04-02-2010, 12:30 AM
[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][#00e010]Weekly Fishing Report[/#00e010][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, April 1, 2010 [/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report
517-373-0908[/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]![[Image: fish_reportmap2_23340_7.gif]](http://mi.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]Fishing comes and goes with the weather which is pretty much the pattern this time of year. Anglers are reminded that a 2010 fishing license is required starting April 1st. The 2010 regulations also go into effect on April 1st. Fishing Guides should be available from all license vendors.
[blue]Southeast Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Lake Erie - Boat anglers are catching a few walleye when jigging, hand-lining, or trolling rapalas in Brest Bay. Huron River - Steelhead action continues. Try spawn, jig and wax worm or flies. Look for crappie in the backwaters. Suckers are still hitting on crawlers. Detroit River - Good numbers of walleye have been caught in the Trenton Channel near the Edison Power Plant. Anglers are jigging or hand-lining. Yellow perch have been caught near the Cross Dike and Sugar Island. Lake St. Clair - Not much in the way of boating or fishing activity yet. Look for conditions to improve with warmer weather. St. Clair River - The last word was ice was still coming down the river. Shore anglers fishing near the Black River have caught some walleye. Salmon fishing will most likely get started right away especially in the Marine City and Algonac area. Saginaw Bay - Perch fishing is underway with one common denominator; lots of sorting out the small ones to get a few keepers. Shore and boat anglers are fishing off Pine River and Palmer Roads. Shore anglers have also caught perch in the Allen Cut at Kirk Road, the Thomas Cut, the access site at Bay Port and in the Bay Shore Marina. Walleye anglers were trolling crank baits and crawler harnesses off the mouth of the Kawkawlin River, near Spoils Island, and off Cotter Road in 4 to 8 feet of water when the winds stopped blowing long enough to allow a fishing trip. At Caseville, pier anglers caught a few whitefish, walleye and burbot. Kawkawlin River - Perch were caught off the bridge on State Park Drive. Tittabawassee River - Suckers are still being caught on red worms or crawlers. Quanicassee River - Shore anglers are catching perch. Sebewaing - Boat and shore anglers are catching perch. Pigeon River - Suckers have been caught. No word on perch. Pinnebog River - Is producing suckers. Flint River - Is producing suckers. [blue]Southwest Lower Peninsula[/blue]
St. Joe - Pier and boat anglers are targeting coho and steelhead. Boats trolling south towards the Cook Power Plant did well for coho. Pier fishing was slow. St. Joe River - Steelhead fishing slowed up at the Berrien Springs Dam however; a lot of suckers have been caught. Look for crappie in the backwaters. Rain and warm temperatures in the forecast should improve catch rates. Grand Haven - Pier anglers are still targeting coho and steelhead. Early morning and evening were best. Grand River at Grand Rapids - Anglers were still catching some steelhead from the last push of fresh fish. Try spawn or floating a jig and wax worm under a bobber. A good number of suckers have been caught up near the Sixth Street Dam. Grand River at Lansing - Fresh steelhead made it up this far and were caught over at Moore's Park Dam. Try spinners, spawn or crawlers on the bottom. Carp and catfish were caught off Riverfront Park and crappie in the backwaters. Looking Glass River - Some large bowfin were caught off Babcock's Landing. Spring Lake - Near Grand Haven is producing crappie and perch. Mona Lake - Crappie and perch have been caught near the bridge at Henry Street. Muskegon - Pier anglers are catching more brown trout than steelhead. Try spinners, green and white spoons or spawn. Boat anglers are catching brown trout on body baits, rapalas, or Hot-n-Tots. Muskegon Lake - Continues to produce some perch on the west side of the lake however many were small. Try wigglers, spikes or minnows with anything that glows in 38 to 41 feet of water. Muskegon River - Steelhead were caught near Maple Island. White River - Is producing some steelhead along with a good number of suckers. [blue]Northeast Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Alpena - Boat anglers are still heading out for steelhead, brown trout and walleye. Thunder Bay River - Is producing steelhead up near the Ninth Street Dam. Try spawn, wax worms or flies. Au Sable River - Is producing steelhead all the up to Foote Dam. Those fishing Cook Pond have caught a few perch off Bissonette Road. Higgins Lake - Still has ice out in the middle of the lake however that should be gone by the weekend. Trout are coming into the shallows. Houghton Lake - The ice is finally gone and spring fishing has started. With the warm weather, anglers are catching perch and crappie can be found in the canals. Tawas - Pier anglers are getting a few brown trout, steelhead and walleye. Large numbers of emerald shiners have moved into the harbor, making it hard for anglers with artificial bait to compete with so much natural food. Those trolling off the mouth of the river also caught walleye, brown trout and steelhead. Au Gres - Boat anglers trolling off the mouth of the river are taking walleye on rapalas. Pier and shore anglers fishing for perch are doing a lot of sorting to get a few keepers. Au Gres River - Steelhead are being caught in Whitney Drain and also in the surf near the Singing Bridge. Rifle River - Sucker runs are well underway. Dip-netting season opens April 1st. The hook and line anglers are having a ball, with some catching up to 50 suckers per trip. [blue]Northwest Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Petoskey - The clear water has slowed pier fishing for steelhead. First light was the best time to catch fish. Rain is needed to get the fish moving. Some were starting to catch lake trout off the smaller piers at Bay Harbor, Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Little Traverse Bay is now ice free however the docks are not in at the boat launches. Bear River - Steelhead were caught near the dam however the low and clear water is starting to slow the numbers of fresh fish entering the river. Traverse City - Lake trout and whitefish have been caught in 140 to 150 feet of water in both bays however the West Bay did produce better catches. No word on perch fishing. Boardman River - Water levels are low and catch rates for steelhead are slow. Frankfort - Boat anglers are trolling in shallow waters 2 to 12 feet deep for steelhead and brown trout. Some are using planer boards and some are long-lining with small spoons or body baits. Pier anglers are casting spoons, rapalas, or body baits. Betsie River - Fishing has slowed quite a bit. Those fly fishing at the Homestead Dam have managed to catch light numbers of steelhead. Good sucker action between the dam and Elberta. Anglers say the fish are hitting on all baits. Manistee - Pier and boat anglers trolling along the shoreline have caught steelhead. Most are fishing shallow waters north of the port. A few perch were also caught. Manistee River - Fresh steelhead are moving into the river. Catch rates were good in the early morning or evening when floating spawn bags or flies. A few brown trout have also been caught. Ludington - Anglers are targeting steelhead and brown trout close to shore. Pere Marquette River - Has fair to good numbers of steelhead in the upper river. Try small spoons, body baits, or spawn.
[blue]Upper Peninsula[/blue]
Lake Gogebic - The ice is going fast and strong winds have been shifting it back and forth on the lake. Anglers are warned to stay off the ice. There is open water on the north end and the south end is open out past the pier at the County Park. Keweenaw Bay - Windy conditions and clear cold water has slowed catch rates. Any remaining ice is not safe. A good rain along with a strong south wind is needed to push ice out of the bay. Marquette - Anglers are targeting coho, splake, steelhead, and whitefish. Coho and steelhead action has increased however more coho have been caught. Best baits were jigs with twister tails, spoons, spawn bags or crawlers. Anglers are trolling or casting in 25 to 35 feet of water with some coho as far down as 50 feet. Splake were caught off the lower harbor breakwall. Menominee River - Those fishing closer to the Hattie Street Dam reported slow catch rates because the dam was closed and the current came to a stop. Anglers had a hard time getting their rapalas to drift out to where the fish usually congregate. A few brown trout were caught by those trolling. Those jigging minnows between the mouth and Boom Landing have caught walleye in the deeper holes. Yellow perch are coming up to spawn. The pond near the Mystery Ship launch is a good spot for perch fishing when jigging minnows with a slip bobber. Green Bay - Has open water. Anglers targeting walleye are trolling the shoreline with crawler harnesses. Catch rates were fair. Pier anglers are having some luck near the lighthouse when jigging minnows for walleye and perch. Little Bay De Noc - Still has some ice in the upper bay although most is open water. The only launch fully open is the North Shore Launch in Escanaba. The Ford River and Rapid River launches are open but not fully operational as of this report. Fishing this week should be good with highs in the 50's and low in the 40's. Steelhead anglers are fishing the rivers however not much to report yet. The rivers are very low for this time of the year with temperatures ranging from 38 degrees to the mid 40's. Au Train - The Brownstone launch is ice free however there is still some ice floating in the bay. A few coho were caught near the mouth of the Au Train River however catch rates were still slow. Best baits were spawn bags or spoons. Rock River - Catch rates were slow however a few anglers were able to catch the occasional coho or steelhead. Munising - Ice was holding between Sand Point and the city dock however it is not safe. Ice is gone from the Grand Island dock and the Sand Point ramp. A couple coho were caught by those jigging. Look for whitefish in deep waters. Cedarville and Hessel - Any last ice should be gone by the end of the week. Boat anglers in Hessel were targeting perch but catch rates were slow.
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[font "arial, helvetica, sans-serif"][black][font "Arial, Helvetica"][/font]
[font "Arial, Helvetica"]Thursday, April 1, 2010 [/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]Recreational Fishing Report
517-373-0908[/font][font "Arial, Helvetica"]
[/font][url "http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/"][font "Arial, Helvetica"][#000000]Great Lakes temperature map[/#000000][/font][/url]Fishing comes and goes with the weather which is pretty much the pattern this time of year. Anglers are reminded that a 2010 fishing license is required starting April 1st. The 2010 regulations also go into effect on April 1st. Fishing Guides should be available from all license vendors.
[blue]Southeast Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Lake Erie - Boat anglers are catching a few walleye when jigging, hand-lining, or trolling rapalas in Brest Bay. Huron River - Steelhead action continues. Try spawn, jig and wax worm or flies. Look for crappie in the backwaters. Suckers are still hitting on crawlers. Detroit River - Good numbers of walleye have been caught in the Trenton Channel near the Edison Power Plant. Anglers are jigging or hand-lining. Yellow perch have been caught near the Cross Dike and Sugar Island. Lake St. Clair - Not much in the way of boating or fishing activity yet. Look for conditions to improve with warmer weather. St. Clair River - The last word was ice was still coming down the river. Shore anglers fishing near the Black River have caught some walleye. Salmon fishing will most likely get started right away especially in the Marine City and Algonac area. Saginaw Bay - Perch fishing is underway with one common denominator; lots of sorting out the small ones to get a few keepers. Shore and boat anglers are fishing off Pine River and Palmer Roads. Shore anglers have also caught perch in the Allen Cut at Kirk Road, the Thomas Cut, the access site at Bay Port and in the Bay Shore Marina. Walleye anglers were trolling crank baits and crawler harnesses off the mouth of the Kawkawlin River, near Spoils Island, and off Cotter Road in 4 to 8 feet of water when the winds stopped blowing long enough to allow a fishing trip. At Caseville, pier anglers caught a few whitefish, walleye and burbot. Kawkawlin River - Perch were caught off the bridge on State Park Drive. Tittabawassee River - Suckers are still being caught on red worms or crawlers. Quanicassee River - Shore anglers are catching perch. Sebewaing - Boat and shore anglers are catching perch. Pigeon River - Suckers have been caught. No word on perch. Pinnebog River - Is producing suckers. Flint River - Is producing suckers. [blue]Southwest Lower Peninsula[/blue]
St. Joe - Pier and boat anglers are targeting coho and steelhead. Boats trolling south towards the Cook Power Plant did well for coho. Pier fishing was slow. St. Joe River - Steelhead fishing slowed up at the Berrien Springs Dam however; a lot of suckers have been caught. Look for crappie in the backwaters. Rain and warm temperatures in the forecast should improve catch rates. Grand Haven - Pier anglers are still targeting coho and steelhead. Early morning and evening were best. Grand River at Grand Rapids - Anglers were still catching some steelhead from the last push of fresh fish. Try spawn or floating a jig and wax worm under a bobber. A good number of suckers have been caught up near the Sixth Street Dam. Grand River at Lansing - Fresh steelhead made it up this far and were caught over at Moore's Park Dam. Try spinners, spawn or crawlers on the bottom. Carp and catfish were caught off Riverfront Park and crappie in the backwaters. Looking Glass River - Some large bowfin were caught off Babcock's Landing. Spring Lake - Near Grand Haven is producing crappie and perch. Mona Lake - Crappie and perch have been caught near the bridge at Henry Street. Muskegon - Pier anglers are catching more brown trout than steelhead. Try spinners, green and white spoons or spawn. Boat anglers are catching brown trout on body baits, rapalas, or Hot-n-Tots. Muskegon Lake - Continues to produce some perch on the west side of the lake however many were small. Try wigglers, spikes or minnows with anything that glows in 38 to 41 feet of water. Muskegon River - Steelhead were caught near Maple Island. White River - Is producing some steelhead along with a good number of suckers. [blue]Northeast Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Alpena - Boat anglers are still heading out for steelhead, brown trout and walleye. Thunder Bay River - Is producing steelhead up near the Ninth Street Dam. Try spawn, wax worms or flies. Au Sable River - Is producing steelhead all the up to Foote Dam. Those fishing Cook Pond have caught a few perch off Bissonette Road. Higgins Lake - Still has ice out in the middle of the lake however that should be gone by the weekend. Trout are coming into the shallows. Houghton Lake - The ice is finally gone and spring fishing has started. With the warm weather, anglers are catching perch and crappie can be found in the canals. Tawas - Pier anglers are getting a few brown trout, steelhead and walleye. Large numbers of emerald shiners have moved into the harbor, making it hard for anglers with artificial bait to compete with so much natural food. Those trolling off the mouth of the river also caught walleye, brown trout and steelhead. Au Gres - Boat anglers trolling off the mouth of the river are taking walleye on rapalas. Pier and shore anglers fishing for perch are doing a lot of sorting to get a few keepers. Au Gres River - Steelhead are being caught in Whitney Drain and also in the surf near the Singing Bridge. Rifle River - Sucker runs are well underway. Dip-netting season opens April 1st. The hook and line anglers are having a ball, with some catching up to 50 suckers per trip. [blue]Northwest Lower Peninsula[/blue]
Petoskey - The clear water has slowed pier fishing for steelhead. First light was the best time to catch fish. Rain is needed to get the fish moving. Some were starting to catch lake trout off the smaller piers at Bay Harbor, Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Little Traverse Bay is now ice free however the docks are not in at the boat launches. Bear River - Steelhead were caught near the dam however the low and clear water is starting to slow the numbers of fresh fish entering the river. Traverse City - Lake trout and whitefish have been caught in 140 to 150 feet of water in both bays however the West Bay did produce better catches. No word on perch fishing. Boardman River - Water levels are low and catch rates for steelhead are slow. Frankfort - Boat anglers are trolling in shallow waters 2 to 12 feet deep for steelhead and brown trout. Some are using planer boards and some are long-lining with small spoons or body baits. Pier anglers are casting spoons, rapalas, or body baits. Betsie River - Fishing has slowed quite a bit. Those fly fishing at the Homestead Dam have managed to catch light numbers of steelhead. Good sucker action between the dam and Elberta. Anglers say the fish are hitting on all baits. Manistee - Pier and boat anglers trolling along the shoreline have caught steelhead. Most are fishing shallow waters north of the port. A few perch were also caught. Manistee River - Fresh steelhead are moving into the river. Catch rates were good in the early morning or evening when floating spawn bags or flies. A few brown trout have also been caught. Ludington - Anglers are targeting steelhead and brown trout close to shore. Pere Marquette River - Has fair to good numbers of steelhead in the upper river. Try small spoons, body baits, or spawn.
[blue]Upper Peninsula[/blue]
Lake Gogebic - The ice is going fast and strong winds have been shifting it back and forth on the lake. Anglers are warned to stay off the ice. There is open water on the north end and the south end is open out past the pier at the County Park. Keweenaw Bay - Windy conditions and clear cold water has slowed catch rates. Any remaining ice is not safe. A good rain along with a strong south wind is needed to push ice out of the bay. Marquette - Anglers are targeting coho, splake, steelhead, and whitefish. Coho and steelhead action has increased however more coho have been caught. Best baits were jigs with twister tails, spoons, spawn bags or crawlers. Anglers are trolling or casting in 25 to 35 feet of water with some coho as far down as 50 feet. Splake were caught off the lower harbor breakwall. Menominee River - Those fishing closer to the Hattie Street Dam reported slow catch rates because the dam was closed and the current came to a stop. Anglers had a hard time getting their rapalas to drift out to where the fish usually congregate. A few brown trout were caught by those trolling. Those jigging minnows between the mouth and Boom Landing have caught walleye in the deeper holes. Yellow perch are coming up to spawn. The pond near the Mystery Ship launch is a good spot for perch fishing when jigging minnows with a slip bobber. Green Bay - Has open water. Anglers targeting walleye are trolling the shoreline with crawler harnesses. Catch rates were fair. Pier anglers are having some luck near the lighthouse when jigging minnows for walleye and perch. Little Bay De Noc - Still has some ice in the upper bay although most is open water. The only launch fully open is the North Shore Launch in Escanaba. The Ford River and Rapid River launches are open but not fully operational as of this report. Fishing this week should be good with highs in the 50's and low in the 40's. Steelhead anglers are fishing the rivers however not much to report yet. The rivers are very low for this time of the year with temperatures ranging from 38 degrees to the mid 40's. Au Train - The Brownstone launch is ice free however there is still some ice floating in the bay. A few coho were caught near the mouth of the Au Train River however catch rates were still slow. Best baits were spawn bags or spoons. Rock River - Catch rates were slow however a few anglers were able to catch the occasional coho or steelhead. Munising - Ice was holding between Sand Point and the city dock however it is not safe. Ice is gone from the Grand Island dock and the Sand Point ramp. A couple coho were caught by those jigging. Look for whitefish in deep waters. Cedarville and Hessel - Any last ice should be gone by the end of the week. Boat anglers in Hessel were targeting perch but catch rates were slow.
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