The Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Fishing is starting to recover after storms and high winds moved through the state and cooler water temperatures are occurring. The Great Lakes continue to be the premier spots but if you visit the inland lakes you may be able to capitalize on the recovering conditions.

SOUTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA

Grand Haven:  Boaters are catching salmon in 150 to 200 feet of water with down riggers set at 50 to 113 feet and wire driver rods set at 160 to 180 feet. The baits working best are UV paddles, blue and green flies and spoons (orange higher in the water and blues or greens deeper). Pier anglers are seeing Chinook, Coho and steelhead when using alewives. Some perch are being caught around the pier heads.

Muskegon:  Fish are scattered between 35 and 220 feet. A few salmon were caught using J plugs. Downriggers have been set between 20 and 120 feet. Blue and green flies along with orange spoons higher in the water and blues or greens lower in the water are working best. Perch fishing and pier fishing are slow.

Whitehall:  Decent amounts of salmon are coming in off the piers. Anglers are mainly casting spoons. Boating anglers are picking up salmon in the 85 foot range on lines running 50 feet down. Silver J-plugs have worked very well. Bass action on the pier definitely slowed this week. Alewives have moved in to the channel here as well due to the significant east winds.


NORTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA

Manistee:  Recent north and northeast winds have brought cold water inshore along with good numbers of salmon. Fish were being caught in and around the harbor area using a variety of plugs, spoons, and flasher fly combinations. Catches are fair to good. Offshore waters are producing a mixed bag of Chinook, Coho and steelhead fishing the surface 80 feet down in 200 to 300 feet of water. Good pockets of fish can be found from Big Sable Point to Onekama’s Barrel. Spoons and flasher meat-rig combinations have worked best. Pier fishing has dramatically improved with the cold water and salmon are being caught casting spoons and still-fishing with live bait.

Ludington: Good numbers of fish are being caught in and around the harbor area using a variety of plugs, spoons, flasher fly combinations and glow baits. Off-shore fish has been good from the Projects to Big Sable Point fishing the top 80 feet of water in depths of 250 to 350 feet. Catches include Chinook, Coho, Steelhead, and lake trout using spoons, flasher fly/meat-rig combinations, along with some plugs. Pier fishing is also good with catches of salmon on casting spoons and still-fishing with alewives.

Pentwater:  Anglers have been picking up salmon in 85 to 100 feet of water. The fish are on the top 30 feet of the water column. Green, silver, and red have been hot colors. Pier anglers are taking a few salmon by casting spoons and a few perch are coming in for pier anglers still-fishing with natural bait. Salmon are following the alewives in because of strong east winds that warmed near shore waters.