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Wednesday, August 27, 2025

8/27/2025 Southeast, Michigan Fishing Report

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Yellow perch were caught out from the River Raisin in about 15 feet of water. However, they were not being caught in limit numbers yet, as they had only just started to come in with the cooling water temperatures. Unfortunately, the larger perch were still holding out and had not yet entered Michigan waters, so it was still slightly early to catch the bigger ones in great numbers. Water temperatures had dropped to the mid-70s, but once they reached the 60s, the perch came in en masse. Anglers were using perch spreaders with minnows to catch the early ones. Vegetation had thinned out a bit. Walleye were caught at the mouth of the Detroit River to the north, on crawler harnesses & trolling spoons. **I've specifically seen people catching walleye trolling michigan stinger spoons or similar spoons" Not much action was reported with smallmouth or largemouth bass this week.

  • If you're planning on fishing out of Sterling State Park or the Brest Bay area you can pick up tackle from the nice people at Jeff's Bait & Tackle

  • If you're planning on fishing any of the canals near Lake Erie Metro Park or Point Mouillee State Game Area you can get all of your bait & tackle needs met at  Bottom Line Bait & Tackle.
Detroit River:  Visibility on the river is pretty good at about 5 feet or more.  No heavy grass is flowing down the river at this time making jigging or bottom fishing  easier.  I've only seen a couple of reports of people dragging harnesses and jigging the river with success but not enough to verify a consistent bite.  Shore fishermen are still picking up channel catfish throughout the river on live night crawlers or any preferred catfish baits.  Large sheepshead and smallmouth bass are also taking night crawlers but larger fish are biting crayfish.  **If you're looking for crayfish, try Moes Bait Shop**. 

Port Sanilac: Boat anglers trolling for salmon and trout picked up a few walleye and lake trout in 100 to 130 feet of water. The anglers marked a lot of fish in about 80 feet of water, but getting a bite was tough.

Port Austin: Smallmouth bass and a few pike were caught in the bird creek inside the harbor area casting spinners and using night crawlers.

Quanicassee/Caseville: Fishing pressure was light. A few perch were caught straight out of Sunset Marina in the slot, in 15 feet of water. It was slow going, though, with anglers fishing all morning and doing a lot of sorting to keep seven to eight perch.

Your area may not be listed within this fishing report so below is a list of links to pages in Southeast Michigan to help guide you to public lakes in your county.

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    8/27/25 Southwest Lower Peninsula, Michigan DNR Fishing Report

     


    Southwest Lower Peninsula

    South Haven: Boat anglers targeting salmon had fair success this week. Quite a few fish were caught, but conditions were challenging. Fish were taken from 35 feet of water out to well past 120 feet of water, mostly on spoons. The catch consisted primarily of Chinook salmon and coho salmon. Pier fishing was decent as well. Anglers were catching coho salmon and steelhead, using spinners and spoons, as well as shrimp fished under bobbers. Perch fishing was very inconsistent. There were a couple of good days, but things became more difficult after lake temperatures dropped.

    St. Joseph: Boat anglers had decent salmon fishing this week. The fish were very spread out, with most boats targeting around 70 feet of water. Most fish were caught on spoons. Pier fishing was decent as well. The action was slow at first but improved when the temperature dropped. Fishing could have been better, but rough lake conditions limited opportunities. Most fish were caught on spoons and spinners. Perch fishing was pretty good, though it slowed down when lake temperatures dropped. Anglers were targeting around 30 feet of water.

    Nearby Bait Shops Include: 
    Fishin Hole (269) 982-3474
    Tackle Haven (269) 925-0341
    Great Lakes Tackle  (269) 208-6178
    Fishing Hole 2 (269) 468-7522 

    Note: At any time you can view the Berrien Springs fish ladder cam by go to this link or following their youtube channel. Subscribing to their channel helps fund the fish ladder cam. 

    Muskegon: Anglers caught salmon from inside the basin out to 80 feet of water. Glow plugs and glow spoons worked well. Pier anglers caught a few salmon while casting glow spoons.

    • For a more accurate report on the Muskegon Lake & the Muskegon River I suggest reaching out to the people at Snug Harbor Outfitters. Phone: (231-719-0759)

    Grand Haven: Boat anglers caught decent numbers of salmon from the pierheads out to 80 feet of water. Glow spoons and glow plugs worked best. Pier anglers caught salmon on alewives and while casting glow spoons.


    For more bait shops in the southwest lower peninsula follow the links below:
    Berrien County Bait Shops: Click Here!
    Allegan County Bait Shops: Click Here!
    Ingham County Bait Shops: Click Here!
    Branch County Bait Shops: Click Here!
    Barry County Bait Shops: Click Here!
    Montcalm County Bait Shops: Click Here!
    Kalamazoo County Bait Shops: Click Here!
    Kent County Bait Shops: Click Here!

    Your area may not be listed within this fishing report so below is a list of links to pages in Southwest Michigan to help guide you to public lakes in your county.

    Allegan County Public Lakes: Click Here!
    Barry County Public Lakes: Click Here!
    Calhoun County Public Lakes: Click Here!

    Cass County Public Lakes: Click Here! 
    Kalamazoo County Public Lakes: Click Here!
    Oceana County Public Lakes: Click Here!
    Ottawa County Public Lakes: Click Here!
    Van Buren County Public Lakes: Click Here!
    Barry County Public Lakes: Click Here!

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    8/27/25 Upper Peninsula, Michigan DNR Fishing Report

     


    Upper Peninsula

    Ontonagon River: The river saw relatively low angling effort over the past week. Walleye were reportedly caught in fair numbers by those trolling and jigging alike. River conditions and fishing activity were affected by recent rain showers.

    Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Ontonagon saw a fair amount of fishing effort over the past week. Effort from Union Bay and Silver City continued to be lower in comparison. Inclement weather occasionally limited reasonable lake access. Recent reports included catches of lake trout in good numbers, along with the occasional coho salmon and Chinook salmon.

    Black River Harbor: The harbor saw low angling effort over the past week, partly due to weather conditions occasionally limiting reasonable lake access. Reported catches were mixed bags consisting of lake trout, brown trout, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon. These fish were caught in fair numbers, with lake trout being the most prominent catch.

    Little Bay de Noc: Some anglers had success walleye fishing. Those who were trolling used crankbaits or crawler harnesses. Areas in the outer bay and south of the Ford River produced larger fish and better fishing reports. A few anglers reported catching walleye at Black Bottom during low-light hours. Anglers reported seeing coho salmon near the mouth of the Escanaba River; however, success was limited, as the coho salmon were tough to catch and the bite was generally slow. Yellow perch anglers reported good fishing success in deeper water, using minnows and worms. Some anglers also found perch in shallower depths near vegetation.

    Big Bay de Noc: Windy conditions this past week resulted in slow angler activity. Anglers reported fair smallmouth bass fishing and a slower week with the drop in temperature.

    Fairport: Anglers reported juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead as the main catch. Anglers that did go out reported success on spoons.

    Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers reported that lake trout fishing was fair, with most catching multiple fish per trip. Salmon fishing was reported as poor to fair, with coho salmon and Chinook salmon reported caught.

    Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers reported catching fair to good numbers of lake trout when trolling spoons and flasher/flies. These were caught in 50 to 100 feet of water, with most fish taken near the bottom and around structure. Salmon fishing was reported as poor, with only a few anglers having success.

    Grand Marais: The lake trout bite was steady for boat anglers trolling and jigging for them at deeper depths. Boating anglers targeting coho salmon had started to catch some while trolling east of the break wall at shallower depths.

    St. Ignace: There were no reports of salmon or lake trout from Lake Huron and no reports from Pine River. At the Carp River, early run salmon surfaced when there was overcast. Salmon anglers cast spoons in the early morning and after dark at the cement footing pier by the mouth of the river. There were no reports of salmon at Nunns Creek.

    Munising: The lake trout bite was slow for boat anglers trolling and jigging. However, anglers trolling the bay and around Grand Island reported small numbers of coho salmon and splake at shallower depths.


    Marquette: Lake trout were caught consistently north of White Rocks in 120 to 200 feet of water. Anglers trolling from northwest of the White Rocks out toward north of Granite Island continued to do well in both deep and shallow water compared to the previous two weeks. It seemed like most of the fish were finally starting to move into shallower water. The Clay Banks continued to produce some salmon and lake trout this week in around 120 feet of water. Primarily lake trout were caught this week in Marquette, but the numbers of coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and brown trout were still increasing, a good sign for a potential September comeback in shallower waters around 60 to 80 feet. Few reports this week due to the number of windy days, but when conditions allowed, the fishing was good and worth the effort.

    Au Train: Cooler temperatures and windy conditions brought fish into shallower depths, but anglers reported catching some nice ones out deep, around 10 miles from the boat launch. It paid off for those willing to make the trip out. They were either trolling for lake trout in 150 to 180 feet of water northeast between Au Train Island and the Wood Island Reef, or fishing in around 200 feet of water. With the cooler water temperatures, 80 to 150 feet was productive.

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    8/27/2025 Northwest Lower Peninsula, Michigan DNR Fishing Report

     


    Northwest Lower Peninsula

    Frankfort/Lake Michigan: Prior to the weekend, Chinook salmon were reported out front in 90 to 120 feet of water. Then the winds pushed in warmer temperatures, pushing the Chinook salmon and coho salmon into deeper water 150 to 220 feet with spoons getting most of the action and meat rigs noted for landing bigger fish. Pier fishing picked up on days when cooler temperatures persisted. Alewives were reported around the piers but only for short periods. Anglers trolling the Platte Bay area reported catching a few coho salmon on regular spoons. Anglers jigging reported good numbers in the bay and harbor.

    For a list of bait and tackle shops in the Frankfort area: Click Here!

    Leland: Anglers who made it out reported great catches while fishing the first bank, heading straight north in 100 to 150 feet of water, with baits set 50 to 70 feet down for Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead. Anglers found that dipsies with spoons (blue, green, and orange), and downriggers with spoons, large flasher flies, and J-plugs (orange, green, red) worked well. Pier fishing remained slow, as the salmon had not yet entered the marina.

    Suttons Bay: There were minimal fishing efforts. A few anglers targeting lake trout around Stoney Point reported catching fish near Stoney Point and throughout Suttons Bay. Anglers fishing for smallmouth bass in Northport found success by bottom bouncing small plastics in 45 feet of water. There were no reports of salmon in the harbor.

    Onekama/Lake Michigan: Anglers trolling the Barrel reported Chinook salmon and lake trout in 120 to 140 feet of water and working the top 60 to 80 feet with spoons. The morning bite was the most productive.

    Below are links to bait shop listings organized by county:


    Your area may not be listed within this fishing report so below is a list of links to pages in Northeast Michigan to help guide you to public lakes in your county.
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    8/27/25 Northeast Lower Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

     


    Northeast Lower Peninsula

    Cheboygan: Unstable weather and strong winds limited fishing activity on Lake Huron. In the Cheboygan River, anglers caught smallmouth bass, rock bass, freshwater drum, and the occasional walleye and salmon. Worms were the most common bait used for these species. For smallmouth bass, natural-colored or white soft plastic swimbaits produced good results. Crankbaits and spinners had some success with walleye. Good areas to target these species included beside the pedestrian walkway bridge by the baseball fields, the State Street drawbridge by the Cheboygan DNR field office, and along the parking lot by the Plaunt’s Transportation ferry. Early-run salmon were at the Cheboygan pier and Cheboygan dam spillway. Before sunrise and just after sunset were the best times to catch salmon. At the Cheboygan pier, anglers cast spoons, while anglers at the Cheboygan dam floated or bottom bounced spawn.

    Oscoda/Au Sable: Walleye were taken in good numbers while trolling crawler harnesses or Jr. spoons on three to seven colors of leadcore in 80 to 130 feet of water. Anglers trolling spoons and targeting salmon 60 feet down in 110 to 120 feet caught a handful of Atlantic salmon, coho salmon, and the occasional Chinook salmon this week. Orange and black/red spoons reportedly performed well. Walleye were also caught on larger spoons by anglers targeting salmon. Earlier in the week, anglers fishing from the pier—when the lake had flipped and cold water was close to shore—caught a couple of coho salmon and one chinook salmon while casting glow spoons before sunrise. Anglers targeting smallmouth bass off the pier also did well, casting small paddle tails and drop shots with plastics.

    Harrisville: Lake trout were caught in 170 to 250 feet of water by anglers targeting the bottom while trolling Spin-N-Glos and spoons. Walleye, coho salmon, and the occasional steelhead were caught on five to seven colors of leadcore in 80 to 120 feet while trolling spoons.

    Presque Isle: Mixed bag fishing produced Chinook salmon, lake trout, a few steelhead,


    walleye, and the occasional coho salmon. The best places to fish were straight out, between the lighthouses, north of the lights off North Bay and Black Point, or south toward Stoneport. The most productive depths were 60 to 120 feet of water. Running lines throughout the water column yielded the best results. Anglers used spoons, flashers with flies and squids, J-plugs, and meat rigs. Effective colors included green, white, blue, black, and glow patterns — especially early and late in the day. There were large numbers of baitfish in the area, and targeting them proved effective as well.

    • For more public lakes in Presque Isle county: Click Here!

    Alpena: A few anglers reported walleye catches from the lake, but I didn’t see any salmon or trout on the days I was there. Many anglers on the river had success with smallmouth bass and freshwater drum and were still reporting many goby catches.

    Rockport: Anglers trolling out at Rockport reported a few walleye, lake trout, and steelhead catches, but no limits reached.

    Rogers City: After the big blow, anglers were expected to find salmon staging close to Swan Bay. The best depths were from the bay shallows out to 50 feet. The most effective tactic was to run J-plugs and body baits off planer boards. There were also fish out deeper. Running lines throughout the water column produced the best results. A mix of spoons, flashers with flies and squids, meat rigs, and J-plugs worked well. Good colors included green, white, black, blue, and glow patterns—especially early and late in the day. With the disrupted and warm water, the bite was suspected to be best before sunrise and after sunset. Anglers who chose not to fish Swan Bay reported that the area near 40 Mile Point yielded some immature Chinook salmon, lake trout, and walleye. There were large numbers of baitfish present. The best strategy was to troll around the bait, as fish were actively feeding on it.

    Below are links to bait shop listings organized by county:


    Your area may not be listed within this fishing report so below is a list of links to pages in Northeast Michigan to help guide you to public lakes in your county.

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