Northern Lower Peninsula Fishing Report – November 9th, 2012

Indian River

Deer hunting has been pretty good and bucks are chasing does. Grouse and woodcock hunting has been fair and waterfowlers report good success with lots of local and flight birds in the area. Walleye fishing has been good on Mullett and Burt lakes and perch fishing has been good on Burt. Steelhead fishing has been pretty good on the Cheboygan and Bear rivers.
Pat & Gary’s Party Store, (231) 238-6776.

Traverse City Area

Bucks are rutting and does are running. All the leaves are down and hunters report seeing good numbers of whitetails. Grouse and woodcock hunting has been fair and waterfowl hunting has been good. Squirrel hunting has been very good. Steelhead are hitting in the Boardman, Big Manistee, and Elk rivers. Spawn is producing the best results. Brown trout are starting to show up in the rivers, too. Inland lakes have turned over and the walleye bite has been pretty good with crankbaits on South Lake Leelanau, Long, and Fife lakes.
WildFishing Guide Service www.wildfishing.com

Kalkaska Area

Deer hunting has been pretty good Kalkaska County. Bucks are chasing does. Grouse hunting has been pretty good, but woodcock hunting has slowed. Waterfowl hunting has been  good with a lot of mallards and wood ducks in the area. Perch fishing has been good on Elk, Charlevoix, and Skegemog lakes.
Jack’s Sport Shop, (231) 258-8892.

Cadillac Area

Grouse hunting has been so-so and woodcock hunting has slowed. Bow hunting has been good and bucks are on the move. A few anglers are casting jerkbaits at night for walleyes at the mouth of the canal on Lake Mitchell.
Schaefer’s Bait & Sporting Goods, (231) 775-7085.
Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop, (231) 775-5412.

Grayling Area

Deer hunting has been good and deer numbers are up in Crawford County. Bucks are rutting and chasing does. Grouse hunting has been good and all the  leaves are down. Waterfowl hunting has also been pretty good. Bluegills and perch are keeping anglers busy on Lake Margrethe, but fishing pressure has been light.
Skip’s Sport Shop, (989) 348-7111.

Houghton Lake Area

Bucks are scraping and chasing does. The rut is on. Grouse hunting has been decent and waterfowl hunting has been good. Fall turkey hunting pressure has been light. Fishing pressure has been light on Houghton Lake. Walleyes are hitting minnows and stickbaits fished in the shallows at night. Panfish action has been slow. Pike are hitting all over the lake, but most are undersized.
Lyman’s on the Lake, (989) 422-3231.

Higgins Lake Area

Grouse hunting has been pretty good, but the woodcock have left the state. Bucks are rutting and does are on the run. Waterfowl hunting has been good, but hunting pressure has been light. Perch fishing has been good on Higgins Lake, but fishing pressure has been light.
Higgins Lake Sport & Tackle, (989) 821-9517.
Phoenix Party and Bait Store, (989) 821-7220.

Hubbard Lake Area

The rut is on. Hunting pressure has been light, but those who are getting out report seeing decent numbers of deer. Grouse hunting has been fair but turkey hunting pressure has been light. Perch fishing was pretty good on Higgins Lake before the storms blew through last week and kept everyone off the lake. The action should heat up again once the lake settles down.
Side Door Bait and Tackle, (989) 736-6418.