@Travel Marquette
DNR Fishing Report
September 4, 2024
Did you catch a Master Angler fish? The Master Angler program includes more than 45 species for which you can compete for honors. The Master Angler Patch is awarded to all entries meeting the established minimum length for each species. Visit Michigan.gov/MasterAngler to apply.
All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers this last week had a difficult time finding a good day to get on Lake Superior with the strong winds and weather. Anglers who were able to find a few safe hours to fish mostly caught lake trout. Successful trips were mixed between jigging and trolling. Both successful methods caught the most fish in the mornings, however, fish were caught through all times of the day.
Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Entry Canal: Anglers spent most of the fish-able hours of the last week trolling. Those hours were few and far between, but anglers were able to capitalize on them. Those who were able to get out found lake trout in decent numbers throughout the water column. Spoons seemed to be the most common lure that was successful while trolling.
St. Ignace: Boat anglers caught salmon and lake trout between the Wawatam Lighthouse and the Coast Guard Pier boat launch. Within 30 to 50 feet of water, anglers were trolling spoons and Spin-n-Glos. Good colors to use were blues, greens, oranges, and chartreuse. Salmon were jumping at the Carp River, and anglers were successful with casting green or orange glow-in-the-dark spoons. At Nunns Creek, anglers were using spawn bags and spinner baits. At both locations, the most successful time to fish was an hour before sunrise or an hour after sunset. Good sized perch were caught underneath the Pine River bridge when using night crawlers on slip bobbers.
Little Bay de Noc: Anglers targeting walleye reported fair to good fishing. Anglers were primarily drifting crawler harnesses at slow speeds near drop-offs as well as in relatively shallow water. Walleye catches were reported in the reefs in the upper bay, south of the Ford River, and Minneapolis Shoal. Smallmouth anglers reported good fishing in the upper bay, as well as other places with rocky structure.
Manistique: Anglers reported some salmon success by the “red can” and Barques Point. Anglers fishing near the river mouth for salmon reported slow fishing. There was little salmon activity reported in the river.
Fishing tip: Fishing for muskellunge is a premier challenge
Known as “the fish of 10,000 casts,” muskellunge are a tremendous game fish native to the lakes and streams of Michigan. They are a prized catch to many anglers but present many challenges. But if you do your research and are patient — you could possibly land a big one!
Muskie anglers can choose from a variety of methods, such as trolling, casting or still fishing with live bait. Tackle requirements for muskellunge are stouter than equipment generally used for walleyes and bass. Larger, bulkier lures and fish that exceed 30 pounds or more call for heavier lines and stronger rods. It should be noted that muskie fishing success usually requires more dedication and persistence than for other species.
For more information on muskellunge in Michigan, click here.
This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from Fisheries staff and conservation officers. With more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, not all locations can be listed. However, it is safe to say if a species is being caught in some waters in the area, they are likely being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.