Anglers ‘quite successful’ last week: DNR’s Weekly U.P. fishing report (7/24/24)

UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WJMN) — Respectable catch numbers were reported from just about every location in the Upper Peninsula last week… except one.

According to the latest fishing report from the Department of Natural Resources, it was Munising where anglers got the short end of the stick. The report said people fishing 150-250 feet down were able to reel in a few lake trout with the help of body baits. Others were also able to bag a couple coho salmon around Bay Furnace if they kept their lures below a depth of 80 feet.

Besides Munising, the report is rosy and rich with tips for what’s working.

Around the Keweenaw and Huron Bays, the biggest salmon were caught above 100 feet of water but found on both sides of the boundary. Jigging proved decent for those after lake trout, and jigging in Huron Bay brought in whitefish for some.

Anglers around the South Portage Entry Canal had luck jigging and trolling above 120 feet. Jigging, of course, mainly provided lake trout, but trolling brought back a variety of fish on the hook: chinook salmon, coho salmon, lake trout and brown trout were named in the report.

Grand Marais didn’t see much fishing, but those who did get on the water caught their limits of lake trout. The report says they laid their lines deep in the shipping channel, 150-300 feet, rigged with a combo of spoons and body baits. Good colors to use were chartreuse, orange, blue and silver.

Meanwhile on the U.P.’s southern shores, trollers had good catches of salmon and steelhead in Manistique. Flasher/fly combos brought success in green and blue colors. Some walleye anglers in the river said they had some luck as well.

In Little Bay de Noc, walleye anglers had luck while targeting the bottom of drop-offs with crawler harnesses and pitching jigs, and smallmouth bass were caught with the help of gobie-like baits. Anyone after perch, however, were casting more unanswered lines than they’d hoped.

You can get the latest fishing reports and other DNR resources on the department’s Michigan DNR Hunt Fish App . Here’s the full report:

Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers were quite successful in the last week. Those trolling found lake trout and salmon in waters above and below 100 feet, with most big catches being above the 100-foot mark. Anglers who went out and jigged were also quite successful with lake trout. Some anglers spent mornings in Huron Bay successfully jigging for whitefish as well.

Traverse Bay/South Portage Entry Canal: Anglers were very successful in the last week while trolling and jigging. Jigging trips mainly produced lake trout, while trolling anglers found lake trout, Chinook salmon, coho salmon and brown trout. Fish were caught throughout the water column, with most of the kept fish being caught from above 120 feet.

St. Ignace: Lake trout anglers were trolling spoons and Spin-n-Glos off the northeast and west sides of Mackinac Island between 100 and 140 feet of water. Good colors to use were blues, purples, oranges, yellows and chartreuse. At the Carp and Pine rivers, walleye anglers were using nightcrawlers and leeches on slip bobbers when drifting or casting. Good colors to use when trolling nightcrawler harnesses were reported to be oranges, golds and chartreuse.

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported a slight uptick in action. Anglers had some luck trolling crawler harnesses, pitching jigs or casting reaction-style snap lures and were fishing the bottom of the drop-offs. Perch anglers reported slow fishing. Smallmouth anglers reported fair to good fishing and had success casting baits that resemble gobies.

Manistique: Anglers reported good salmon and steelhead fishing. Trolling spoons and flasher/fly combinations was reported to have worked best. Anglers reported success with green and blue color combinations. Some anglers fishing for walleye in the river had limited success.

Grand Marais: Fishing pressure was low, but when anglers did get out on the water, they were catching their limits of lake trout. Anglers were trolling the shipping channel in 150 to 300 feet of water. A combination of spoons and body baits was producing fish. Anglers who were jigging also caught good numbers of fish. Good colors to use were chartreuse, orange, blue and silver.\

Munising: Low numbers of lake trout were caught in 150 to 250 feet of water. Body baits were producing the best results. There were reports of coho salmon being caught in Bay Furnace in 80 to 150 feet of water. Anglers trolling the Grand Island Harbor near the mouth of the Anna River were catching low numbers of splake. Good colors to use were chartreuse, blue, yellow and silver.

Fishing tip: Help prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species
Anglers and boaters can do their part to help make sure Michigan’s rivers, lakes and streams are protected against invasive species by following these some simple steps:

• CLEAN boats, trailers and equipment.
• DRAIN live wells, bilges and all water.
• DRY boats and equipment.
• DISPOSE of unwanted bait in the trash.

Want to learn more about how you can help? Visit Michigan.gov/Invasives .

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