Wednesday, July 22, 2026

7/22/26 Northeast Lower Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

 




Northeast Lower Peninsula

Alpena: Anglers targeting walleye reported fishing as hit or miss due to cooler water temperatures. Crankbaits trolled in 17 to 25 feet of water had limited success, as did trolling shallow water during low-light conditions. Anglers targeting trout and salmon had fair results near North Point and Thunder Bay Island. Spoons and spin glows trolled near the bottom in 60 to 80 feet of water were productive for lake trout. Orange, green, and chartreuse spoons trolled in the top 25 feet of the water column produced Atlantic salmon, steelhead, and a few coho salmon.

Thunder Bay River: Good catches of catfish were reported throughout the river while using nightcrawlers and cut bait fished on the bottom, along with the occasional freshwater drum. Walleye anglers also found success using crawlers and leeches intermittently throughout the day.

Rockport: Lake trout fishing remained solid, with fish scattered throughout the water column. Anglers reported success using a wide variety of spoon colors, and Spin-N-Glos were also productive. Atlantic salmon, steelhead, and coho salmon were found high in the water column from Middle Island to Stone Port. Standard-sized spoons in bright colors worked best. Anglers targeting walleye reported no success. A few northern pike and smallmouth bass were caught in Bell Bay while using spinnerbaits and natural-colored tube jigs.

Cheboygan: Anglers trolling spoons in 40 to 70 feet of water have been successful at Poe Reef and Raynold’s Reef for lake trout. Good colors have been oranges and greens.

The Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex remains closed to the public. Downstream of the Cheboygan Dam, walleye, bass, pike, rock bass and the occasional freshwater drum were reported. The bite slowed down due to a mayfly hatch. Walleye anglers drifted hook-and-worm rigs in the morning and trolled night crawler harnesses at night. Shore anglers cast body baits and drifted night crawlers under slip bobbers.

At the river mouth, anglers cast swim baits, spinner baits, and tube baits and reported catches of smallmouth bass and pike.

 Rogers City: Anglers continued to target lake trout with good success. The best depths were 50 to 80 feet of water. Anglers used cowbells or flashers with Spin-N-Glos close to the bottom for lake trout, while also running other lines throughout the water column. Spoons also produced well for lake trout higher in the water column.

The occasional silver fish was also caught, but recent northwest winds scattered them throughout the area. More stable winds were expected to help increase activity. The silver fish that were caught were primarily taken higher in the water column, mostly within the top 50 feet.

Productive areas included south toward Adam’s Point, straight out from shore, and north toward the state park and 40 Mile Point. Spoons continued to be a good choice when deployed from downriggers, leadcore, and copper lines run off planer boards and dipsy divers. Effective colors included greens, blues, yellows, oranges, and spoons with glow patterns.

Presque Isle: Lake trout fishing was excellent, with anglers consistently pulling limits. The best depths were 50 to 100 feet of water. Anglers deployed lines throughout the water column using downriggers, leadcore, copper lines, and dipsy divers. Spoons were the most effective choice, with productive colors including greens, blues, orange, gold, yellow, and UV patterns.

Cowbells or flashers with Spin-N-Glos were also effective for targeting lake trout. Silver fish were caught in the top 50 feet of the water column. The occasional Atlantic salmon, steelhead, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon were also reported.


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7/22/26 Southeast Lower Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

 


Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Walleye fishing was slow. However, some anglers found walleye in Brest Bay in 18 feet of water when targeting shallower areas. Anglers used crawler harnesses, with pink being the most productive color. Yellow perch fishing remained slow but showed signs of improvement. One angler targeting perch reported catching five keepers using minnows near the River Raisin. Smallmouth bass fishing was decent when using artificial lures in 10 to 20 feet of water. Many catfish were caught as bycatch by anglers targeting walleye. Shore fishing at the Sterling State Park lagoons remained good for a variety of species using a wide range of baits and lures, including largemouth bass.

  • 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: Shore anglers have been reporting catches of smallmouth bass, channel catfish and freshwater drum throughout the river.  On the northern end of the river shore anglers have been catching walleye at night casting plastic paddle tail swimbaits. Some anglers have stated that the walleye have been willing to come up for the swimbaits so they've been catching them as shallow as 5 feet of water. 

Belleville Lake & Ford Lake: Anglers have been catching crappie and bluegill shooting docks with gulp minnows.  Crappie are also being caught with live minnows below bobbers under the same docks and suspended around sunken trees. 

Lower Saginaw Bay: Shore anglers caught and released channel catfish, freshwater drum, and smallmouth bass at Smiths Park while still fishing with worms.

Sebewaing, Quanicassee, Fish Point: The warm weather and high winds pushed walleye into deeper, cleaner water. Limits were uncommon, but anglers caught 7 to 8 walleye per boat while trolling nightcrawler harnesses in 23 to 26 feet of water near the Spark Plug.

Caseville: Walleye fishing was pretty good, with some limits of eater-sized fish in the 15 to 20-inch range caught while trolling off Oak Point in 35 feet of water. Anglers found success using both nightcrawler harnesses and body baits.


For Bait Shops in Southeast Michigan See List Below:

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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    Wednesday, June 3, 2026

    6/3/26 Northeast Lower Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

     

    Northeast Lower Peninsula


    Tawas    /Au Gres: Smallmouth bass were caught and released by boat anglers. Those fishing from shore at the Tawas River mouth reported slow fishing overall with only a few freshwater drum and catfish being caught.

    In Au Gres, Boat anglers fishing straight out of Au Gres caught some walleye with numbers averaging at two to five fish per boat in around 28 feet of water. Boat anglers heading out from the Pine River seemed to see better numbers trolling the shallower water. Both crawlers and body baits produced catches. Northern pike, channel catfish, freshwater drum and white bass were also caught. Shore anglers targeting panfish reported slow fishing.

    Alpena: Walleye anglers reported success in Thunder Bay while trolling crankbaits during low-light conditions. Crawler harnesses had hit-or-miss success during the day in 12 to 20 feet of water. With high winds, fish were scattered throughout the bay.

    Anglers fishing 40 to 80 feet of water had success with lake trout using spoons and Spin-N-Glos fished lower in the water column. Atlantic salmon and a few coho salmon were taken on spoons fished higher in the water column, with orange, watermelon, and chartreuse proving productive.

    Smallmouth bass were found in 5 to 10 feet of water, with white, black, and silver jigs working well.

    Thunder Bay River: Decent numbers of walleye were caught throughout the river on jigs, crawlers, and body baits. Natural colors worked best throughout the day. Atlantic salmon were caught while casting smaller body baits and spinners in blue/silver, green/silver, and gold. Good numbers of catfish were taken by anglers fishing with crawlers on the bottom during the evenings and after dark.

    Rockport: Atlantic salmon were caught from shore on minnows as well as small spoons. Boat anglers reported success on lake trout in 25 to 80 feet of water. Fish remained well scattered, with water temperatures in the mid-40s. Spoons in chartreuse, white, and watermelon were productive, as well as dodgers and Spin-N-Glos. A few steelhead were taken while fishing bright-colored spoons high in the water column. Bass anglers reported decent smallmouth fishing near Bell Bay in 5 to 10 feet of water while using plastic swimbaits.


    Cheboygan: The Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex remains closed to the public. Lake trout were plentiful this past week. Anglers were very successful at Poe Reef, Reynolds Reef, and Cordwood Point in 40 to 60 feet of water. They primarily hit spoons, with occasional catches on Spin-N-Glos and flashers. Productive colors included green, yellow, and orange.

    In the Cheboygan River, walleye and steelhead were reported. Walleye reports increased as the week progressed. Shore anglers drifted various combinations of jigs and live bait, while boat anglers drifted nightcrawlers exclusively. Some anglers came close to their bag limits for walleye, although most caught one fish per trip.

    Steelhead anglers were successful while drifting beads. Both walleye and steelhead were caught between the State Street drawbridge and the Cheboygan pedestrian walkway bridge.

    Oscoda/Au Sable: Anglers casting bandits and deep husky jerks off the pierhead found some walleye. Anglers trolling scatter raps in the lower river and around the pierhead picked up walleye. A handful of Atlantic salmon were taken by anglers drifting minnows under a bobber in the lower river. Lake trout fishing was reported great with limits being taken in 50 to 70 feet of water on spoons and dodgers/Spin-N-Glos. A handful of coho salmon, steelhead and pink salmon were also caught by anglers trolling spoons.

    Harrisville: Anglers casting in the harbor caught pike and smallmouth. Anglers targeting lake trout in 50 to 65 feet of water did well this week on spoons and Spin-N-Glos. A few coho salmon, Atlantic salmon and steelhead were also caught in 50 to 65 feet of water.

    Rogers City: Lake trout were plentiful, and many anglers limited out. The best depths were 30 to 70 feet of water. Running lines throughout the water column produced the best results. Attractors with Spin-N-Glos worked well in the bottom 10 feet. Spoons were also productive, particularly in green, blue, orange, and yellow colors. Lead cores, downriggers, and dipsy divers were all effective.

    Some Atlantic salmon were also caught in the top 30 feet of the water column. Anglers had success using brightly colored, smaller spoons.

    Presque Isle: Lake trout fishing was very good, and most anglers limited out. The best depths were 40 to 90 feet of water. Anglers ran lines throughout the water column for the best results. Spoons, as well as attractors with Spin-N-Glos or Spin-N-Glo flies, were productive. Effective colors included green, blue, white, yellow, orange, gold, and copper.

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

    There were occasional catches of steelhead, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon. The Atlantic salmon were found in the top 20 feet of the water column, while the other silver species were caught by running lines throughout the water column.


    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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    6/3/26 Southwest Lower Peninsula, Michigan DNR Fishing Report

     

    Southwest Lower Peninsula


    South Haven:     Salmon anglers reported another good week of fishing. The salmon fishing got tougher the last couple of days; 75 to 100 feet of water was the most consistent. Standard sized spoons worked best. Pier anglers caught a few steelhead and a decent number of freshwater drum. Most of the fish were caught on shrimp or alewife. Perch fishing pressure was very low.

    St. Joseph: Salmon fishing was slow with fish being reported as spread out. Anglers caught fish from 55 feet of water out well beyond 120 feet of water. The most consistent water was around 80 feet. Pier fishing was steady. Steelhead were caught on shrimp as well as live bait and by casting.

    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. 

    St. Joseph River: Good numbers of walleye were caught in the lower St Joseph river by anglers trolling crank baits and drifting crawlers. 

    Muskegon: Salmon fishing slowed down slightly over the past week but a fair number were still caught. Salmon were scattered in 60 to 220 feet of water with the best action reported in 70 to 140 feet of water. Green and orange spoons worked well with a few caught on white flasher-flies.

    • 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 noticed the salmon action slowing down over the past week. They still caught a fair number of salmon in addition to a few steelhead 30 to 100 feet down in 60 to 140 feet of water. Spoons did the best in the colors of orange, yellow, and green. Pier anglers targeting steelhead found the action to be slow. Anglers casting the in the channel for freshwater drum caught a few on silver 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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    6/3/2026 Southeast, Michigan Fishing Report


     

    Southeast Lower Peninsula

    Lake Erie: Walleye fishing continued to be excellent this past week. The fish had moved slightly deeper, with anglers having the most success northeast of Bolles Harbor in 20 to 24 feet of water using both bottom bouncers and crankbaits.

    Some anglers caught a few yellow perch while targeting walleye with crawlers, although it was still early in the season for them to be fully schooled up. Many catfish were caught out in the DTE hot ponds using natural bait.

    The Detroit River also continued to produce walleye, with many anglers catching fish there and bringing them to the Sterling State Park Fish Cleaning Station. Shore fishing in the lagoons at the state park was also very good for panfish, bass, and catfish. Both lures and natural baits were effective there. The best colors for harnesses and lures for walleye were green and orange.

    • 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.

    Saginaw River: Anglers fishing for bass in the lower Saginaw River caught both smallmouth and largemouth bass while casting artificial baits around structure and rocky areas. They also caught the occasional northern pike and walleye. Other anglers fishing with nightcrawlers on the bottom caught mostly freshwater drum and channel catfish.

    Eastern Saginaw Bay: Fishing around Quanicassee produced walleye in 12 to 14 feet of water and in as shallow as 6 feet. Some anglers also caught walleye around Callahan Reef and the southern end of the slot.

    From Sunset Marina to Sebewaing, anglers caught walleye off the bar and along the edges where it dropped off into 20 to 24 feet of water. Some walleye were also caught in deeper water around 26 feet east of the shipping channel. A few large yellow perch were mixed in with the walleye. Body baits and crawler harnesses both produced fish in a variety of colors.


    Lower Saginaw Bay:     Walleye anglers were successful at Callahan Reef, trolling in 9 to 12 feet of water using crawler harnesses. Anglers also caught fish near Sparkplug while trolling in 23 feet of water with flicker shads, and 3 miles northeast of the area while trolling with flicker shads. Additional success was reported by anglers trolling in front of Linwood in 18 to 22 feet of water using crawler harnesses.

    Tittabawassee River: Fishing pressure was light. Anglers fishing in the vicinity of Caldwell Boat Launch caught freshwater drum and channel catfish while fishing with nightcrawlers on the bottom.

    For Bait Shops in Southeast Michigan See List Below:

    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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      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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