Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Fall Colors are Peak in Northern Michigan
Last week I went to UP for color and waterfalls photgraphy and the color was great from Copper Harbor to Traverse City tuesday. Come North and Enjoy the Beauty!!
This photo is from Copper Harbor
Perch runs are still good in many lakes. A Indian Summer is predicted for this weekend. Northern Michigan perch are biting, with Big Glen, Crystal, Lake Ann, Lake Leelanau, Lake Charlevoix, West Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Margrethe, Higgins Lake and Manistee Lake. Many are saying most inland lakes are having a perch bite the last few days..
Lake Charlevoix - Anglers are catching small perch with some bigger ones mixed in.
Glen Lake - Has excellent perch fishing with limits reported. Several fish were in the 10 to 12 inch range. Wigglers seem to work best for the bigger perch but shrimp, minnows and worms also took fish in 30 to 40 feet of water. The best time is early morning as the bite shuts down after lunch. The rainbows are active and feeding at the surface. Lots of rock bass were caught.
Portage Lake - Has good bluegill fishing in 22 to 27 feet of water when using wax worms and crawlers. Those trolling during the day have caught good numbers of pike. Many are small but a few keepers have been caught. Walleye anglers might want to try trolling near the channel or along the south shoreline after dark with a crawler harness or stick bait. Lots of big rock bass and small perch are also being caught on the west end of the lake.
Skegemog Lake - A lot of anglers are targeting bass. They are casting in shallow waters near the mouth of the Torch River, along the weeds on the southeast corner of the lake, and up the west shoreline to the Narrows. Try 3 to 12 feet of water with jigs, spinners, crank baits or tube baits. The fish range from 8 to 20 inches. Two small pike and a few small perch were taken in the flats between the access site at Baggs Road and the mouth of the Torch River.
Little Bay De Noc - Water temperatures dropped and were ranging in the low to upper 50s. Anglers report fair walleye catches with the better action from the First Reef north to Garth Point and down at Breezy Point when trolling cranks baits in 10 to 14 feet of water. Good northern pike action just north of the Escanaba River and in the canal at the Yacht Club when trolling large spoons and spinners. Several fish coming in at 40 inches or more have been caught. Smallmouth bass were caught off Stonington when casting tube baits or jigs in 12 to 20 feet of water.
Big Bay De Noc - Has excellent smallmouth bass fishing with fish caught from Snail Shell Harbor south to Garden Bluff when drifting or jigging tube baits or minnows in about 15 feet of water. Peak conditions are running a bit late this year.
Higgins Lake - Anglers are still taking perch along the drop-off around the Main Island and the Sunken Island. Most are using shiners.
Houghton Lake -erch fishing has slowed a bit but some nice pike have been caught on black and silver rapalas. Walleye anglers are using Hot-n-Tots or crawlers. Those fishing along the weed beds in 6 to 8 feet of water have caught some nice big bluegills.
Portage Lake - Has good bluegill fishing in 22 to 27 feet of water when using wax worms and crawlers. Those trolling during the day have caught good numbers of pike. Many are small but a few keepers have been caught. Walleye anglers might want to try trolling near the channel or along the south shoreline after dark with a crawler harness or stick bait. Lots of big rock bass and small perch are also being caught on the west end of the lake.
Hamlin Lake - Big bluegills can be found on Upper Hamlin in 5 to 10 feet of water. Try wax worms on ice fishing jigs or crawlers on a single hook fished a couple feet off the bottom. Bass fishing remains good.
St. Mary’s River - Coho salmon are making their fall run into the Garden River which is north of Sugar Island. J-plugs seem to work best in 12 feet of water. In Lake Nicolet, a few perch were caught at 4 Mile Road and the Township Park. Perch were also reported upstream of the Sugar Island Ferry in 14 feet of water. Smallmouth action was very good along the south end of Sugar Island when using large shiners in 8 to 12 feet of water.
De Tour - Chinook and lake trout are still being caught in the shipping channel. Green and blue spoons worked well. Walleye are still being caught around Peck Island, Rutland Island, Scott Bay and north of the city launch. Off Drummond Island, perch were caught in 6 to 8 feet of water near Ashman Island and Harbor Island.
Cedarville and Hessel - Perch fishing was slow in Musky Bay and the Middle Entrance, but conditions should improve. Pike fishing has been very good all through the islands and smallmouth bass should be congregating soon. Anglers are reminded that splake season closed September 30th.
Saginaw Bay - Perch action was spotty along the shipping channel near Buoys 15 and 17, 11 and 12 or 1 and 2. Perch can still be found about two and a half miles north of the Quanicassee River in 8 feet of water.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
AAA Tip: The Manistique Lake boating access site is closed now through October 27 for repair and dredging.
It is prime time on the Manistique River for Kings, Pinks and steelhead on spawn, little Cleoâ??s, yarn and stick baits, particularly Rapalas. Anglers downriver are wading for good results. Peak salmon season has one to two more weeks.
In the Sault Ste. Marie area some perch are active in the upper St. Maryâ??s River and salmon are past peak, but a few Kings are scattered. Anglers are finding a few sporadic walleye as well.
In the Munuscong Bay area, anglers are finding very good conditions on the St. Maryâ??s River for walleye and perch that are hitting on crawler harnesses. The majority of other species is very sluggish.
Near Drummond Island, Maxton Bay is producing good numbers of perch on minnows.
Around St. Ignace angling opportunities are available but local anglers are hunting instead. A few salmon can be had on the Carp River, and Brevort Lake is giving up some nice fall walleye catches. Crawlers are still taking some fish but the minnow bite is picking up.
Near the Bergland area, sucker minnows are working well on good counts of walleye. Anglers are finding best results close to shore in 8-12 feet of water and off the edges of weed beds. The evening hours seem to be the best time to fish.
Marquette anglers are doing well for lake trout out on Lake Superior when trolling in 60-80 feet of water and using spoons. Salmon are all up in the rivers with two to three more weeks left of peak fishing. Crank baits and yarn seem to be doing the trick.
Escanaba angling is a bit sluggish due to cold weather and north winds. Salmon are biting at the mouth of the Ford River. Walleye anglers are doing well by drifting and trolling in the Bay and south of Escanaba the Cedar and Bark rivers are giving up good numbers on crank baits after dark.
Northwest:
Alanson anglers are finding good salmon action up and down the Bear River. Walleye are biting on all inland lakes with minnows working the best. Burt Lake is giving up nice catches of perch.
Traverse City area anglers can expect very good conditions for whitefish on East Traverse Bay using sandkickers, wigglers and minnows. Hot locations include around Bunker Hill Road and south of the Cat Road launch. Salmon are active in all the rivers and anglers are using bobbers with skein spawn. West Traverse Bay, Big Glen, Lake Leelanau, Crystal and Long lakes are great for perch action.
Near Frankfort, the Betsie and Manistee rivers are producing plenty of salmon with best results on spinners, spawn, flies, and imitation eggs. Expect to find a few steelhead mixed in with the salmon. Perch fishing is good on Crystal, Big Glen, and Long Lake when anglers use wigglers and minnows. The Platt River is slow at this time for salmon.
Near the Kalkaska area, very good salmon catches on the Manistee River where anglers are using spawn bags. Lake Skegemog is giving up plenty of perch and small mouth bass on wigglers and minnows. Lake Margrethe is good for walleye when anglers drift with a crawler harness. Lake Manistee is also producing some nice catches of perch.
Around the Gaylord area the salmon fishing on the Boyne and Jordan rivers is fantastic however the quality of the fish is diminishing. Anglers are using spawn, eggs sacks and nymph patterns. Otsego, Twin and Bradford lakes is giving up nice catches of walleye jigging. On the Manistee River anglers are stream fishing during the early morning and later evening hours.
Great fishing throughout the Cadillac area, salmon at peak and big sized fish are running in the Manistee River. Anglers are getting good results on yarn, spawn, and wobble glows. Steelhead are just starting to show up in the river. Crappie active at the east end of Lake Cadillac, however it is either limit or nothing. Both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes are giving up pretty good catches of pike and bass and a few perch.
West:
Baldwin is booming with salmon. Rain is driving the fish into the river and fresh runs are taking place daily on the Pere Marquette and Big Manistee rivers. Anglers are pulling in an obscene amount of Kings on nymph and egg patterns, as well as spawn and big streamers. In addition to salmon, steelhead and brown trout are active in the rivers. A 24-inch brown trout was caught yesterday that was feeding on salmon. Blue gill activity is good on House Lake and Big Bass Lake, as well as several other inland lakes, but anglers will need to do some sorting and fish are small in size. Perch are decent on Big Bass Lake.
Muskegon anglers are doing well for perch out of Lake Michigan in 35-55 feet of water. Head straight out and towards the north for best location. Spikes and minnows are working well, minnows particularly to get bigger fish. Salmon and steelhead are hitting on a variety of spoons including watermelon and bloody nose. Anglers are fishing in 120-150 feet of water and getting good results in the top 50-feet. Water temperature is 48 degrees on the surface and 60 degrees deeper. Channel Cats and Flathead catfish are very active on Mona Lake and Muskegon Lake.
Chippewa Lake is giving up nice counts of walleye and bass on wax worms and night crawlers.
Northeast:
Cheboygan River salmon remains the big talk. Fishing on the River is very good with anglers throwing spoons, spinners, plugs, and drifting yarn eggs with good results. Loose females are setting up on gravel in the river and the dam area. Bobber fisherman are still killing Kings on skein eggs but keep the spawn bags at home for this method since they do not work. First steelhead are only days away. Trespassing on private docks and foul hooking of fish is causing problems for local police and Michigan DNR officers are levying heavy fines for people snagging fish. Burt and Mullet lakes are giving up some good catches of fall perch. Twenty to 30-feet of water seems to be a key depth and minnows on spreaders is the choice of presentation.
Alpena anglers are finding good salmon and steelhead numbers near the Four Mile and Norway dams, particularly in the evening hours. Try using spawn bags or glow in the dark lures for best results. Hubbard, Grand and Long lakes are producing good counts of perch on minnows.
Good action in the Oscoda area on Cooke and Foot Dam Ponds for walleye, pike and small mouth bass. Crawlers and wax worms seem to be working well. A few blue gills are biting on Cooke Dam Pond and Foote Dam is also producing good counts of salmon on spawn bags. Van Etten Lake is giving up nice catches of perch and pike on minnows.
In Grayling, Lake Margrethe is producing good amounts of perch during the morning hours on minnows. Walleye action is good in the early morning and late evening hours using crawlers and jig heads.
Houghton Lake anglers can expect good numbers of walleye and pike anytime of the day. Hot-N-Tots, minnows and crawler harnesses are working well.
Good activity out on Higgins Lake during the morning and evening hours. Anglers are finding that minnows are working well in 20-30 feet of water.
Off of Au Gres, Lake Huron is producing good numbers of perch off of the east side of the shipping channel in 38-feet of water. Minnows are doing the trick. The Au Gres River is giving up a few salmon on spawn bags and Cleoâ??s.