ASHLAND AREA Smallmouth bass are starting to move back to shore and can be found in the shallows, mostly at the east end of the bay. They are making beds, though some are still in pre-spawn mode. Most of the smallie fishing is occurring in 1 to 5 feet of water. Walleyes remain active at the head of the bay…
Pine Creek (Lycoming County) — Trout were hitting charcoal caddis (18). The March Brown mayfly hatch had slowed by May 20 but sulphur mayflies were picking up. Some trout were taking nymphs. George B. Stevenson, Alvin R. Bush dams (Clinton, Cameron counties) — Crappies were biting in the shallows through May 20. Hamilton, Beechwood, Hills Creeks lakes (Tioga County) —…
Lake Michigan: On the south end, it seems that the fish have moved out a bit, but there is still a respectable coho bite on. Your standard Thin-Fins as well as dodger/fly combos are doing well. The cohos are on fire right now on the north end near Waukegan and Northpoint. Use 00 orange dodgers with peanut flies in blue/silver…
ASHLAND AREA Chequamegon Bay smallmouths in Sand Cut, Oak Point, and Brush Point are hitting jigs with plastics and suckers over wood and weeds. Clouser minnows and Bay Bugs work for fly anglers. Walleyes anglers are catching post-spawn fish at the head of the bay and mouth of Kakagon Slough on crawler harnesses and trolled crankbaits. Northern pike action is…
Upper Pine Creek (Tioga County) — Numbers of trout were hitting small caddis patterns, rusty spinners, and blue dun patterns on the surface. Small spoons, waxworms, and live minnows also were productive. Hamilton Lake (Tioga County) — Very productive trout fishing was reported through early May, along with excellent panfish action. Trout were hitting spinners and spoons in gold, purple,…
Shabbona: Look for crappies over the fish cribs and brush piles along the campground shoreline. Begin your search by setting your presentation half way down the water column. Best presentations include Mini-Mites and minnows. Bass fishing is slow. Muskie fishing is good. Bass anglers casting rattle traps are catching a few bonus muskies. Look for muskies in the shallow waters…
ASHLAND AREA Chequamegon Bay anglers are registering some legal sturgeon, and whitefish action is good by the lighthouse. The perch bite is decent off the ore dock, and anglers are catching a few northerns along Ashland’s shoreline. Trollers flat-lining crankbaits over 20 to 60 feet of water in the bay and the triangle from Houghton Point to Long Island to…
Traverse City Area Catch-and-immediate-release bass fishing remains good on Duck and Green lakes. Steelhead fishing has been slow on the Betsie and Boardman rivers. Toms are strutting, and the early part of the spring turkey season has been pretty good. There’s been no sign of morels yet. WildFishing Guide Service, www.wildfishing.com. East Jordan Area Perch were hitting in Lake Charlevoix…
Hills Creek, Hammond, Hamilton lakes (Tioga County) — Panfish action was heating up, with anglers catching crappies and perch on live minnows, redworms, and crawlers on all three lakes. Water temperatures were around 50 degrees on April 22. Bass and pickerel were also starting to hit, with bass weighing up to 3 pounds and some pickerel measuring up to 20…
Lake Michigan: Coho salmon are being found in shallow water trolling, hugging shoreline. Cohos biting mainly on peanut flies and 00 red dodgers. No deeper water reports yet. Waukegan has cohos on the surface using large fatheads. Guys casting spoons have been on and off. The smallmouth bass have started to feed in the warmer water areas. The best producers…
ASHLAND AREA This report is about the Ashland side of Chequamegon Bay. The ice has left the bay and open-water fishing has begun. A lot of people have been out on the water, pulling in trout and salmon. All the way from Bono Creek north, they’ve been getting browns and cohos. They might find some at the head of the…
Traverse City Area Ice has moved out and fishing was just getting started last week. Bass anglers were taking advantage of the new catch-and-immediate-release bass season and catching good numbers of fish on Duck and Green lakes. Atlantic salmon have been caught on Torch Lake where anglers were long-lining with crankbaits and spoons along the drop-offs. Toms are strutting. The…
Hamilton Lake (Tioga County) — Participants in Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day April 11 fished lakes like this since streams were blown out. Some lakes even had remnant ice. Hammond was ice-free. Penns Creek (Snyder, Union counties) — Good conditions were reported by TCO Fly Shop April 11, when the creek had average flow and water was in the 40s….
Lake Michigan: The northern harbors like Waukegan have been hit and miss from Johnson’s and Government piers. The downtown harbors have been producing fish very well this early season. The powerliners have been doing well on both the coho and the browns with a few steelhead mixed in. Nightcrawlers and fathead minnows are the baits of choice. Casting crankbaits or…
ASHLAND AREA This report is for the Ashland side of Chequamegon Bay. We find ourselves between seasons at the moment, as the remaining ice on the bay is no longer safe, yet there is still too much of it for any open-water action. The ice has gone out at Saxon Harbor, and anglers are already trolling from there. In the…
Traverse City Area Ice is shot on inland lakes in Grand Traverse County, and anglers are targetting steelhead in the Betsie and Boardman rivers. So far, action has been slow, but warm weather and rain in the forecast should improve things soon. Spawn has been the hot bait so far, but wax worms and flies also are taking a few…
Penns Creek (Snyder County) — As conditions allowed through late March, TCO Fly Shop recommended streamers along the banks or going deeper with nymphs, especially bigger Stoneflies. Hatches included tiny Blue-Winged Olives (20-22) and midges (20-24). Tioga River — Don’s Tackle Shack reported anglers were releasing a few walleyes and smallmouth bass, but the bites were slow as of March…
Braidwood: Bass regulations changed on April 1 to a daily bag of three 15 inches or longer. Fish overall are slow, but appear to be picking up as water settles. Anglers are finding some good largemouths on spinnerbaits and swimjigs. There are some days that reaction strikes are the way to go so don’t be afraid to bounce a crankbait…
Traverse City Area Ice was melting quickly around Traverse City, and ice fishing has come to a halt. Steelhead are starting to trickle into the Boardman and Betsie rivers, and spawn and jigs are producing. Once open water arrives, perch should start hitting in Grand Traverse Bays. WildFishing Guide Service, www.wildfishing.com. Wellston Area The Little Manistee River was wide open…
Highpoint Lake (Somerset County) — Anglers were icing bass up to 16 inches, crappies up to 13 inches, and chain pickerel between 18 and 24 inches in early March. One angler caught a 15.25-inch crappie. Brady’s Run Lake, Raccoon Lake (Beaver County) — A slow panfish bite was reported, but some anglers were catching trout in recent weeks on tiny…
Beechwood Lake (Tioga County) — Numbers of trout were hitting in five to 15 foot depths through mid-March, with fathead minnows and waxworms the tickets. Trout sizes varied up to 22 inches. A few yellow perch were reported on waxworms. Cowanesque Lake (Tioga County) — A 36-inch tiger muskie was caught in recent weeks. Hamilton Lake (Tioga County) — A…
Braidwood: This cooling lake offers anglers an opportunity to get out in the early spring when most other lakes are frozen or are just too cold and not producing fish. The lake is open and the shore fishermen are seeing quite a few catfish and bluegills. Fish are being caught on ice jigs under a float or on bottom rigs…
ASHLAND AREA This report is about the Ashland side of Chequamegon Bay. The ice fishing is still good, but with temperatures in the 40s and 50s, it won’t last too much longer. This might be shutting down by this week. Call ahead. Travel conditions on the bay and to points north have been excellent, but the warmer weather forecast for…
East Jordan Area Fishing has been slow in Charlevoix County with frigid weather keeping pressure to a minimum. Walleyes, pike, and lake herring are hitting on Lake Charlevoix, but perch fishing has been slow. Decent panfish action has been reported by anglers on the Bellaire Chain of Lakes. Whitefish have been caught on Torch Lake with the best action coming…
Hamilton Lake (Tioga County) — Numbers of perch, bluegills and crappies were hitting on waxworms. Anglers were fishing through about 14 inches of ice. Hills Creek Reservoir (Tioga County) — Nice perch up to 12 and 13 inches were reported on waxworms or fathead minnows. Bass and chain pickerel also were biting, with live shiners the best bet. Beechwood Lake…
Lake Michigan: The harbors are all ice covered, and there have been reports of keeper perch being caught. There is a lot of sorting being done, but if you stick at it you will find the jumbos. Larger baits are taking the larger fish. The trout bite is great and big fish are being caught on spawn sacs or live…
