Local Sports Journal

Manistee:  Salmon fishing is slowly picking up with fish caught 25 to 60 feet down in 60 to 120 feet of water. Glow plugs and orange or green spoons worked best in the morning. Even with the rough weather, boat anglers have caught a mixed bag of Chinook, lake trout and steelhead. The Chinook are much bigger this year with many more than 20 pounds and a few more than 30 pounds.

Manistee River:  With cooler temperatures, a light number of salmon moved up into the river. No big numbers yet, it still too early. Those fishing below Tippy Dam have caught some nice smallmouth bass. Try crawlers, tube baits or plastics.

Ludington:  Salmon have been caught 20 to 60 feet down in 40 to 100 feet of water.  Most are using glow plugs or green, orange and glow spoons.

Pere Marquette River:  Brown trout are still being caught. Most are fly fishing but a few were casting small spoons.

Pentwater:  Chinook, coho and steelhead were caught 50 to 70 feet down in 120 feet of water due west of the channel, straight out from the Silver Lake Sand Dunes and off the point. Green and blue were the hot colors for salmon but steelhead were hitting on orange. Those fishing the channel caught bass on crawlers. Pier anglers caught a few perch on minnows.

Whitehall:  Boat anglers are fishing west of the channel or out from Duck Lake. Pier anglers caught some nice catfish at night. During the day everyone caught freshwater drum.

White Lake:  Had very good walleye fishing.

Muskegon River:  Continues to be good for smallmouth bass. Fish can be found in and around the brush piles. Try top water lures, spinners, tube baits or plastic crawlers. Walleye were caught on crawlers or leeches.

Grand Haven:  Salmon anglers are fishing 55 to 80 feet down in 80 to 200 feet of water. Try spoons in bright colors such as yellow and green in 55 feet or white paddles with blue flies out deeper. Meat rigs that glow caught fish. Others did well with 150, 225 and 300 copper or 5 to 12 colors of lead. Pier fishing was slow. Some were trying shrimp under a bobber for steelhead.

Kalamazoo River:  Is producing a few walleye, smallmouth bass and catfish below the Allegan Dam. Check the backwaters for panfish.

Holland:  Boat anglers are using bright green or yellow spoons 55 to 80 feet down in in 80 to 200 feet of water for salmon. White paddles with blue flies worked deeper.  Meat rigs were also taking fish. Perch fishing was slow.