DNR Fishing Report
Last updated: March 4, 2026
Michigan's new fishing license and regulation season begins Wednesday, April 1, so if you’re planning to hit the water, you’ll need to purchase a new fishing license. The 2026 fishing licenses are available for purchase now and are valid through March 31, 2027.
All anglers 17 years of age and older are required to have a fishing license. Fishing licenses can be purchased at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or by downloading the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app and purchasing your license on the app.
Little Bay de Noc: Anglers reported fair fishing this week. There were reports of walleye in areas from Gladstone into the outer bay. Anglers reported catching fish on shallow flats during the early morning hours and at dusk. They also reported doing well at the bottom of drop-offs. Anglers were using set lines with shiners and sucker minnows, as well as jigging snap-style glide baits and spoons.
Yellow perch fishing improved this week, and anglers reported having the best success fishing the upper bay. They were using wigglers and minnows, fished close to the bottom.
Les Cheneaux Islands: Anglers caught a wide variety of fish throughout the islands. Good numbers of perch were caught in Hessel Bay, Urie Bay, Government Bay, and Moscow Channel. Every day was different, and the fish were on the move. Big pike were reported in Wilderness Bay over the weekend. Anglers also caught a few splake and lake trout, along with a few herring were in Hessel Bay. The perch fishing was reported as hit or miss.
Munising: The coho salmon bite remained steady throughout the bay with anglers reporting good success. The whitefish bite reportedly picked up as anglers reported some success when targeting them. The perch and splake bite was fair with a lot of smaller ones being caught. Anglers did well on smelt, along with a few burbot at night. Popular baits were wax worms and minnows.
Keweenaw Bay: Anglers reported fair to good numbers of both lake trout and cisco being caught, along with a few undersized splake. Success was also reported by those targeting burbot and smelt within the last week. Coho salmon and whitefish anglers reported slow fishing, with better success noted during the morning hours. Common baits among successful anglers included minnows, spawn, cut herring, and smelt.
Fishing tip: Changing winds
Pay close attention to wind direction. In March, strong winds can push slightly warmer surface water and baitfish into certain shorelines or bays, concentrating walleye and perch in those areas. Fishing the windblown side of a lake or bay can often produce better results than calm water.
Also, don’t be afraid to move frequently. Early spring fish tend to roam, so drilling multiple holes on the ice or making short moves by boat can help you stay on active fish instead of waiting for them to come to you.
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.