also opens up on Saturday April 28th.

Southeast Lower Peninsula
Lake Erie - The waters are clearing up and walleye are starting to move out into the lake. Boat anglers heading out in Brest Bay are trolling Reef Runners and Husky Jerks.
Huron River - The steelhead run is almost over but a few fish are still being caught when floating wax worms between the two dams at Flat Rock. Suckers are still hitting on wax worms, and flies. A few walleye remain in the river and might provide some action for the opener this weekend.
Detroit River - Walleye fishing has been excellent since the water has cleared up and the weather has warmed. Limit catches are reported from many locations along the length of the river from Belle Isle to Trenton when jigging, trolling or handlining.
Lake St. Clair - Fishing activity has been light.
St. Clair River - Walleye fishing has been good from Algonac to Marine City. Salmon and steelhead have also been caught.
Lexington - Fishing finally got started when the winds quit blowing. Boat anglers trolling took some coho weighing up to 3 pounds along with some chinook and steelhead in the 5 to 7 pound range. Bodybaits in 12 to 18 feet of water worked best.
Port Sanilac - Boat anglers are on the move and are starting to catch chinook, coho and steelhead.
Harbor Beach - Has been very quiet as the harbor is being dredged.
Port Austin - Has rumors of walleye taken at night when casting off the pier.
Saginaw Bay - Boat anglers trolling for walleye have done well from Linwood south to the Bay City State Park in 10 to 13 feet of water using either crawler harnesses or small crankbaits. Walleye were taken in 5 feet of water off the mouth of the Quanicassee River. Shore anglers are catching a mixture of rock bass, crappie and bluegills around the docks in Sunset Bay and Sebewaing.
Tittabawassee River - The walleye opener this coming weekend should be about as good as last year as there should still be a lot of medium size fish in the river.
Quanicassee River - Shore anglers have caught channel catfish.
Pinnebog River - Anglers are still catching suckers.
Bad River - Channel catfish have been caught near the town of St. Charles.
Southwest Lower Peninsula
St. Joseph - Coho have been caught off both piers and when trolling in shallow waters 25 to 35 feet deep. A few chinook and brown trout have also been caught.
St. Joesph River - People are finally out fishing but catch rates have been slow. Those fishing between Mottville and Three Rivers have only caught panfish.
South Haven - Pier fishing has been slow, but those trolling in 25 to 50 feet of water are taking some coho, chinook and brown trout. Orange bodybaits and small spoons worked best. Most fish were taken in the top 20 feet of water. Perch were taken when fishing just off the bottom in 70 feet of water.
Grand Haven - Brown trout and perch action has been very slow. One boat was lucky enough to take four brown trout. Yellow and orange have been good colors.
Grand River at Grand Rapids - The steelhead run is slowing down and the last push of fish should come with the rain this week. The walleye and pike opportunities look good for the opener this weekend. Large bluegills have been caught on leaf worms and wax worms near the Sixth Street Dam. Crappies are hitting on both shiners and fathead minnows all along the river.
Cranberry Lake - Crappie fishing has been good. Anglers are drifting white twister tails with chartreuse heads.
Reeds Lake - Perch fishing is heating up. Bluegills and crappie are in the shallows. The pike opener looks to be a good one.
Grand River at Lansing - Boat anglers are catching catfish at Moore's Park near the hot water discharge. Boat anglers have also caught crappie and carp near the Waverly Road Bridge.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Rogers City - Water temperatures are still cold so anglers will want to fish along the shoreline in the brown water mark. Anglers are reminded that lake trout season does not open until May 1st. Boats are trolling spoons in front of the breakwall, in Swan Bay, Calcite Harbor and off Seagull Point. Good colors to try are chartreuse and silver, green and silver or blue and silver. One lucky angler caught a nice brown trout when casting off Seagull Point. Early morning or late evenings were best.
Rockport - The docks are now in and ready for launching. Boats trolling in shallow waters up to 25 feet deep have caught a few brown trout.
Alpena - Water temperatures are about 35 degrees which is still pretty cold so boat anglers are not having much luck. Some are targeting northern pike around Sulfur Island and Partridge Point, but most of the fish are running small. The fish cleaning station was still boarded up and the bathrooms were still locked.
Thunder Bay River - Fishing effort has increased at the Ninth Street Dam. A nice steelhead was caught when casting spawn up near the turbines. The better fishing seems to be in the early morning when drifting flies or spawn. White suckers have also been caught.
Tawas - Pier anglers are catching a lot of 5 to 8 inch perch along with the occasional brown trout. Boat anglers are taking walleye off the mouth of the Tawas River. Anglers casting from shore at the river mouth also getting some walleyes.
Au Gres - Good walleye fishing off the mouth of the river with some limits taken. Shore anglers casting lakeward are also getting some walleye. Crankbaits work best. Those surf-casting at night near the Singing Bridge are taking walleye.
Rifle River - Still has a lot of suckers to catch. The DNR crew out shocking got about 60 suckers in just 10 seconds of shocking.
Higgins Lake - Boats are going out trout and perch fishing, but no reports have come in yet.
Houghton Lake - Bluegill and crappie are moving into the canals.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
With the walleye opener this Saturday, some good lakes to try in this part of the state would be Big Star in Lake County, Fife Lake in Grand Traverse County or Tippy and Hodenpyl Ponds in Manistee County.

Traverse City - Anglers are taking limit catches of lake trout in both bays. In the East Bay, anglers are jigging off the Bluffs. Whitefish have been caught in waters up to 230 feet deep. In the West Bay, limits of perch ranging from 7 to 12 inches have been caught in Suttons Bay and at Northport. Minnows and wigglers are working but the bigger fish seem to prefer minnows. Steelhead, brown trout, lake trout and whitefish were caught off the Great Lakes Maritime Academy Pier when using spawn.
Elk River - Fishing has been great for steelhead with limit catches reported when drifting spawn under a bobber or small jigs tipped with wax worms.
Boardman River - Steelhead and a few brown trout have been caught at the mouth. Look for walleye below the Union Dam when the season opens on Saturday.
Frankfort - Fishing off of the piers has been moderate with a few brown trout and steelhead taken when casting Cleo's on the inside of the pier or using spawn on the outside. Boats trolling in between the piers and north up to Point Betsie are taking some trout in 20 to 35 feet of water in the late afternoon hours.
Betsie River - Fishing slowed below the Homestead Dam but those fishing above the dam where fishing is open caught steelhead on spawn, yarn, and streamers.
Onekama - Boat anglers have caught trout between the piers and when trolling north up towards Arcadia.
Portage Lake - Perch fishing has started to pick up in front of the channel and along the drop offs. Anglers are reporting decent catches with a variety of sizes. Bluegill, crappie and rock bass have started to show up in 20 to 30 feet of water.
Manistee - Pier anglers have caught brown trout and steelhead when casting or using spawn. Both piers have been active with a few walleye taken off the South Pier and a few perch and whitefish taken off the North Pier. Boat anglers trolling in front of the harbor and south near Gurney Creek have caught chinook and brown trout. Lake trout were also caught but the season does not open until May 1st.
Big Manistee River - Fishing has slowed with not many steelhead taken.
Ludington - Pier anglers reported slow catch rates with only a couple steelhead and brown trout taken off the North Pier. Those fishing at night have caught walleye. Boat anglers have caught some chinook and brown trout up at Big Sable Point.
Upper Peninsula
Marquette - Boat fishing has ranged from slow to fair. Most of the fish caught have been coho salmon with the occasional brown trout, chinook and splake mixed in. Very few steelhead and lake trout have been caught. Shore fishing was slow.
Little Bay De Noc - All the docks are in except for the Garden Bay and Fayette launch sites. Good perch fishing was reported when jigging or drifting wigglers and worms in 22 to 25 feet of water south of the Day's River to just south of the Narrows. Jumbo perch including many over 10 inches were caught. Trout anglers have struggled when fishing in 20 to 25 feet of water out from the mouth of the Ford River.
Ford River - Steelhead have been caught near the Hyde Cut-Across, which is located near the town of Hyde.
Whitefish River - Steelhead have been caught about four miles up into the river.
Munising - The ice has left the bays and coho fishing is improving when trolling crankbaits or fishing with spawn. Nice splake are being caught near the Anna River.
Grand Marais - Limits of coho and an occasional steelhead have been caught off the pier when using spawn bags. Most of the fish have been a good 15 inches. Those fishing for round whitefish are usually taking 2 to 3 off the pier using spawn and worms. Only a few lake whitefish have been caught so far. Early morning and late afternoon have been the best time to fish.
St. Mary's River - Still has some flow ice coming down through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie.
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[lonehunter]

Upper Peninsula:[/url]

Again this week around the Copper Harbor area, anglers can expect good takes on splake and lake trout. Best fishing location is off the docks using cut bait and worms.

Bergland area anglers are awaiting the ice to flow and the upcoming trout season.

Angling is slow this week in the Marquette area for Coho, splake, king salmon and brown trout. Anglers are trolling on Lake Superior using trolling spoons for best results, and fishing at dawn.

Good perch action taking place on Little Bay DeNoc in Escanaba. Anglers are fishing in water 25-30 feet deep and using minnows and wigglers for good results. Trout still very slow in the area.

Perch fishing remains good on Indian Lake in the Manistique area, where anglers are using minnows and fishing late at night. The Manistique River is producing fair amounts of steelhead when using spawn as bait.

In the heart of Sault Saint Marie, the St. Mary’s river is producing fair catches of steelhead on spawn. Perch is slow due to ice flow at this time.

Cedarville anglers are finding good splake action on Lake Huron when using minnows for bait.

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Northwest:[/url]

Alanson anglers are reeling in a few steelhead from Bear River on minnows, and some perch out of Lake Charlevoix.

Good angling action on the Boyne River for steelhead, especially in the morning and afternoon when using spawn and wigglers. Lake Charlevoix and Raspberry Bay is giving up good quantities of perch. Minnows and wigglers are working best.

In the Traverse City area some good angling action can be expected. Suttons Bay and Bowers Harbor are producing good numbers of perch on minnows and wigglers, while the West Bay has some good opportunities for lake trout on sandkickers. Some Bluegill are being pulled from Spider Lake during the mid-day on wax and leaf worms.

Overall fishing is slow in the Frankfort area due to recent weather conditions.

Manistee angling conditions vary depending on the type of fish desired. Off of the break wall and piers of Lake Michigan, walleye action is good in the evening hours using Rapalas; bluegill activity is slow, and fishing off of the north pier for perch is fair.

Around the Kalkaska area, the Elk Rapids Dam is producing good amounts of steelhead on stone flies, and late in the afternoon anglers can expect decent action for perch on the Tippy Dam.

Around the Gaylord area, fair catches of panfish are being reeled in on small spinners on Otsego Lake. Fair trout action is taking place in the open areas of the Manistee River and anglers are getting good results with streamer and nymph pattern bait.

Crappie, perch, and suckers are active in the Cadillac area on Lake Cadillac and the Tippy Dam. Best results are found during the early morning and late afternoon hours using minnows.

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West:[/url]

In the Ludington area, very good walleye action after sunset off of the pier on Lake Michigan. Anglers are finding that jerk and stick baits are working well. Steelhead and brown trout are running in the early morning hours and trolling spoons are doing the trick.

Around Muskegon, trolling for brown trout using trolling spoons is rated fair off of the break wall of Lake Michigan. Muskegon Lake is producing fair action for crappie.

Good angling activity throughout the channels of the Chippewa Lake where bluegill and specks are in abundance. Anglers are experiencing good results with minnows and crawlers.

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Southwest:[/url]

Very good action in the Holland area with brown trout off of Holland Beach and Lake Michigan. Perch action is good when using minnows on the Holland Channel.

In the Benton Harbor area, Chinook salmon are limited near the port of St. Joe, yet the Coho salmon action is very good when anglers use orange Rapala in depths of water 30-35 feet deep on Lake Michigan.

Around New Buffalo, the coho salmon fishing is only rated fair this week near Grand Beach off of Lake Michigan. Flies and dodgers seem to be working well in the very early morning hours.

In the Kalamazoo area, bluegill are abundant in the morning hours on Little Sugarloaf Lake in 8-feet of water. Allegan Dam is still producing a few steelhead. Brown trout and Coho salmon are active when trolling with flies on Lake Michigan.

Anglers in the Three Rivers area are finding good conditions for bluegill on waxworms in all of the local lakes. Perch is rated fair and crappies are being reeled in on spikes and red wigglers in Marcellus Lake.

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Northeast:[/url]

Poor conditions exist for anglers out of the Alpena area. Very limited catches of steelhead and crappie are being pulled near the Fletcher Flood Waters and 9th St. Dam.

In and around Oscoda, steelhead activity is fair just below the Foote Dam. Walleye fishing is fair at night using Rapala on the Au Sable River.

Good brown trout action on Higgins Lake especially where the drop off starts. Rapalas are working well in the early morning hours.

Houghton Lake is producing good catches of panfish, crappies, and bluegill. Mornings and afternoons are best when using wax and leaf worms throughout the canals.

The Au Gres River is producing good quantities of walleye when anglers use crawlers in the morning and afternoon hours.

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East:[/url]

The walleye fishing is good near the Linwood Marina and AuGres River using stick bait and reef runners. Early morning and later evening is best.

In the Bay City area fishing is overall slow for all types of fish. A few carp and pike are hitting on jigs and minnows on Hot Pond.

Near Bay Port, perch is good when anglers use crawlers and minnows near Bay Shore Marina.

Good salmon and steelhead action in the morning and evening hours for Lexington, Port Sanilac and Harbor Beach. Anglers are finding good results with stick bait.

The St. Clair River is producing good catches of walleye using pencil plugs in the St. Clair area.

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Central:[/url]

Fishing activity is rated fair to good this week for anglers in the Mount Pleasant area. Bluegill and crappie fishing is decent in the late evening hours using minnows and worms on Coldwater and Deerfield lakes, and Lake Isabella.

It’s a slow go for anglers in the Lansing area. Steelhead in the Grand River remain slow, and crappie fishing is also slow on Thornapple Lake. Baits of choice include minnows, and pinky jigs.

Jackson fishing is picking up and good amounts of crappie and bluegill are abundant in the afternoon hours when anglers use waxworms. All lakes are producing decent catches, especially in the warmer waters and depths of 3-6 feet.

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Southeast:[/url]

Algonac River and Harson’s Island are producing decent amounts of walleye and bluegill on plastic jigs.

The Detroit River around the Belle Isle Bridge is great for walleye in the morning hours using hand lines and jigs.

Around Flatrock, Lake Erie and the Detroit River are excellent for walleye using reef runners, bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses.

Around Monroe, especially near Luna Pier, Turtle Island and the Toledo Beach Light, jigs are doing the trick for great catches of walleye.

Belleville Lake is producing good quantities of panfish, crappie and bluegill on minnows and waxworms.
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