7/04/2018 Upper Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

Upper Peninsula

Even though fishing boats have been outnumbered by pleasure boats during the hot spell, panfish and bass fishing should be great on the inland lakes. Those trolling on the Great Lakes are getting a mix of salmon, steelhead and lake trout. Boat and shore anglers are reminded to be respectful of those around you.  

Lac Vieux Desert:  Anglers were catching bluegills and pumpkinseed around the weed beds with natural or artificial baits but it appears the fish are starting to move out to deeper water.  Perch and crappie were found in eight to 14 feet.  Panfish anglers were sorting through a lot small ones to get some keepers.  A few walleye were caught on crank baits or by those jigging for perch.  Musky anglers caught and landed a few over the weed beds.  Pike are still on the hunt and those chasing bass or musky caught a fair number of them on spoons, spinners and crank baits.  Largemouth bass were caught in Indian Bay and Rice Bay when using spinners or top-water lures.  

Little Bay De Noc:  Walleye catches slowed with mostly undersize fish in the northern parts of the Bay.  Fair to good catches were reported in the "Black Bottom" with a crawler harness in 14 to 30 feet.  Fair walleye catches from Breezy Point and just south of the Ford River in 12 to 27 feet.  Smallmouth bass were still on the beds in some areas.  Best catches were north of the Escanaba River off the west bank when casting plastics, spinners or crank baits along the weed lines.  Lots of perch were reported around Butler Island but most were small.  The Escanaba Yacht Harbor reported the same, lots of small perch but a great opportunity for kids.  The Escanaba River had mixed results with catches of smallmouth bass, undersize walleye, freshwater drum and some good size pike.

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Big Bay De Noc:  Still had a couple anglers chasing walleye out by the "Boot".  A few catches were reported but most of the fish have moved out further.  Lots of smallmouth bass anglers reporting fair to good catches.  Some fish were still on the beds.  Try Puffy Bay in four to 10 feet, close to shore along the weed line off Ogontz, Kate’s Bay in 10 to 12 feet and Garden Bay off Ansell’s Point in and around eight feet when casting plastics.  Off Fairport, boats were salmon fishing 60 to 90 feet down in 100 to 130 feet.  Not a lot of fish were caught but some were 20 pounds or more.  

Munising:  Offshore surface water temperatures warmed to the upper 50’s, low 60’s. Salmon fishing was not good as the fish have dispersed into other areas because of the warm water.  Lake trout fishing was good around Grand Portal, north of Grand Island, Big Reef and around Wood Island.  Anglers were jigging or trolling the reef edges.  A few nice splake were caught recently.  Pier fishing was slow.  

Grand Marais:  Surface water temperatures have warmed into the low 60’s.  Boat anglers report slow salmon fishing but the lake trout anglers continue to do well along the edge of the reefs five to seven miles out near the shipping channel and towards Big Reef. Pier anglers caught whitefish on a single egg at daybreak.  

Detour:  Surface water temperatures were 65 degrees and the thermocline was 53 degrees at 15 feet down.  A few Chinook were caught 30 to 35 feet down in 60 to 80 feet between Fry Pan Island and the green buoy.  Atlantics were caught at the red buoy east of the Detour Lighthouse on a four-inch orange and gold spoon 12 to 15 feet down.  A couple pike were caught downstream of the ferry boat lane in Detour Village.  A few lake whitefish were caught near the entrance of Whitney Bay on the Drummond Island side of the river with a red or brown tear-drop tipped with a minnow in 25 feet.  

Cedarville  and Hessel:  Anglers caught a few walleye one mile south of the Cedarville boat launch.  Anglers were trolling deep diving crank baits in a 12 foot channel that runs between La Salle Island and Islington Road.  Orange, chartreuse, and yellow were the hot colors.  Lots of small pike were caught when trolling or still-fishing with creek chubs between Peck Bay and Little La Salle Island.  For bigger fish, try drifting deeper in 12 feet or so.  Some were trying to find cisco in McKay and Prentiss Bay however there was a mild fly hatch and no fish were caught.  At Hessel, a few pike were caught around the Haven Marina fishing pier and around Haven Island with a black and yellow bucktail spinner in six to 10 feet.  Panfish anglers should try one mile east of the Hessel Marina where rock bass and pumpkinseed sunfish were caught near the weeds and around Echo Island in four to six feet.  Largemouth bass were caught on spinners.