Fishing

Whether you’re looking to catch up on some peace and quiet or spend time with friends, you can do both while fishing in our waterways. Surrounded by three Great Lakes (Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and Lake Huron), the Upper Peninsula’s freshwater greatness doesn’t stop there. We have 4,300 inland lakes, over 1,700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and 12,000 miles of rivers and streams for you to wet a line in, too!

We have a variety of options for fishing enthusiasts. Fly-fish in our rivers and streams for trout and salmon or troll for walleye or largemouth bass on our bays or inland lakes. Take your children out bait fishing for bluegill, sunfish or crappies, or relax for hours in an ice fishing shanty watching your tip-up signal another tasty catch. The exhilaration of reeling in your souvenirs, releasing them or taking them back to your lodgings and preparing them for dinner, is all in a day’s fun.

Don’t have tackle boxes, rods and gear? Sign up for a fishing charter, and your captain will handle the rest — providing expertise, equipment and an experience you’ll never forget. Check out Caddis Shack Fishing Guide Service in the Escanaba-area, Hooked Up Charter Fishing on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Soo Fishing Charters in Sault Ste. Marie or many others. 

Don't forget to purchase your Fishing License and learn the current rules and regulations. Learn more.

Before getting out on the water, read the Michigan DNR’s Fishing Report. Make sure, as well, that your Michigan fishing licenses are up to date. Anyone 17 years of age or older must have a license. There are enough options beyond our Great Lakes to plan several fishing trips, and we can’t wait to host you. Whether you’re fishing for keeps or planning to catch and release, we hope to see you “reel” soon!

 What you’ll catch while you’re here

  • Walleye
  • Smallmouth and largemouth bass
  • Salmon
  • Herring
  • Whitefish
  • Northern pike
  • Rainbow and lake trout
  • Perch
  • Yellowbellies
  • Splake
  • Bluegill
  • Sunfish
  • Steelhead 
  • Crappies

Read more about the best U.P. spots to cast a line.