These lures were working: DNR’s Weekly U.P. Fishing Report (8/7/24)

UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WJMN) — The fishing was largely “good” and “successful” for most anglers in the Upper Peninsula according to the latest fishing report from the Department of Natural Resources.

Information came in from anglers around at least 11 locations in the U.P. last week, with many saying which lures were landing the best fish.

In the central U.P., anglers out in Lake Superior around the Keweenaw Bay saw good catches, and had best luck in the morning on natural baits. Those who were jigging saw more lake trout and whitefish, while others trolling found salmon and lake trout. According to the report, those fish started the week low in the water column but rose significantly closer to the surface as the south wind continued.

Anglers off the coast of Marquette saw lake trout and salmon, especially near White Rocks and Granite Island. Watermelon, green and orange Spin-n-Glo spoons and green/silver flasher flies were said to work great, as well as White plugs or chartreuse and silver jigs with cut bait.

Further east near Au Train, the report says many boats caught their limits of lake trout in only a few hours. Most success there was found while trolling cut bait around 160 feet deep, both north of Au Train Island and west of Grand Island.

On the west side of the Keweenaw, anglers in Ontonagon got lake trout and salmon in deeper waters of the big lake, as well as getting some good walleye catches in the river.

On the peninsula’s southern shores, anglers in Little Bay de Noc had luck with crawler harnesses to get walleye, and others in the straits of Mackinac were catching salmon near the northeast side of the island between 60-90 feet deep. Spoons were the lure of choice there, with effective colors reported being blues, purples, reds, yellows, and chartreuse.

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 reported successful jigging and trolling trips. Anglers who chose to jig found lake trout and lake whitefish, and had the greatest success in the morning, using natural baits. Anglers who were trolling found salmon and lake trout all through last week. Earlier, anglers found more fish near the lower portion of the water column, but as the week continued and a south wind was present, more fish were caught in the top 50 feet of the water column.

Traverse Bay/South Portage Entry Canal: Anglers were jigging and trolling with some success. Trolling anglers found Chinook salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout and lake trout. Successful fishing trips occurred during all times of the day but were most heavily concentrated in the mornings. Anglers who were jigging found fish on the edges of drop offs and were most successful using cut bait.

St. Ignace: Anglers targeting Chinook salmon caught them off the southeast corner of Mackinac Island and off the northside of Big St. Martin Island. Salmon anglers had the best luck using spoons. Lake trout anglers stuck to the northeast side of Mackinac Island using spoons between 60 and 90 feet of water. Good colors were blues, purples, reds, yellows, and chartreuse.

Walleye anglers used nightcrawler harnesses just outside of the mouth of the Carp River in Saint Martin’s Bay; good colors were chartreuse and orange. Anglers at the Pine River reported catching small walleye using nightcrawlers on slip bobbers near the mouth of the river and under the overpass bridge in the southwest corner.

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported success both trolling and casting, with crawler harnesses being productive trolling. Casting anglers used jigs with live bait or jigged rap-style baits, using electronics to help locate active fish or to determine viability of certain areas, including south of the Ford River, “black bottom,” Minneapolis shoals and near the Escanaba River mouth. Smallmouth bass anglers report fair fishing with some top water action in the early morning and dusk hours. Perch were also reported in the head of the bay.

Manistique: Salmon anglers reported catching small Chinook salmon, as well as large adults, due to favorable wave conditions. Steelhead trout have also been caught using lines set higher in the water column. Anglers report best success with spoons and flasher flies combos.

Marquette: Lake trout were caught jigging or trolling around White Rocks and out towards Granite Island, with the most successful boats catching fish near the clay banks west of Granite Rock. Both Chinook and coho salmon were also reported. Anglers trolling north of White Rocks reported catching steelhead. Watermelon, green and orange Spin-n-Glo spoons and green/silver flasher flies have been successful. White plugs or chartreuse and silver jigs have worked well near the northeast side of White Rocks, especially with cut bait.

Au Train: Lake trout fishing was good, with most boats catching near their limit in only a few hours. Anglers reported success trolling or jigging in approximately 160 feet of water north to northeast of Au Train Island, especially when using cut bait. Larger lake trout were caught while trolling in deeper waters around 160 to 180 feet north to northwest of the Au Train Island in the flats before the 400-foot shipping lane or out toward the Laughing White Fish Clay Banks.

Ontonagon River: Fishing was good on the river last week. Anglers reported successful trips throughout the day with a preference for early mornings. Walleye were also reported. Anglers had more success jigging than trolling.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Lake trout were caught in good numbers, with occasional coho salmon also being reported. Anglers had the best luck in finding fish when trolling deeper waters.

Black River Harbor: Angling efforts were low in the harbor last week, contrasting high recreational boating. Average reported catches were of lake trout in fair numbers, primarily found by anglers while trolling deeper waters.

Alger County: Anglers reported catching lake trout west of Grand Island. The Forest Lake Basin was reported to have high numbers of bass. Some lake trout reported near Munising.

Fishing tip: Eyes in the field
What’s this oily sheen in the water? If it shatters when you poke it with a stick, it’s likely due to natural bacterial processes. If it clings together, take a picture, note your location and report it to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS).

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