7/19/2018 Upper Peninsula, Michigan Fishing Report

Upper Peninsula

Little Bay De Noc:  Walleye anglers reported fair catches at best.  High numbers of undersize fish are still being reported throughout the Bay with the southern most part being best for the bigger fish.  Anglers trolled crawlers or stick baits in 14 to 18 feet off Breezy Point, south of the Ford River near Round Island in 10 to 20 feet and along the “Black Bottom” in 18 to 25 feet.  Perch fishing was fair to good with crawlers in 20 to 28 feet in the Gladstone Beach area.  The smallmouth bite was good near Garth Point, Hunters Point, between Aronson Island and Portage Point and the mouth of the Escanaba River with plastics or crank baits in eight to 14 feet.   Good size salmon were caught south near St. Martins Island with spoons 45 to 60 feet down in 105 to 130 feet.  

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Big Bay De Noc:  Had lots of smallmouth anglers.  Nahma was best with good catches of large fish taken in 12 to 18 feet off the golf course and north of the launch along the weeds in eight feet with plastics, crank baits or spinners.  Garden Bay, Kates Bay and Puffy Bay all reported good catches in 18 to 20 feet.  Ogontz reported lots of fish but most were smaller.  Several large northern pike were caught off Ansell’s Point when trolling crank baits in 17 to 22 feet.  Off Fairport, there seems to be fewer salmon but the fish caught were bigger overall.  Try 40 to 60 feet down in 105 to 130 feet near St. Martins Island and in the “Gap”.  

Marquette:  Surface water temperatures warmed into the low to mid 60’s.  A fair number of lake trout were caught by those trolling around Granite Island and the “white rocks”.  The fish were two to five pounds and seem to be scattered throughout the water column so anglers are using downriggers, dipsey divers and high-lines.  The odd coho was caught but very few Chinook have come in.  

Au Train:  Fishing slowed here as well.  Many boats were only getting a few coho and lake trout per trip.  Most were trolling spoons along the east side of Au Train Island or near Laughing Fish Point in 160 feet.  Run lines at various depths.    

Munising:   Boat anglers continue to catch lake trout off the edge of Wood Island Reef in 150 to 160 feet, from the Grand Portal Reef east of Grand Island and towards Twelve Mile Beach.  The fish are feeding on smelt.  Anglers are using assorted spoons and flies tipped with cut bait.  Those trolling high-lines with dipsey divers caught the occasional coho or Chinook.  Boat anglers reported a few splake but overall catches were very slow.  Surface water temperatures were in the upper 50’s.   

Grand Marais:  Had light fishing pressure.  Most were targeting lake trout with good results.  Those jigging did fair but those trolling did better near the Five Mile Reef near the shipping lanes and off Au Sable Point with spoons or flies tipped with cut bait.  

Manistique Lake:  Anglers were getting some walleye on the big lake.  

St. Marys River:  Those fishing in Raber Bay caught cisco about 100 yards west of the boat docks at Lime Island.  Anglers are jigging brown and gold artificial fly baits or a teardrop tipped with a wax worm two to three feet off the bottom in 12 to 20 feet.  

Detour:  Had good reports of cisco and whitefish caught in and around Big Trout Island, Maple Island, and Butterfield Island.  The water warned up and more fly hatches are occurring so cisco and some nice whitefish are being caught.  Try brown or red tear drops tipped with wax worms or a natural fly.

Cedarville  and Hessel:  Cedarville anglers were fishing Prentiss Bay and McKay Bay but no cisco or whitefish were caught.  There were no fly hatches morning or mid-day.  A few walleye were caught on crank baits in 12 feet near Connors Point.  Hot colors were orange, chartreuse and white.  Some 28 inch pike were caught on red and white spoons between Islington Road and La Salle Island.  Rock bass were caught throughout the Les Cheneaux Islands.  Both large and smallmouth bass were hitting spinners in four to eight feet.  Yellow and black were good colors.  At Hessel, Chinook and lake trout were caught around Goose Island.  Chinook were hitting black and purple spoons 52 feet down in over 90 feet of water.  Lake trout were suspended in 35 to 40 feet.  Atlantic salmon were hitting orange and gold spoons 12 to 15 feet down.  Pike were caught off the Hessel Pier in the early morning.  Yellow perch action off the finger docks was slow.  Schools of perch seem to move in and out of the Hessel Marina.  Try vertical jigging between the weed beds.