TAWAS/AuGRES: The wind kept most boats off the water, with the north wind also bringing in colder water temperatures. Walleye anglers who made it out were coming in with only a fish or two, if any, in both Tawas and AuGres. The choppy water seemed to work in favor for bass anglers out in the bay, who caught good numbers of smallmouth bass and a couple largemouth bass. Shore anglers at Gateway Park caught throwback perch, a few smallmouth bass and bluegill. Shore anglers at the Pine River caught some throwback perch, pike and smallmouth bass.
OSCODA/AuSABLE RIVER: Walleye fishing in the lower river remained decent. Most walleye were caught drifting crawlers or leeches along the bottom. Anglers casting deep jerk baits/plugs off the end of the pier from dusk into the night were doing well on walleye. Smallmouth bass fishing in the river seemed to pick up. Lake trout fishing remained decent using spoons and Spin-n-Glos in 40 to 70 feet of water. A few coho salmon were caught in around 100 feet of water, 15 to 20 feet down, on spoons. There were also reports of some pink salmon caught.
HARRISVILLE: Lake trout fishing remained great, with fish being caught in 35 to 50 feet of water using spoons and Spin-n-Glos. There were reports of Atlantic salmon being caught mixed in with the lake trout, but not in high numbers, as well as a few Chinook salmon off of spoons. A couple steelhead were caught offshore as well.
ALPENA: Thunder Bay was described as hit or miss for walleye. A few fish were caught on crawler harnesses and crank baits from the river mouth to Grass Island in 15 to 20 feet of water. A number of catfish and drum and a few pike were also caught in the same waters. Nighttime anglers had success between Sulphur and Scarecrow islands when trolling shallow-running crankbaits. A few anglers reported decent walleye numbers around Thunder Bay Island and North Point. Those targeting 50 to 80 feet of water found good numbers of lake trout in the bottom half of the water column. Flasher/Spin-n-Glow combinations and spoons in chartreuse, white and watermelon were most productive. Atlantic salmon, steelhead and a few coho salmon were caught while fishing bright-colored spoons in the top 30 feet of water.
THUNDER BAY RIVER: Fishing was reported to have slowed, with only a few walleye caught. Those who were successful reported using leeches and crawlers from 2nd Avenue to 9th Street early and late in the day. A few bass and freshwater drum were caught while using crankbaits, spinners and crawlers. A few catfish were caught after dark on crawlers near the walking bridge and the Holiday Inn.
ROCKPORT: Anglers reported very good trout fishing in 15 to 80 feet of water. Crankbaits and spoons in orange, watermelon and gold worked well throughout the day. Near Stoneport, anglers reported good numbers of steelhead and Atlantic salmon as well as a few Chinook and coho salmon. Spoons in green, orange and watermelon had the best results. Near Middle Island, anglers reported lake trout in big numbers, with Atlantic and Chinook salmon mixed in. With cold water temperatures, fish have been found all through the water column from the surface to the bottom.
ROGERS CITY: Steady fishing for lake trout continued, with some limits being taken. The occasional Atlantic, coho and Chinook salmon were also caught, but there wasn’t a lot of action for them yet. Lake trout were reported to have been caught just about anywhere in the water column. Anglers were also finding fish shallow, in around 35 to 60 feet of water. The best places were reported to be structured areas that hold rocky bottoms. Anglers were reported to be running spoons off lead core and downriggers, with one near the bottom and one around halfway down, with dodgers and Spin-n-Glos or spoons. Good colors were greens, chartreuse, oranges, blues and combinations of those colors. Silver dodgers and chartreuse or green Spin-n-Glos also worked well.
CHEBOYGAN: Anglers fishing the Cheboygan River anywhere from the DNR field office to the dam reported catching some small smallmouth and rock bass. They also reported catching larger smallmouth bass, freshwater drum, carp and bowfin when using natural bait. Walleye anglers tested their luck at night after the rain, but they were not successful.
Fishing Tip: How to know if you’ve found an invasive species
An invasive species is one that is not native and whose introduction causes harm, or is likely to cause harm, to Michigan’s economy, environment or human health.
Think you’ve found an invasive species? Familiarize yourself with potential invasive species threats to Michigan available at Michigan.gov/Invasives.
You can search for species of plants, insects, diseases, mollusks, fish, mammals, birds or crustaceans and learn about watch list versus non-watch list species. You can also learn how to identify invasive species and how to report it if you think you’ve found one.
