Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
HIgh Winds and Cold Slow Fishing
I’m hearing of a real good perch bite on Glen Lake and Crooked with nice perch being taken. Lake Charlevoix is also reporting a perch bite at Ironton Most lake are reporting a good perch bite this fall which is great for us perch lovers. Fishing pressure is slow with fishing being about the same as last week. Muskegon Lake - Anglers are catching perch but the fish are running small.
White Lake - Perch are being caught here as well but the fish are small.
Betsie River - Fishing has slowed, though there are a few salmon being caught in the lower stretches of the river.
Manistee River - Anglers are still taking salmon up near Tippy Dam.
Traverse City - Whitefish action has been very good in 70 feet of water off the Center Road launch site. Jigging Swedish Pimples tipped with a minnow or perch rig on the bottom worked best. In the West Bay, steelhead were caught off the mouth of the Boardman River. Perch fishing is slow to fair on Lake Leelanau and Big Glen. Both minnows and wigglers are being used as bait.
Bradford and Otsego lakes near Gaylord are producing good bass and walleye fishing. The salmon action is good on the Boyne and Jordan rivers, and some steelhead are moving into the rivers.
Elk River - Coho salmon are still being caught regularly at the dam when drifting spawn or casting hardware.
Boardman River - Salmon fishing continues to be very good from Union Street to the Trap and Transfer Facility. Spawn bags and casting spoons worked best.
Little Bay De Noc - Water temperatures are still 52 to 55 degrees. Good numbers of fish have been marked but catch rates were slow. Anglers were fishing from the Narrows north to the Third Reef and off the East Bank when trolling crawlers or crankbaits in 20 to 28 feet of water. Night anglers reported several nice catches in the north end of the Bay near the Vagabond when trolling crankbaits in 14 to 20 feet of water. A few perch were caught just south of the Narrows in 25 to 30 feet of water.
Escanaba River - Salmon and brown trout are still being caught up near the dam. Shore anglers are casting spoons and crankbaits.
Big Bay De Noc - Still primarily smallmouth bass anglers here although catch rates have tapered off. Most are jigging or drifting minnows in 20 feet of water around Snail Shell Harbor. Walleye anglers were trolling crankbaits southeast of St. Vitals Island in 10 to 25 feet of water. Most fish were caught right off the bottom. Cooler temperatures this week should give those walleye a push.
In the Manistique area, anglers on Indian Lake are catching good numbers of perch, using minnows as bait. The steelhead and salmon fishing is good along on the Manistique River.
Saginaw Bay - When conditions allowed, a few fish were caught from the Black Hole. Cooler temperatures will improve catch rates. Near Quanicassee, the perch fishing was slow as it appears the fish are just starting to show up. Sebewaing, Bay Port and Caseville have been slow with the exception of some nice perch taken near Sebewaing.
Lake Leelanau - Reported good walleye fishing and a great perch bite on the south -end.
Lake Margrethe reports a fair walleye bite with minnows working best and big perch are biting also.
Portage Lake - Those trolling along the north shoreline are catching pike. A few nice perch are starting to be caught in waters 16 to 20 feet deep near the Inn and out in the channel. Bluegills, rock bass, and sunfish have been caught.
Wixom Lake the gills and crappie are on the bite right on the drop-off.
By Kalkaska, the perch fishing is very good on both Skegemog and Manistee lakes. Both minnows and wigglers are working well as bait. Anglers on Skegemog are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass. The salmon action is good near the Elk River Dam. Fife Lake is producing good perch fishing. Minnows are working well as bait in water ten to 12 feet deep.
Higgins Lake - Some boats are still out trolling for lake trout, but angler numbers have dropped with the onset of hunting season. Perch fishing has been good with wigglers working best.
Houghton Lake - This should be a good weekend to target pike and walleye. Look for the panfish such as bluegills, crappie, and rock bass in waters 8 to 12 feet deep.
Cadillac, the bass and pike fishing is very good on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. The crappie fishing is fair on Lake Cadillac. The crappies are found on the bottom of the lake, with minnows working well as bait.
Cedarville and Hessel - Yellow perch activity gets better every week. Fish the Middle Entrance, Musky Bay, and Government Bay. The Middle Entrance has been producing the best results when using minnows in 8 to 12 feet of water. Smallmouth bass have dispersed, but should still be present in Musky Bay, around Connors Point and Pleasant Point. Those targeting pike are casting minnows off the pier at Hessel. The waters are still a bit murky, but should clear up now that the dredging is done. Salmon are slowly migrating into Bush and Beaver Tail Creeks..
Around Sault Ste. Marie, the perch fishing is fair on the upper end of the St. Marys River. The fishing pressure has tailed off this week on Munuscong Bay, but for those anglers who are heading out the musky and perch fishing is fair with minnows working best..
Upper Peninsula:
The walleye fishing is good on Lake Gogebic (go-GEE-bic). The marble eyes have moved into water four to ten feet deep. The north and south ends of the lake are producing the best fishing. The smallmouth bass fishing ranges from fair to good on the lake. Around Marquette, the king salmon and brown trout fishing is fair along the Carp and Dead rivers. Anglers on the breakwall on Lake Superior are reeling in a few lake trout, brown trout, steelhead and Menominee whitefish. In the Escanaba area, the smallmouth bass fishing is fair on Little Bay de Noc. Anglers are catching a few walleye and perch on the north end of the bay. An occasional salmon is being reeled in on the Escanaba River.
Fishing activity this week is slow by Manistique.
Out of the Sault Ste. Marie area, the perch fishing is good on the upper end of the St. Marys River. Minnows are working well as bait.
The musky, pike and walleye fishing is good on Munuscong (muh-nuss-CONG) and Raber (RAY-ber) bays. The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers. Anglers are trolling for the northerns and musky.
And anglers by Drummond Island are catching a few perch on Maxton and Scott bays.
Northwest:
In the Alanson area, the steelhead are starting to move into the Bear River. Anglers on Burt Lake are reeling in a few perch. Minnows are working well as bait.
By Boyne City, the perch fishing is good on Walloon Lake.
Anglers along the Boardman River near Traverse City are catching a few salmon, however the salmon in the river are turning color. The perch action on the local lakes and on the east and west arms of Grand Traverse Bay is spotty.
Around Frankfort, the steelhead fishing is fair off on the pier on Lake Michigan. Anglers on the Betsie River are reeling in a few salmon. The perch fishing is fair on Crystal Lake, with minnows being the preferred bait.
Out of the Manistee area, the steelhead action is spotty on the Big Manistee River. The salmon fishing is slow on the river. Anglers trolling on Manistee Lake are reeling in a few steelhead.
The walleye fishing is improving on Manistee and Bellaire lakes near Kalkaska. Lake Skegemog is producing fair smallmouth bass fishing.
Otsego and Bradford lakes near Gaylord are producing good bass and walleye fishing. Anglers are starting to see a couple of steelhead move into the Boyne and Jordan rivers.
And at Cadillac, the bass and pike fishing is good on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. The crappie fishing is fair on the east end of Lake Cadillac, during the morning hours.
West:
By Ludington, anglers along the breakwall on Lake Michigan are starting to catch a few steelhead. The steelhead action on the lower end of the Per Marquette River is fair. Anglers are using spawn bags as bait. On White Lake near Whitehall the bluegill and rock bass fishing is good. Anglers along the White River are reeling in a few salmon.
Around Muskegon, the steelhead fishing is fair off the pierheads on Lake Michigan and on the Muskegon River. A few salmon, which are changing color, are being caught along the river. Muskegon Lake is producing fair perch, bluegill and rock bass fishing. Anglers will have to sort through the perch that are caught to find any keepers.
Anglers on Chippewa Lake are reeling in a few panfish.
And at Baldwin, the salmon fishing is slowing down on the Pere Marquette River.
Northeast:
Around Alpena, the perch fishing ranges from fair to good on the Thunder Bay River. Anglers along the river by the Ninth Street Dam are catching a few salmon. On the lakes in the area, such as Grand, Hubbard and Long, the perch fishing is fair, with minnows working well as bait.
Lake Margrethe near Grayling is producing good perch fishing. The best time to be out fishing is from the mid-morning to mid-afternoon period. Anglers trolling on the lake are catching a few walleye.
Out of the Oscoda area, Van Etten Lake is producing good perch fishing. The perch, pike, smallmouth bass and walleye fishing is good on Foote Dam Pond. On the Au Sable River, the salmon fishing is slowing and some steelhead are starting to move into the river.
With most people focused on hunting, fishing activity this week on Higgins Lake is slow. The pike and walleye fishing on Houghton Lake is fair. The fish can be found moving into the shallows in the mornings and evenings.
The winds and rough water have been keeping anglers off Lake Huron by Au Gres. The salmon fishing is slow on the Au Gres River. Many of the fish that are being caught are hitting on blue and silver cleos.
East:
Strong winds have been keeping anglers of Saginaw Bay in the Linwood and Bay City areas. By Bay City, the perch fishing is fair along the cuts off the bay.
On the Saginaw and Tittabawassee rivers near Saginaw anglers are catching a few catfish. By Harbor Beach, the salmon and walleye fishing is fair within the harbor. The steelhead and brown trout fishing should pick up now that the salmon have moved into the harbor.
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