Thursday, September 10, 2026

9/9/26 Northeast Lower Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

 


Northeast Lower Peninsula

Tawas/Au Gres: Windy conditions kept many boat anglers off the water. When anglers were able to get out, fishing was slow overall. Anglers targeting walleye averaged 0 to 4 fish per boat, while those targeting yellow perch also returned with low catches. Shore anglers at the mouth of the Tawas River and at the state dock in Tawas caught primarily largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and rock bass.

Alpena: A few walleye were caught in 20 to 30 feet of water while trolling nightcrawlers and deep-diving crankbaits near North Point and Sulphur Island. Anglers reported lake trout and a few Chinook salmon caught in 70 to 120 feet of water straight out of Thunder Bay. Flashers paired with Spin-N-Glos and spoons were productive fished near the bottom, with white, chartreuse, and blue patterns working best. A few Chinook salmon were also caught in the middle of the water column on spoons and plugs in green, black and green, and orange.

Thunder Bay River: A few Chinook salmon were caught near the Ninth Street Bridge on glow spoons during low-light conditions. Anglers reported slow fishing overall. A few smallmouth bass and northern pike were caught on leeches and small spinners.

Rockport: Walleye were caught in 20 to 40 feet of water near Middle Island. Anglers reported fair catches while trolling nightcrawlers and crankbaits. Lake trout fishing was very good for anglers targeting 80 to 120 feet of water. Flashers paired with Spin-N-Glos along with spoons in white, chartreuse, and watermelon produced the best results. A few Chinook salmon were caught near False Presque Isle in 60 to 90 feet of water. Plugs, spoons, and cut bait yielded mixed results early and late in the day.

Cheboygan: Chinook salmon were seen surfacing at the Cheboygan pier and the Cheboygan dam spillway at daybreak and nightfall, though catch rates slowed. An occasional Chinook salmon was caught while trolling J-plugs and spoons between the buoy markers and the fish cleaning station. From the pier, salmon were caught periodically on small spoons. At the Cheboygan Dam spillway, anglers had success drifting spawn or casting spoons and minnow-style crankbaits. Small walleye, smallmouth bass, and rock bass were caught while drifting nightcrawlers between the Cheboygan Dam and the pedestrian walkway bridge.

Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers targeting lake trout had good success in 120 to 140 feet of water while trolling spoons in the bottom 20 feet of the water column. Steelhead and a few


chinook salmon were caught in 80 to 120 feet of water. Anglers fishing from the pier and catwalk had good success catching channel catfish using nightcrawlers on the bottom. A few walleye were caught by anglers casting deep-diving crankbaits at dusk.

Harrisville: Anglers targeting lake trout in 115 to 140 feet of water had good success on spoons and Spin-N-Glos. A few steelhead were also caught on spoons fished higher in the water column. Anglers casting spinners in the harbor caught a few northern pike.

Rogers City: Salmon were staging off Swan Bay, though the bite was inconsistent. Overall numbers remained low, with the best action occurring before sunrise, after sunset, or on overcast days. Productive depths ranged from 30 to 90 feet of water depending on the day, with fish moving shallower early in the morning and after dark. Trolling lines throughout the water column produced the best results. Anglers used standard and magnum spoons, J-plugs, and meat rigs. Flasher-fly combinations and squids also took fish. Productive colors included green, blue, chartreuse, orange, white, black, and UV patterns, with glow lures being effective early and late in the day. Walleye were caught as incidental catches. Anglers venturing outside the Swan Bay area caught lake trout, along with incidental steelhead and coho salmon. Lake trout were caught in colder water near the bottom, while steelhead and coho salmon were found higher in the water column.

Presque Isle: Fishing improved, though angling effort remained low. Anglers fishing between the lighthouses or south toward Stoneport caught a mixed bag of lake trout, along with an occasional salmon or walleye. Productive depths ranged from 45 to 90 feet of water, with lines spread throughout the water column producing the best results. Standard and magnum spoons caught fish, and anglers also ran flasher-fly and squid combinations. Productive colors included green, blue, orange, chartreuse, black, purple, white, and UV patterns, with effective glow patterns early and late in the day.


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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