Understanding the Natural Forage of Walleye

For many anglers walleye fishing presents itself as a bit of an enigma. The fish seem to be tucked away deep in the lakes they inhabit and those that are not easily tempted.  As a result many anglers only fish for walleye during the spring when walleye return to their usual spawning grounds making them easy to find.  However walleye fishing, just any puzzle, gets easier when you have all of the pieces. Understanding the walleyes forage base is the first piece of this puzzle.

Just like any other fish there are two major things that impact a walleye's movements and behaviors. The first is food and the second is mating.  As a result this post will focus on the first and most consistent of these two things, food. Why? Because food determines seasonal behavioral patterns as well as matching the hatch for correct bait choice.

Insects, Larva & Crustaceans

Nymphs (Spring):  The first forage species is one we don't normally associate with walleye, we definitely associate them with trout but never walleye.  That food source is nymphs or insect larva.  Nymphs are widespread throughout all walleye waters. As a result a large insect hatch can pretty much shut down a walleye bite for more than a week on certain waters.

For example the yearly mayfly hatch on the Detroit River can last upwards of 3 weeks. During which millions of mayflies hatch signaling the end of the silver bass run  and the immediate slow down of the walleye bite. During the mayfly hatch it is not uncommon to catch walleye whose stomachs are full of a mayfly larva.

During these times catching fish of any species can get difficult. In fact many anglers stay off of the water during this time as they bite gets tough. However if you know what to do you'll still put your share of walleye in the boat.  During major hatches you'll want to down size your baits whenever possible and suspend your baits just below the hatching insects.  So slip bobber rigs with small leeches, half of a worm or buggy hair jigs like wooly bugger jigs are ideal for tempting bug eating walleye. Another tactic is to run your troll spoons like Michigan stinger spoons directly below the hatch so walleye will see the spoon as a baitfish feeding on easy to catching insects.  Normal jigging tactics will catch a few walleye but watch your electronics as they'll show you where the walleye are suspending within and below the hatch.

Worms (year round):  Earthworms have been the quintessential fishing bait since the beginning of time.  As a result earthworms are one of the most commonly used baits for walleye.

Nightcrawler rigging options are pretty numerous and all very simple.  For just about every worm or crawler rigging option the worms are hooked as though being hooked to a crawler harness. This is because most crawler rigs, whether to a spoon or a jig, have a crawler harness attached to them in order to use the full  worm as bait.  Below is a picture of a worm burner spoon which is a perfect example of this.

Fishing with nightcrawlers have a couple of huge benefits.  The first being that they are widely accessible and imitated.  For example most gas stations in close proximity to lakes or rivers will sell night crawlers.  If that doesn't work a quick dig in the yard will have you overflowing with walleye bait for free.

The second benefit is that nightcrawlers are pretty hardy.  All you have to do is keep them in a cool dark place and you'll have lively bait for quite a while. For me when I'm trolling for walleye from the kayak, I keep my crawlers in a collapsable cooler with a frozen water bottle in it to keep them cool on hot days.

Leeches:  Leeches and walleye fishing go together like kids and candy. I don't know a walleye fisherman that does not recommend using leeches as bait at one point in the season or another. Leeches are hardy and stay active on the hook for a long time attracting bites even when you're not trolling. 

Leeches can be rigged in multiple ways, all of which will produce under the right circumstances.  During times when walleye are found suspended leeches can be suspended below a slip bobber on jig heads to entice upward looking walleyes to bite. 

Leeches can be trolled on bladed harnesses  above bottom bouncers, dragged above weeds with light inline weights and trolled on live bait or Lindy rigs with light weights in shallow weeds.  In deeper water a common way to fish with leeches is with a 3 way rig with the leech being trolled above twister tails or hair jigs keeping the leech trolling at desired depths.

Crayfish (Year Around): When fishermen think of crayfish their minds often go straight to smallmouth bass, which are known for their love of crayfish.  However walleye have an affinity for crayfish as well, especially in smaller rocky river systems where the crustaceans are abundant. If you're gonna be mimicking crayfish I suggest using brown twister tails on the lightest jig head you can get away with or brown and yellow bucktail jig.  Simply jigging either of these along the bottom is often enough to entice wary walleye to bite.  If you're not too keen on jigging for walleye the rebel craw series will always but a walleye or two in the bag. 

Amphibians

Salamander (Spring): Every spring something special happens in every lake and pond across the globe. Amphibians decide its time to do the mating dance.  Normally when you think of amphibians mating you thinking of the hordes of toads and frogs that sing in the shallows every spring to attract a mate.  However just like frogs and toads, salamanders line the edges of lakes and ponds dancing for a mate as well.

 For us this may not seem very important but for walleye this "hatch" is very important because of when it occurs. Walleye spawn typically right after ice out on their home bodies of water which for the Detroit River and surrounding lakes is usually late March to early April.  The end of this spawn typically overlaps with beginning of the amphibian spawn which usually takes place from mid April to May.  So on bodies of water like Belleville Lake where there are decent amphibian hatches in spring.  In evening egg laying salamanders become easy pray for walleye hunting in the weeds just outside of the brush where the salamanders normally mate and attache their egg clusters.

I've only really experienced this personally once as this isn't a major hatch but it is one that predator fish, including walleye, will take advantage of.  For me I was ending a day of kayak fishing on a local lake when I saw fish swirling on something just outside of the shallow reed line. The first thing i threw in that area was a black slug-go which immediately got gulped down the by the weirdest fighting bass I'd ever caught.  What I initially thought was a bass was a 16 inch walleye feeding on salamanders who ventured too far out from the reeds. After catching that first walleye I ended up catching two more and six bass to add to the night.

Due to the fact that i had never caught walleye this shallow I decided to see what the heck drew the walleye to this spot. I paddled over and started looking around in the reeds with my head lamp. That's when I saw them, small black and blue salamanders swimming within the reeds or just floating on top of the water.  It was one of the coolest things ever but it also let me know that walleye are very much in tuned with their surroundings and they know where to find an easy late night snack.

**If you are a person who plans on using any amphibians as bait. Be sure to check the regulations for your state prior to doing so as there are quite a few amphibians on the threatened list and are protected as a result**

Frogs (Fall and Spring):  Just like every other predator fish, walleye are opportunistic feeders.  In lakes with shallow bays and lilly pad flats walleye will eat frogs whenever easily accessible. While not a primary food source, frogs particularly in the fall often fall prey to walleye as they lounge or swim through weed edges a bit too close to deeper water. 






Baitfish

Every die hard walleye fisherman knows that walleye and baitfish go together like peanut butter and jelly.  However what many of us miss is the differences in bait fish that will make walleye key on them over another baitfish. So when considering baitfish we need to lump them into two primary categories: Soft rayed baitfish and hard rayed baitfish. 

Soft Rayed Baitfish

Soft rayed baitfish are pretty much any baitfish that whose fins have soft rays like minnows, shad and gobies.  It is believed that due to this most gamefish will key on soft rayed bait before those with hard rayed dorsal fins. 

Creek Chubs

Creek chubs are often thought of as great pike bait. However, since creek chubs occupy the same home waters as walleye, chubs make up a substantial food base for resident walleye.  At a max size of 12 inches chubs and having no hard spines, chubs make a substantial, easy to swallow meal for large walleye. 

 Minnows

A minnow by any other name is just a same. Not true, the name minnow is often a general term thrown out there to explain any small fish that can be used as bait.  For that reason we are gonna keep with that definition.  Pretty much any small baitfish including but not limited to actual minnows and shiners are at the top of the walleyes meal list. 

Due to this, just about every walleye bait has a way to either use live minnows or mimic minnows in order to tempt hungry walleye. 

Rainbow Smelt

This non indigenous species intentionally introduced to the great lakes in 1912 has made itself at home in many walleye waters across the country.  As result walleye have gladly taken on the smelt as an easy addition to their diet.  

Round Gobies (year around):  If you live anywhere in the great lakes. you are aware of the round goby.  An invasive fish native to Europe and the Baltic Sea introduced into the great lakes in 1990 by sea going ships traveling through inland waters.  The round goby has quickly established itself as public enemy number one of the DNR and anglers who fish the Great Lakes water shed due to their nasty desire to eat the eggs of native fish species.  However in the last few years anglers have begun to notice that large gamefish species, like walleye, have learned that gobies are definitely on the menu.  

Gobies are bottom dwellers that prefer hard bottom areas where they can easily hide between rocks on in wholes when predators are around.  This fact has not gong unnoticed by great lakes walleye who don't hesitate to make an unwary goby a snack. 

In areas where gobies inhabit the great lakes water shed it is illegal to fish with gobies as live bait. In fact it is highly encouraged that if caught, round gobies are immediately dispatched.  However, this doesn't mean that there are not good options for imitating round gobies when fishing for walleye.  Something as simple as an olive or brown twister tail on a jig is a great lure to tempt walleye hungry for gobies.  If twister tails aren't your thing then tubes, paddle tail baits, bucktail jigs and the Megabass Dark sleeper are all great goby imitations.  No matter what you choose to use, when you're fishing for great lakes walleye keep in mind they they're always hungry for gobies.

Northern Lake Herring (Cisco or Tullibee):  With a range starting at the lower great lakes flowing north into northern Canada, cisco are a staple for northern walleye.  In the north country they are the quintessential gamefish food as they get to a relatively large size and are soft rayed making them easy to swallow.  In areas where cisco are a part of the ecosystem anglers troll large minnow shaped crankbaits in order to match the hatch. 

Gizzard Shad: With a range covering more than 60 percent of the united states, shad are one of the most widespread baitfish species. For this reason they are a forage for walleye and other gamefish in most U.S.  When using shad to find walleye, seek out dams with a decent flow as the shad will ofter gather there and hungry walleye will undoubtedly be close by.  Another way to catch walleye on the shad bite is by trolling shadraps or flicker shads just below large schools of shad in open water.  Lastly the spring shad spawning runs, often coinciding with walleye runs, will always keep predator fish of all species close by gorging on the abundant shad. 

Hard Rayed Baitfish

Yellow Perch:  When I think of hard rayed baitfish for walleye, the first fish that pops into my head is the yellow perch.  Widely considered to be walleye candy it is not uncommon to catch walleye full of young of the year perch.  In many ecosystems this close cousin of the walleye are the primary food source for walleye.  For this reason every bait shop has baits that mimic perch.  As perch are schooling fish it's very common to find walleye close by eager to get a quick bite of perch. 

Bluegill: In lake systems with abundant bluegill, walleye readily feed on bluegill when available.  As bluegill are often shallow weedy water dwelling fish, walleye often dine on them in the fall and early winter as the weeds on shallow flats and shoals die back leaving the bluegill more vulnerable to attack. 

How to Tie a Basic Marabou Jig

In every anglers tackle box you'll have tackle that is species specific.  Then again there are those baits that you believe are species specific but the reality is they are not.  The marabou jig one of those baits thats often prejudged as being only for crappie.  When in fact marabou jigs are often used for other species like white bass, hybrid striper, walleye and smallmouth bass. Because they are so versatile i've taken the time to learn how to tie my own marabou jigs and below is a quick overview of how you can tie your own.

Tools you'll need:

Vice: Pretty much any fly tying vice will work.  You don't have to invest in anything expensive to tie jigs of any kind. You just need a vice that will hold the jig heads tight enough for you to wrap in your materials. 

Bobbin& Thread: The next tool you'll need to tie your own jigs will be a bobbin a color and thickness thread of your choosing.  A simply a tool designed to hold thread while wrapping thread onto your hooks or jigs. 

Whip Finish Tool: A whip finish tool is what you'll need to tie your finishing knots to complete your jigs.  If you don't know how to use a whip finish tool there are plenty of videos on youtube that will give you a quick tutorial. 

Once you have your tools assembled the fun begins. Because this is the point at which you pick your materials and color patterns for your marabou jigs.  In this case I used chartreuse, black and pink. Below is the list of materials I used but you're not limited to my list.

Thread:  The thread is used to tie in each of your materials on to you jigs.  I personally use 210 flatwax denier for tying jigs as its thin enough to not make small jigs too bulky and strong enough to tie larger jigs from striper and walleye.  I pick my colors solely based on what patterns I'm tying.

Jig heads: The jig head you choose is also gonna be based which pattern you're tying.  For basic marabou jig patterns a collarless round head jig sizes from 1/80oz and up will work great.  However for smaller sizes like 1/64oz and 1/80oz you'll want to use a thinner diameter thread like a 140 denier.

Chenille:

Marabou:

Flashabou:

Hard as Nails: 

1. Place jig head in the vise

2. Starting at the base of the jig head wrap thread over itself back to a point just above or before the hook point. 

3.Measure your marabou tips to match the length of the jig head. Then wrap that portion into the jig head by wrapping thread up the shank of the hook then back down in order to smooth out the body. 

4. Wrap in 3 or 4 strands of flashabou up one side of the hook shank then wrap it around the other side making a loop which will hold the flashabou in tightly along each side of the tail.

5. Pull some of the chenille fibers off of the holding thread and wrap the holding thread on to the hook shank, wrapping the thread up to the jig head. 

6. Wrap the chenille up the hook shank in the opposite direction of what the thread has been wrapped. 

7. Once the chenille is wrapped to the jig head, cut off the tag end and wrap down the chenille with about 4 wraps. 

8. Finish up your tie with 3 whip finish knots. 

9. Finally use a straightened paperclip to adhere Sally Hansen Hard As Nails to the thread knots in order to harden them and further strengthen your knots. 

This is probably the easiest jig to tie for multi-species fishing.  Comment below if you have any experience with fishing with marabou jigs for crappie or any other fish. 

9/13/2018 Upper Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

Upper Peninsula

To access the original Michigan DNR fishing Report: Click Here!

Lac Vieux Desert:  Muskellunge anglers are finding a few fish along the edge of the weed beds and up in the shallows early or late. The pike action is heating up as well with reports of 24-30-inch fish common. Walleye fishing remained slow with only a few legal fish taken. Perch anglers are staying active however there are still a lot of smaller fish being caught. Those chasing bluegills and sunfish had similar results. Finding the larger schools of fish has been difficult. Bass fishing remains good.   

Little Bay De Noc:  Walleye action was a bit slower because of the strong east winds. Best areas were Kipling in 22 to 30 feet, the “Black Bottom” in 18 to 25 feet and Garth Point in 12 to 20 feet. Garth Point was best at night when trolling stick baits or crawlers.  A few good perch catches were taken in 22 to 30 feet near Kipling. Try minnows or crawlers. Pike were active in the Escanaba Yacht Harbor. Best catches were around the mouth of the harbor and out from the beach when trolling crank baits, spoons or spinners. Smallmouth anglers caught fish along the southern end of the “Black Bottom” with plastics or spinners in 16 to 20 feet or near Round Island in 10 to 16 feet.

• A good source of up to date Little Bay De Noc Fishing reports is to follow the this page on facebook: Little Bay De Noc Fishing Reports

Big Bay De Noc:  Had mostly smallmouth bass anglers in the southern waters. Good catches were reported between Martins Bay and St. Vitals Island in 10 to 18 feet with plastics. Garden Bluff had fair catches in 15 to 25 feet. Some were targeting perch in Garden Bay but few fish were caught.

Manistique River:  Was producing some walleye and salmon.

Marquette:  Lake trout fishing continues to be good. More anglers are starting to target both the Carp and the Dead River but most had no luck. 

Au Train:  Lake trout fishing is still very good just north of Au Train Island when trolling or jigging. Some were starting to troll up high for salmon near the mouth of the Au Train River but very few had any luck.

Munising:  Very slow fishing in general with only a few small splake caught by those trolling for coho. Surface water temperatures dropped to the low to mid 60’s. Lake trout anglers continue to do well towards Wood Island and near Big Reef with most fish averaging around five to six pounds. Rivers were high and turbid. 

Grand Marais:  Good lake trout fishing continues towards Au Sable Point and Five Mile Reef. The few trolling for salmon caught a couple fish.

Detour:  Strong northeast winds prevented anglers from fishing at the Detour Lighthouse and south into Lake Huron. A few Chinook and pink salmon were caught further upstream of the lighthouse on the Drummond Island side of the river. Good walleye action with fish 17 to 24 inches were reported up near Swedes Pointe when trolling bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses with red and gold smiley blades. Those using a slip bobber with a shiner along the underwater humps in 10 to 14 feet caught walleye in the early morning. Around Drummond Island, anglers caught a few yellow perch at both the mouth or inside Harbor Island with perch spreaders and shiners or small worms just off the bottom in the early morning and mid-afternoon in six to eight feet.

Cedarville and Hessel:  Northern pike remain steady throughout Cedarville Bay and Musky Bay for those trolling an orange, chartreuse and black spotted crank bait in eight to 12 feet. Rock bass and sunfish were caught just off the weed beds in six feet off Connors Pointe. For those that enjoy casting for largemouth bass, try spinners under the docks throughout the Les Cheneaux Islands in the early morning or evening. At Hessel, no perch were reported at the marina. Water temperatures were still 65 degrees at the marina but once those temperatures cool to 55-58 degrees, the perch should begin to move into the finger docks. Pike fishing was good on the west side of Marquette Island, but the bigger fish came to those still-fishing with creek chubs in Wilderness Bay in eight to 15 feet. Moving west of Hessel, to Nunn’s Creek, anglers have caught Chinook salmon. Nunn’s Creek is located off Hwy M-134 which is six miles east of I-75. Shore anglers and those wading were using natural and artificial spawn.   

8/29/2018 Upper Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

Upper Peninsula

Lac Vieux Desert:  Muskie anglers caught a few legal fish but not without putting in some effort.  Those putting in the long hours have been rewarded with some decent pike ranging 24-30 inches.  Walleye anglers had limited success in finding legal size fish.  Panfish have been caught in the submerged vegetation with both natural and artificial baits however be prepared to sort through all the small ones.  Bass anglers had good catches using top-water baits along the shoreline.  A few smaller muskie were caught by bass anglers.  

Little Bay De Noc:  Had another good week for walleye anglers though windy conditions have limited access.  Strong south winds made for good catches off the mouth of the Whitefish River where limits were taken when trolling a crawler harness or using stick baits in 14 to 22 feet and near Breezy Point in 12 to 14 feet.  Fair to good catches were reported along the “Black Bottom” in 20 feet and Gladstone Bay straight out from the Terrace Inn in 35 feet.  Fair to good perch fishing off the mouth of the Escanaba River in 28 feet, off Kipling in 23 to 30 feet and south of the “Narrows” in 30 feet.  Good smallmouth action near Round Island with plastics in eight to 14 feet.  Pike were active throughout but the best areas were the Escanaba Yacht Harbor and just north of the Escanaba River.  

• A good source of up to date Little Bay De Noc Fishing reports is to follow the this page on facebook: Little Bay De Noc Fishing Reports

Big Bay De Noc:  Had fair to good smallmouth catches throughout the bays and coves.  Ogontz anglers moved into waters near St. Vitals Island and reported very good catches in eight to 14 feet with plastics, dropshots and leeches.  Off Nahma, anglers fished off Butlers Point in 10 to 12 feet or Ansell’s Point, Puffy Bay and Garden Bluff in six to 18 feet.  Off Fairport, strong winds have kept many off the lake.  Catch rates were spotty when trolling 60 to 80 feet down in 105 to 130 feet.  Salmon fishing was not as good but some very large fish have been reported.  

Marquette:   Had very good lake trout fishing with the majority caught 40 to 70 feet down in 100 to 150 feet.  The fish ranged anywhere from 2-10 pounds however there was one fish caught that weighed in at 28 pounds.   Stannard Rock continues to produce lots of smaller lake trout.  Very few salmon were caught.  

Au Train:  Had only a few boats heading out.  Decent numbers of lake trout were caught east and north of Au Train Island in 130 feet.  The bite was hit-or-miss but look for a pod of fish and stay on them.  Wood Island Reef continues to produce lake trout.  

Munising:  Had very low fishing pressure.  The rain and north winds should bring cooler water to the bay.  No salmon to report.  A few lake trout anglers did well in the west channel and towards Wood Island Reef. 

Grand Marais:  Lake trout anglers reported excellent fishing from Au Sable Point to Big Reef and Five Mile Reef.  Most anglers were getting limit catches of smaller fish.  A few were trying for salmon but had no luck.  Water temperatures should cool with a northerly wind and slightly cooler evenings.  

Fox River:  Trout anglers had success when using worms or spinners.  Two Hearted River:  Trout anglers had moderate success.  

Manistique Lake:  Perch and panfish are being caught on both lakes.     

Manistique River:  Was producing some walleye.  

Brevoort Lake:  Was producing some good size walleye but anglers had to put their time in because fishing was slow.  

St. Marys River:  Walleye were caught in the shipping channel when trolling a crawler harness.    

Detour:  Had good walleye action to the north off Swedes Pointe with bottom bouncers and a crawler harness with yellow and red blades trolled in eight to 12 feet off the rocky points and underwater humps.  Those jigging dark orange or green tube baits at Pipe Island caught smallmouth bass.  Target the rocky points and rock piles.  The waters of Lake Huron and the mouth of the St. Marys River turned over which bought the thermocline upward.  A mix of Chinook, Atlantics, lake trout and a few pink salmon were caught around Fry Pan Island, just below the ferry boat lane to Drummond Island and near the green buoy northwest of the lighthouse.  The Atlantics were hitting black, purple and white spoons 55 feet down in 80 to 100 feet.  

Cedarville  and Hessel:  Anglers are still reporting a few nice catches of yellow perch one mile south of the Cedarville launch off Meridian Road.  Try drifting minnows and worms in the 12-foot channel between Connors Point and La Salle Island.  Rock bass were caught between Connors Point and Urie Bay in four to six feet.  Pike fishing was good between the Middle Entrance and the Yacht Entrance at Government Island with creek chubs in eight to 14 feet.  Dollar Island in Musky Bay was producing pike for those trolling bucktail spinners or shallow running crank baits in six to eight feet.  At Hessel, there were no perch reports from the finger docks at the Hessel Marina.  Salmon and lake trout were slow at Goose Island and St. Martins Point.  The panfish bite was good in Mackinaw Bay.  Young angler’s bobber fishing caught rock bass at Lone Susan Island and Echo Island in five to six feet.  

8/16/2018 Upper Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

Upper Peninsula

Lac Vieux Desert:  Had good catches of bass, pike and panfish.  Those chasing panfish need not go far as most vegetation was holding bluegills, perch, crappie and even some bass. Live or artificial baits will do however be prepared to do sort out the small ones.  A couple smaller walleye were caught by those fishing live bait in deep water for perch.  Muskie anglers have seen a few fish.   

Little Bay De Noc:  Had good fishing as walleye anglers reported good to excellent catches in the southern waters.  Breezy Point was best with most trolling a crawler harness in 12 feet.  A lot of undersize fish right along with the limits of good eating size fish.  Walleye were caught straight out from the Ford River and south by Round Island in eight to 21 feet.  At Kipling, night anglers were trolling a crawler harness 15 feet down along the east bank.  Some bigger fish were caught in 18 to 30 feet in the Minneapolis Shoals area.  Good perch catches off Kipling with jumbos caught in 24 to 30 feet near the green buoy at Saunders Point.  The best area was off the mouth of the Escanaba River near the ship docks in 30 feet with minnows.  Pike were active and caught by walleye anglers.  Good pike action near the Escanaba ship docks in eight to 14 feet or just on top of the break at the mouth of the Escanaba Yacht Harbor when trolling spoons, spinners or crank baits.  No salmon to report.  

• A good source of up to date Little Bay De Noc Fishing reports is to follow the this page on facebook: Little Bay De Noc Fishing Reports

Big Bay De Noc:  Those targeting walleye had none.  Mostly smallmouth anglers again.  Some of the bass have moved to deeper water making it a little more difficult to find them.  Casting by the weed lines in Ogontz was still pretty good but most were too small.  The action was good off Butlers Point in 10 feet and straight out to the “rock” in eight to 12 feet when casting plastics or leeches.  Only a few perch were caught

by bass and walleye anglers off Ogontz.  Some very large fish were reported off Fairport, but the numbers were very low.  Most were fishing 45 to 90 feet down in 110 to 170 feet at the Poverty Island gap but were spreading out when the fishing got tough.  The area just had another fly hatch so look for steelhead.    

Marquette:  Catch rates were hot with limit catches of lake trout taken between the white rocks and Granite Island and near Shot Point in 150 to 200 feet with cut bait, spoons in various colors along with flies and even stick baits.  With surface temperatures in the mid 60’s, the coho and Chinook were few and far between.  

Au Train:  The Wood Island Reef was good for lake trout with most boats that make the trip getting their limit.  Lake trout are still being caught just north of Au Train Island but catch rates were spotty.  Most were caught down deep in 130 to 200 feet.  

Munising:  A light number of boat anglers were out targeting lake trout in the early morning or late evening.  Some limit catches were taken near the bottom when trolling in the west channel, near Wood Island Reef and the east channel towards Grand Portal in 150 to 200 feet.  Catch rates were slower for those jigging.  Nearshore surface temperatures were in the upper 60’s to near 70 while the offshore waters were in the low 50’s.  A couple coho were caught on high-lines when trolling for lake trout.  

Grand Marais:  Boat anglers were taking some limit catches of lake trout.  Average trip was 3 to 4 hours with anglers reporting several doubles on.  Fish four to six pounds were caught along the edge of the reefs off Au Sable Lighthouse, Five Mile Reef and Big Reef.   Coho were caught with downriggers on the bottom along the flats near Big Reef.  The fish were full of smelt.  No pier or shore fishing to report.  

Schoolcraft County:  The Manistique River was producing a good number of walleye.  Trout anglers had success on both the Fox and the Driggs River when using worms or spinners.  

Manistique Lake:  Those trolling or jigging found walleye in deeper water.   

St. Marys River:  Walleye fishing picked up along the river especially for those trolling a crawler harness in the shipping channel.  

Detour:  Walleye fishing was good upstream from the Detour ferry boat at Pipe Island.  Fish in the 17-19

inch range were caught when trolling bottom bouncers with blades and crawler harnesses in 12 to 20 feet in the early morning and late evening.  Trout and salmon fishing was steady.  Chinook are staging around Fry Pan Island and were hitting spoons 55 to 60 feet down in 80 feet.  Atlantics were hitting gold spoons 45 to 60 feet down in 90 feet at the green buoy northwest of the Detour Lighthouse.  A couple Chinook were caught east of the lighthouse at the red buoy on flashers with white and chartreuse squid baits.  Anglers need to use caution when approaching the red buoy as the water level goes from 80 to 40 feet.  Good lake trout action south of the lighthouse along the 90-foot flat that runs east and west with chartreuse and white spin-glo’s on short leaders and flashers.    

Cedarville and Hessel:  A few yellow perch have come from Cedarville Bay.  Catches were reported in the 12-foot channel that runs between La Salle Island and Connors Pointe when still-fishing or drifting minnows and worms.  A few nice catches of pike were reported between Sand Bay and the mouth of Peck Bay when still-fishing with creek chubs in 14 to 18 feet.  Pike were caught at Dollar Island.  A large black bucktail spinner with red spotted blades took some of the bigger fish.   Good catches of largemouth bass were taken throughout Cedarville Bay when casting shallow running crank baits.  Hessel had no perch reports.  A few splake were caught on deep running crank baits near Coats Point.   The hot color was orange or chartreuse with black hash marks.  Troll as slow as you can and run the crank bait just off the bottom in 15 to 20 feet off the rocky points and deep channels.  Good panfish action in Mackinaw Bay.  

8/2/2018 Upper Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

Upper Peninsula

Lac Vieux Desert: Walleye fishing has remained somewhat slow. Those caught were taken in the deeper holes around the lake. Bass anglers reported very good fishing with top-water lures or when casting spinners in the shallows. A couple legal size musky were caught in the deeper holes and when casting along the shallow weed beds. Bluegill, crappie, perch and sunfish were caught in 3 to 12 feet with natural or artificial baits. Be ready so sort through the small ones.    

Little Bay De Noc: A few walleye were caught here and there. Fish were found along the “Black Bottom” when trolling a crawler harness in 18 to 24 feet and near the lighthouse in Escanaba when jigging crawlers in 14 to 30 feet. Off Breezy Point, the better catches came in the early morning with a crawler harness along the break in 14 feet. Smallmouth bass catches were fair south of the Ford River and south of Hunters Point when casting crank baits or plastics around the weed lines and rocky areas in 8 to 14 feet. A few perch were taken off Gladstone Beach with crawlers in 18 to 25 feet. A couple salmon were caught 80 feet down in 105 feet near the Ford River Can.  

• A good source of up to date Little Bay De Noc Fishing reports is to follow the this page on facebook: Little Bay De Noc Fishing Reports

Big Bay De Noc: Smallmouth anglers reported excellent catch rates off Nahma either 2 miles out to the “Rock” or off the golf course and Butlers Point. A good number of limit catches were reported. Those harvesting fish were using mostly live crawlers and leeches while those releasing were using plastics, spinners and crank baits in 6 to 15 feet. Good fishing was also reported in Puffy Bay and Garden Bay and Martins Bay in 6 to 18 feet. At Fairport, catch rates were fair with lake trout and steelhead coming 60 to 90 feet down in 105 to 170 feet. A few large Chinook were also caught.  

Marquette: Lake trout fishing picked up with most boat anglers catching fish including some limit catches. The fish seem to be suspended so cover the entire water column when trolling spoons. Chartreuse was the hot color. Most were trolling between the white rocks and Granite Island, Sand Hole and Shot Point. The occasional steelhead or brown trout were caught but very few salmon. Stannard Rock was a hot spot when the weather was good. Anglers caught a good number of fishing ranging 3-9 pounds.  

Au Train: Those fishing the east side of Au Train Island were getting a few fish for a couple hours of trolling. Some were making the 28-mile run to the Big Reef and bringing back a good number of fish.  

Munising: Boat anglers did well for lake trout along Wood Island Reef and Grand Portal when trolling along the drop-offs in 140 to 200 feet or more. The best trolling speed was about 2 mph with downriggers near the bottom or when using lead core with spoons.  Hot colors were fire-tiger, chartreuse and orange fluorescent. Coho and a few brown trout were also caught. Splake fishing was slow, and pier fishing was poor.    

Grand Marais: Limit catches of lake trout were reported near Five Mile Reef when trolling along the drop in 180 to 220 feet with assorted spoons and flies. Lake trout were reported in close to shore when trolling west of Au Sable Point. A few coho and brown trout were also caught. Pier anglers had no luck.  

Detour: Anglers are catching a mixed bag of Chinook, Atlantic, pink salmon and steelhead at the Detour Lighthouse. Water temperatures were 52 degrees at 60 feet in most areas of the St. Marys River. Chinook were caught from Fry Pan Island south to the green buoy with purple and gold spoons 35 feet down in 60 to 80 feet. Atlantics were caught from the lighthouse to the first red buoy on the Drummond Island side. Anglers are reminded to be cautious of the rocks when approaching the red buoy as the water goes from 80 feet immediately to 35 feet at the buoy. Use lead core with 3-5 colors and orange spoons.  

Cedarville and Hessel: Good pike fishing was reported in Muskellunge Bay from Dollar Island to Connors Pointe when trolling or drifting creek chubs in 8 to 12 feet or a blue and chrome crank bait off the weed beds in 5 to 7 feet. Fish were caught at the west end of Snows Channel near the golf course when trolling from Buoys 18 & 19 west to the mouth of Mackinac Bay. A few walleye were caught by those drifting a small orange jig tipped with a shiner. For panfish, try 3 to 5 feet at Echo Island in Mackinac Bay.  Fishing improved around Hessel. Some perch were caught off the marina finger docks with small worms. Best fishing was 2-4 pm. In Mackinac Bay, smallmouth bass were caught on crank baits and some very nice largemouth bass were caught on blue and white crank baits or a green rubber frog near the weed beds in 3 to 6 feet. The occasional splake was caught on the west side of Marquette Island at Coates Point when trolling a small blue and white crank bait just off the bottom in 15 to 20 feet.