Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Houghton Lake is Hot for Walleye
Weather has been cold , but today were back to summer. Houghton Lake has been hot for walleye with leeches working best. Also Saginaw Bay has been hot also for walleye.
Sturgeon Joe at Otsego Lake is saying the perch and walleye fishing has been fair on Otsego Lake with bass fishing great.
Dave at Four Season Party Store in Houghton Lake says off of Long Point the walleye bite is still super with leeches and crawlers working best with a bobber. There is a landing across the street from him but no parking, but if you buy your supplies from him he will let you park in his vacent lot across from the landing and put you on the fish.
Call him at 989-422-5230 his address is 9613 E Houghton Lake Dr, Houghton Lake, MI 48629. I was a Sportsman Resort (989-366-5471)today on Houghton Lake and could not believe the stringers of walleye coming off the lake today.
Saginaw Bay -All of the usual spots continue to produce fish, but since the cooler weather set in the walleye have moved further offshore. Good catches were consistently taken out near Buoys 1 & 2 at the end of the shipping channel but catches on the Callahan Reef, in the slot, and out on the Bar were hit and miss. Consistently windy weather for the past several days has made fishing difficult. Nearshore areas are reported to be somewhat murky due to all the wind and waves. Warmer, more stable weather should cause fishing to improve.
Mullett Lake -Catch rates were low due to the change in weather. Most action centered around perch, with limited action on walleye and smallmouth bass. Most boats are fishing the south end of the lake.
Burt Lake - Burt Lake in Alanson has anglers trolling during the evening hours with great success, mostly using crawlers. Inland lakes are giving up plenty of blue gill.
Lake Margrethe producing nice quantities of walleye in 18-feet of water with crawler harnesses with a crawler or leech. Anglers are getting best results trolling approximately .7 mph. Manistee Lake continues to be good for crappie fishing, Section 1 Lake for bass and perch can be caught scattered all over Bradford Lake.
Higgins Lake -Perch and rock bass are being taken between the table top and the north end of Treasure Island. Smallmouth bass can be found along the drop off. Lake trout were caught trolling in 85 to 100 feet of water. Fishing is picking up.
Houghton Lake - Anglers are catching walleye, bluegill, bass, and pike in East Bay, North Bay and Long Point on crawlers and leeches.
Lake Charlevoix - Perch and rock bass have been seen near the docks in the main lake so now is a good time to take the kids fishing. Some pike and bass are there as well. Walleye fishing should still be good trolling alewife sized minnow plugs at night.
Lake Bellaire - Walleye fishing in the evening and early morning is producing 13 to 24 inch fish. Anglers have been trolling with crawler harnesses, spoons and rapalas or jigging leaded and floating jigheads with leeches in 10 to 60 feet of water near the Grass River outlet and in the northwest arm narrows. Those targeting bass have been still fishing with artificial grubs and casting spinners and tubes in 4 to 15 feet of water along the southwestern margin of the lake and the flats near the Grass River outlet.
Lake Skegemog near Kalkaska is producing bass and pan fish on wax worms, night crawlers, sucker and perch minnows. Elk Rapids Dam has some nice blue gill fishing available. Guernsey Lake has decent trout activity.
Elk River - Smallmouth bass and freshwater drum are being caught between the dam and the mouth using leeches or crawlers.
Boardman River - Carp and smallmouth bass can be found below Union Street Dam to the mouth of the river.
Lake Leelanau - Bluegills are finally on their beds and bass fishing has picked up. Look for pike along the weed beds in shallow waters. Anglers are catching walleye and this is a good time of year to catch rock bass. Perch are biting on the south end
Long Lake by Traverse City has slow a little for walleye this week but still good numbers with leeches working best.
Lake Missaukee - Pan fishing improved and lots of pike have been caught with bass and walleye biting on leeches.
Portage Lake -Bass and pike fishing is steady although not many large fish are being caught. Panfish action is still slow.
Manistee -Boat anglers are catching trout and salmon off the Shelf fishing 60 to 80 feet down. Try blue dolphins and blue whales. Steelhead were caught on orange spoons near the surface.
Ludington - Anglers targeting salmon and trout have found the best action between the Bathhouse and Sable Point in 75 to150 feet of water. Spoons in green or orange have been producing the most fish.
Brevort Lake near Allenville and north of St. Ignace is producing walleye and anglers are doing well when they can get out. Wind, rain and chilly temperatures limited angling activity this week but the weekend is looking up.
Manistique anglers are dealing with chilly temperatures and rain this week, but when anglers can get out the fishing is good on Indian Lake for decent counts of walleye.
Little Bay De Noc Few catches of walleye were reported. The southern portion of the bay held most of the larger fish. Best reports were out from the Terrace Inn trolling crank baits in 25 feet of water right on the break. Good smallmouth bass catches in the Ford River casting crank baits from shore. Also good bass catches in the Gladstone area off the west bank casting crank baits and tubes along the weed line. Perch catches were down with most reporting small fish jigging and drifting worms all around the Butler Island area in 10 to 25 feet of water. Salmon anglers reported fair catches trolling spoons out by the Ford River buoy in 80 to 90 feet of water and 65 feet down.
Big Bay De Noc -Walleye anglers have been fishing out from Ansels Point and marking fish in 20 to 30 feet of water. There is still good smallmouth bass fishing in Ogontz, the Fish Dam River area and Garden Bay, casting crank baits or plastic baits along the weed lines and shores in 6 to 12 feet of water. Several nice northern pike catches in Kate’s Bay trolling crank baits and spoons in 12 to 20 feet of water. The best time to fish is mid-morning. At Fairport, fishing action is picking up. Anglers reported fair to good catches of salmon trolling spoons and artificial cut bait in 90 to 110 feet of water fishing 65 to 80 feet deep.
Grand Marais - Some lake trout are still being taken when anglers can get out.
Cedarville and Hessel -Fishing for northern pike continues to be excellent in Hessel Bay and from Hessel Marina Pier while still fishing with minnows or trolling or casting in boats in 5 to12 feet of water. Good catches are also being reported from Cedarville Bay and along the shoreline of Musky Bay. Those targeting salmon are bringing in a few chinook from Goose Island fishing 15 to 35 feet down.
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