@Travel Marquette
DNR Fishing Report
April 24, 2024
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All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.
Little Bay de Noc: Anglers reported good perch fishing. Anglers were catching both pre- and post-spawn fish. Those fishing near the narrows with minnows or worms on perch rigs caught perch, with limit catches reported. Smallmouth anglers reported slow fishing but anticipate the fishing to improve soon as water temperatures rise.
Manistique: Anglers continued to contact steelhead in the river. Most anglers were drifting beads or spawn. Anglers reported an abundance of suckers present in the river.
Marquette: Boat anglers fishing the lower harbor had some luck fishing for coho salmon. There were yet to be any fish caught in the upper harbor. Anglers who were floating down the Chocolay River had success catching steelhead and brown trout. The Carp River remained steady for steelhead, and at the mouth whitefish were caught off crawlers. Spawn bags and wax worms were still working well for steelhead in both the Carp and Chocolay rivers, along with champagne or orange beads. Trolling blue and silver spoons as well as fire tiger stripe-patterned Rapalas seemed to be popular for catching coho salmon in the lower harbor. Most fish were caught in 8 to 20 feet of water and closer to shore.
Au Train: The smelt were reported to have started moving up the rivers, with the coho salmon right behind them in the lake. Good numbers of coho salmon and steelhead were reported to have been caught while trolling or casting. Most fish were caught in 8 to 20 feet of water and closer to shore. Blue and silver spoons seemed to do well for coho salmon. Fire tiger or bright orange and gold Rapalas were reported to have worked well for brown trout and steelhead out by the northwest side of the island and close to shore by the river mouths.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers caught a few splake and coho salmon while trolling. Anglers targeting lake trout while trolling and jigging found success and were consistently catching fish. Most fish were caught below 100 feet of water while trolling and below 150 feet of water while jigging. Fish were biting on a combination of artificial and natural baits.
South Portage Entry Canal/Big Traverse Bay: Anglers who were targeting lake trout had good fishing when either trolling or jigging. Anglers who were trolling were able to catch lake trout in roughly 100 feet of water, with fish dispersed throughout the water column. Anglers who were jigging found fish close to the bottom in deeper water.
St. Ignace: A few steelhead were caught out of the Carp River; however, anglers reported that another warm rain needs to come through for more fish to run up. There was still no sign of smelt.
Ontonagon River: Fishing pressure on the river was extremely low. High turbidity in the river water remained as a result of high runoff upstream. Reports suggested that few to no fish were being caught.
Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Fishing efforts from these ports were reported to be low. Reports show that those who made it out caught coho salmon and brown trout in low numbers.
Black River Harbor: Anglers had luck finding coho salmon and brown trout in respectable numbers. Reports suggested that most success came from trolling artificial lures in shallow waters. Shore anglers also reported catches of coho salmon and brown trout, most commonly when using crawlers.
Fishing tip:
Did you know simple mistakes can make or break your fishing adventures? Check out these basic things to avoid if you want to have better success on the water:
- Make sure your reel is filled with line – don’t wait until it gets to half-empty and risk losing a great catch due to an inadequate amount of line.
- Check your knots – monitor their strength and durability after each fish. If the strength gets compromised, cut the line down a few feet and start again.
- Set the hook – don’t forget to do this each time you even think you’ve got a bite. Why waste a great catch just because you forgot to set the hook?
Want more tips for fishing in Michigan? Visit Michigan.gov/Fishing.