Be sure to look on page 38 in the 2010 Fishing Guide for the dates that anglers must remove their shanties from the ice. Those fishing rivers in the southern sections of the Lower Peninsula need to pay close attention to ice flows and debris.
Huron River: Angler activity has picked up between Flat Rock and Rockwood. Water levels were up and a couple steelhead were caught.
Detroit River: Boat anglers in search of yellow perch are dodging ice flows. Some have made it over to Canadian waters however they reported a slow trip to avoid damage to their boats, and only a few fish were caught.
Lake St. Clair: Still has ice however anglers should avoid those areas where there is a current. Some areas have open water where the current has eroded the ice. Fishing has been hit-or-miss however fish were caught out from Selfridge and Gino's.
Saginaw Bay: Ice conditions are changing so those heading out need to use extreme caution. If going out to deeper waters to find the bigger walleye, anglers are encouraged to tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return, and be sure to carry both a cell phone and a GPS. Perch and walleye action were spotty off Pine River and Palmer Roads. A few nice perch were taken in the morning off the Bay City State Park and Vanderbilt Park near Quanicassee. Better fishing was Monday through Wednesday when angler pressure was light. The east side of the bay has been quiet. Some pike were moving off Mud Creek, but the ice was not good. A few people were still fishing the Pigeon River, but caution needs to be used as ice near the mouth of the river has already broken up.
Tittabawassee River: Boats are launching at Center Road however anglers need to be aware of ice jams down near the confluence of the Tittabawassee, Shiawassee, and Saginaw Rivers. A few walleye were caught but the run is clearly not in yet. Small boats are launching from the ramp at Gordonville Road which is just south of Midland. Fishing up near the Dow Dam was still slow. Try casting instead of vertical jigging especially when water levels are on the low side.
Saginaw River: Catch rates are slow and ice conditions are not safe.
Flint River: Walleye anglers have caught a few small fish throughout the river.
St. Joseph River: The fish ladders were opened up last week. Steelhead fishing was slow due to muddy water however a few suckers have been caught.
Grand River at Grand Rapids: Boat anglers need to use extreme caution on the river and watch for debris coming over the dams. A fresh run of steelhead have made their way into the river. Boat anglers fishing the center run have caught fish when floating a jig with wax worms or spawn. Those fishing off the east side boat ramp are using a 6 to 8 foot leader with flies or spawn. Some did well with wobble glows, good colors were chrome and red or chrome and black. Off the west side, try quarter to nickel size spawn bags. White, pink and chartreuse were good colors. Those fishing off the East Wall and the Post Office caught fish when floating spawn or wax worms. Steelhead and walleye were caught off the Fulton Street Bridge when back bouncing spawn or throwing Hot-n-Tots. Off Bridge Street, they are floating spawn. Walleye were also caught on rapalas or bucktail jigs.
Grand River at Lansing: Not much to report this week. Both the Webber Dam and the Grand Ledge Dam were opened last week. The occasional steelhead was caught near the mouth of Prairie Creek in Ionia.
Lake Lansing: A few anglers were still heading out for pike.
Muskegon River: With the higher water levels, some nice steelhead have been caught as more fish move up into the river.
Mullett Lake: Perch fishing has slowed however a few bigger fish were caught along with the small ones. Most of the action was from the southeast end of the lake where anglers are catching small pike. Only one walleye and a couple cisco were reported.
Hubbard Lake: Walleye have been caught but many were just barely legal size.
Higgins Lake: Smelt fishing was a bit slow especially off Big Creek. Try the North State Park or the west side near the boat launch.
Houghton Lake: Is producing some walleye.
Perry Lake: In Oscoda County was producing some big bluegills.
Tawas: Perch fishing continues to be slow, and most of the fish caught were small. Walleye fishing has also been slow, with a few fish taken in the evening out near the edge of the ice; however, extreme caution needs to be used.
Au Gres: Some nice perch have been caught on certain days by those fishing in 3 or 4 feet of water off Santiago Road, Hale Road and the mouth of the Au Gres River. Walleye can still be found in 20 to 30 feet of water. The perch bite was best in the morning and walleye were hitting late afternoon and evening.
Lake Charlevoix: Walleye anglers have started to catch some bigger fish. The South Arm seems to be where most of the fishing activity has been.
Torch Lake: A few lake trout and whitefish were still being caught though ice conditions were marginal at best. Caution needs to be used.
Lake Bellaire: Is producing bigger walleye but few fish were caught. Most are fishing at night with smelt.
Lake Skegemog: Is producing some perch.
Starvation Lake: In Kalkaska County is producing rainbow and brown trout.
Crystal Lake: Had very good smelt action for those fishing at night with submerged lights in 40 to 50 feet of water. Try hali-jigs tipped with wax worms.
Green Lake: Is still reporting good catches of smelt.
Lake Missaukee: Still has ice fishing with panfish being caught.
Lake Cadillac: Still has ice and is good for pike and crappie fishing.
Lake Mitchell: Ice anglers are taking pike in good numbers.
Manistee River: Steelhead fishing is slowly improving, but the rivers are low, clear, and cold. Thawing along with increased runoff will bring more fish in soon.
Lake Gogebic: Had good walleye fishing with tip-ups in 6 to 14 feet of water. Most of the fish were caught between 5-8pm and measured 15 to 17 inches. A few pike were taken on tip-ups but perch fishing was slow.
Keweenaw Bay: Shoreline ice has broken up near Sand Point, Jentoft's Dock, the Pump House, Perch Corner and the L'Anse Marina. Smelt were caught near the Baraga Marina at night, and a mix of smelt and perch were taken in the early morning. Whitefish and lake trout were caught east of the Baraga Marina in the whitefish hole. Lake trout were also caught off Jentoft's Dock in 190 to 230 feet of water. Those fishing out from the Falls River caught a mix of whitefish, coho, rainbow and lake trout in 8 to 15 feet of water.
Marquette: East winds blew shelf ice up near the shoreline. Boat and shore anglers fishing from the "bubblers" before the ice moved in caught coho and lake herring when using jigs and crawlers. There were reports of a few anglers catching menominee in the lower harbor when using a single egg.
Carp River: Had no action to report because of ice along the shoreline.
Little Bay De Noc: Ice conditions have changed and extreme caution needs to be used. The shipping channel has been opened around Escanaba, which means the area from the docks to the south is considered to be very dangerous. The Narrows in Gladstone has open water from the Power Plant discharge. Several vehicles went through the ice off the northern tip of Butler Island. This area is always bad and should be avoided. Pressure cracks and the edge of the ice were beginning to show signs of weakness. Walleye catches were still slow with most anglers fishing south of the Narrows or around the Day's River. Evenings were best with tip-ups in 22 to 30 feet of water near the Day's River. Perch fishing was best near Kipling and the Second Reef, but a good number of small fish were caught in the shallows around Butler Island. Whitefish were caught off Sand Point when jigging minnows or spawn in 70 to 90 feet of water.
Au Train: Had little activity due to shelf ice that was blown into the bay.
Au Train River: Is partially frozen with difficult access due to large sections of ice along the shoreline.
Munising: Fishing was a bit slow. A lack of snow is still causing a slippery commute for those heading out, so cleats would be a good idea. Anglers are now turning their attention to fishing shallow waters for coho, splake and smelt. Whitefish action was slow. For coho, try jigging rapalas or Swedish pimples. Average size was 15 inches. Some were fishing on flow ice in Trout Bay however extreme caution needs to be used. Schools of smelt are being marked on a regular basis but catch rates were slow. Try hali-jigs with natural bait. Those spearing lake herring have taken a few fish in the early morning. Splake action was slow. Anglers reported mixed results for perch over the weed beds in 30 feet of water.
Munuscong Bay: Catch rates for perch slowed over the last week. A few were caught in water up to 4 feet deep around Grassy Island or Fowlers Bay. Not much to report on walleye.
Cedarville and Hessel: Hessel Bay has picked up considerably for yellow perch. Fish are moving into shallow waters 10 to 12 feet deep and hitting on minnows or wigglers. Perch action in Musky Bay also continues to improve in the middle of the bay or the west end in 10 to 12 feet of water using minnows and wigglers. Perch are averaging 9 to 13 inches and were hitting in decent numbers.
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