Fishing action slows as ice conditions go from bad to worse

Ice conditions are deteriorating rapidly, especially in
southern Michigan. Anglers are advised to be extremely careful when
venturing out on the ice. Wear a life jacket and carry ice
picks.

SOUTHERN LOWER

Monroe Area

Anglers are reporting a decent steelhead bite on the Huron River
at Flat Rock. The best action has been on wax worms and spawn,
although a few fish also have fallen to spoons. There was no boat
traffic on Lake Erie as of late last week.

Cook’s Sportland (734) 242-0774.

St. Joseph Area

Boat and shore anglers are taking decent numbers of steelhead on
the St. Joseph River. Spawn has been producing the best results.
Pier anglers report catching an occasional brown or steelhead, but
action has been slow. Rabbit and coyote hunting have been decent,
but hunter pressure has been light.

B.J. Sports (269) 429-8271.

Holland Area

Steelhead are hitting in the Kalamazoo and Grand rivers. Anglers
are connecting from boats and from shore. The best action has been
on spawn and when trolling crankbaits. Brown trout are hitting
trolling spoons in the warm-water discharge at Port Sheldon.
Hunting pressure has been very light, now that the snow is
gone.

American Tackle Outfitters (616) 392-6688.

Saginaw Bay Area

Ice conditions are spotty on Saginaw Bay and getting worse by
the day. Late last week, anglers were catching perch in 2 to 4 feet
of water between Linwood Road and Standish. A few walleyes were
hitting near the Bay City State Park in 6 to 7 feet of water.

Franks Great Outdoors (989) 697-5341.

Hoyles Marina (989) 697-4415.

Muskegon Area

Perch are hitting in the open water on Muskegon Lake. A good
bite is being reported by shore anglers fishing with minnows. Pier
anglers on Lake Michigan report that an occasional steelhead is
coming to the net. Rabbit and coyote hunting pressure has been
light.

Angler Archer (231) 744-5992.

NORTHERN LOWER

East Jordan Area

Ice was running over a foot thick on Lake Charlevoix last week
and anglers report a good perch bite at the east end of the lake.
There was up to 10 inches of snow in the woods and coyote hunters
report good success.

Tom’s Bait & Tackle (231) 536-3521.

Traverse City Area

Ice is disappearing quickly on area lakes. Anglers are caching
smelt on Green Lake, perch, whitefish and lake trout on Crystal
Lake, and perch on Skegemog and Fife lakes. On Grand Traverse Bay,
a few boat anglers are picking up light numbers of perch and
whitefish. Steelhead are hitting spawn and wax worms on the
Boardman River. Rabbit and coyote hunting pressure has been light.
There was up to a foot of snow on the ground as of late last
week.

WildFishing Guide Service www.wildfishing.com.

Cadillac Area

Ice was up to a foot thick on lakes Mitchell and Cadillac. Pike
are hitting suckers and shiners fished on tip-ups on both lakes. A
few crappies also are being caught near Camp Torenta on Lake
Mitchell. Coyote hunting has been decent. There is up to a foot of
snow on the ground.

Schaefer’s Bait & Sporting Goods (231) 775-7085.

Houghton Lake Area

Anglers are catching lots of pike on Houghton Lake, although
most are undersized. Panfish action has been slow. A few crappies
have been caught by anglers fishing off Flint Road. There was about
10 inches of snow on the ground as of late last week. Rabbit and
coyote hunting have been fair.

Lyman’s on the Lake (989) 422-3231.

Sportsman’s Resort and Marina (989) 366-5471.

Hubbard Lake

There was up to a foot of ice on Hubbard Lake as of late last
week and anglers there are dialing in on a pretty good perch bite.
Minnows, wigglers, and wax worms have been producing good results
when fished in 8 to 12 feet of water at the south end of the lake.
There was 6 inches of snow on the ground, but it was melting
quickly.

Side Door Bait and tackle (989) 736-6418.

UPPER PENINSULA

Pickford Area

Perch fishing has been pretty good in the bay at Cedarville.
Anglers fishing minnows in 10 to 12 feet of water report good
success. There was well over a foot of snow on the ground as of
last Friday. Coyote and rabbit hunting pressure has been very
light.

Wilderness Treasures (906) 647-4002.

Drummond Island Area

Perch fishing has been slow on Lake Huron around Drummond
Island. Anglers who are venturing our are finding 2 feet of ice and
18 inches of snow on top. Action is expected to pick up over the
next couple of weeks.

Johnson’s Sport Shop (906) 493-6300.

Curtis Area

Perch fishing has slowed on Big Manistique Lake. Anglers are
still picking up a few fish. Action should improve as the ice
starts to melt. There was 2 feet of snow in the woods as of late
last week. Rabbit hunting has been slow all year, but coyote
hunting has been good.

J.R. Sport Shop (906) 586-6040.

Gwinn Area

Splake and perch are hitting in fair numbers on Sporley Lake,
while anglers fishing on Little Shag Lake report a good bite from
rainbow trout and bluegills. Rabbit hunting has been fair.

Gwinn Bait and Tackle (906) 346-3330.

Escanaba Area

On Little Bay de Noc, perch fishing has been decent around
Butler Island. Whitefish are hitting off Sand Point, but the ice
was falling apart last week. Good numbers of splake are being
caught at Gladstone. Minnows are the bait of choice.

Bay View Bait & Tackle (906) 786-1488.

BayShore Resort Bait & Tackle (906) 428-2950.

Bergland Area

Anglers report catching light numbers of perch on Lake Gogebic,
but the ones they’re catching are big. The best action has been at
the north end of the lake in 26 to 32 feet of water. Bluegills are
hitting wax worms on the Cisco Chain of Lakes. There was still over
2 feet of snow on the ground last week.

Maple Ridge Bait & Tackle (906) 575-3545.