Check out this week's U.P. fishing report

UPPER PENINSULA
Want a video snapshot of fishing in this area? Check out the Michigan Fishing Forecast 2015 for the Eastern Upper Peninsula and Southern Upper Peninsula!

Northern Luce and Alger County still have snow on the ground, between one and two feet. Some roads are passible, but a majority of the roads are not due to snowpack and ice cover.  The only confirmed accessible roads at this point are County Road 500 towards Little Lake Harbor and County Road 414 to County Road 423 to the mouth of the Two Hearted River.  A majority of the trout lakes will still be ice covered for the trout opener.  The roads in Chippewa County should be open however the trout lakes near Lake Superior will most likely still have ice on them.  The roads in Mackinac County should be open.  Lakes to the south end of the Upper Peninsula should be open for the weekend.  M-28 could be used as a divider for lakes open or not.  Expect all streams and rivers to be high and muddy.  

Copper Harbor:  Fishing is very slow.  The harbor was about half full of pack ice and strong winds keep moving it around.  It was along the west end making it impossible to launch a boat.  Eagle Harbor has no ice issues but steelhead fishing was slow.  

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers fishing the Falls River in L’Anse did manage to catch a few fish.  Those fishing off the rock dock caught a few coho, steelhead and splake when using spawn, crawlers, spoons or spinners.  Boat anglers trolling near the head of the bay caught a mix of coho, chinook, brown trout, steelhead and splake.  In the South Portage Entry, those jigging off the lighthouse in 120 to 180 feet caught lake trout.  

Menominee: Brown trout were caught in good numbers off the Lighthouse Pier and north of the Menominee River when using #7 rapalas in various colors in six to 10 feet.  Fish as large as 28 inches and 12 pounds have been caught.  

Menominee River: Brown trout were caught on rapalas and stick baits.  Most anglers are now concentrating on walleye in the lower river when using jigs and minnows.  Walleye and brown trout were caught at the Hattie Street Dam.  

Little Bay De Noc:  Anglers have just started boat fishing.  The docks are in at Rapid River, the Ford River and the Gladstone Yacht Harbor.  There could still be some floating ice in the bay so boat anglers will still need to use caution.  Perch anglers caught small fish on crawlers in 10 to 25 feet.  Steelhead anglers fishing the Bark River, Days River and the Whitefish River are starting to catch some fish.  

Big Bay De Noc:  Had no reports.  Garden Bay is still iced over but should break up any day now.  The only launch open is at Ogontz.  The Sturgeon River is very high and only being fished north of US-2.  Many anglers are waiting for Garden Bay and the great perch fishery.

Marquette:  For the most part the area is ice free except for shoreline ice that has blown towards the mouth of the Chocolay River.  Catch rates were very slow with only a few anglers taking one to three fish which were mainly coho and Chinook.  Most of the fish were caught by boat anglers fishing the “Bubblers” at the Upper Harbor, outside the Lower Harbor breakwall and between the Carp River and the Chocolay River.  Jig fishing produced more than trolling.  A few lake trout were caught in 80 to 100 feet east of Marquette, towards the White Rocks and north towards Granite Island.  Boats are trolling spoons and crank baits 20 to 30 feet down in 50 to 60 feet.  The area towards the Sand River and Shot Point is ice free except for the shoreline.  Ice is still present along Shelter Bay, Au Train Bay and the Rock River remains ice locked however there are pressure cracks.

Munising: Changing weather, strong wind and melting ice has limited angler activity.  Ice conditions in the bay are still not safe!  Around the shoreline there is open water however some thin ice still remains locked in the bay.  Reports from around the bay indicate poor to fair catch results on a mixed bag of fish.  Many in small boats are fishing in 20 to 30 feet near the mouth of the Anna River where the occasional steelhead, coho and splake were caught by those still-fishing or jigging spawn and worms.  Whitefish reports were down.  Try spawn or worms on the bottom.  Trout Bay has not been fished and efforts at Bay Furnace were low as 4WD is still needed to get for access to the road.  No word on smelt.  

Grand Marais: The ice was blowing out of the bay including ice near the boat launch and the channel so anglers can start launching boats.  The ice is gone near the Sucker River as well.

Mackinac County:  Smelt action has been nonexistent at this point.  Water temperatures on the Carp River were 36 degrees and Nunn’s Creek was 41 degrees.  The cold nights and rain will lower those water temperatures.  The Black River had some steelhead activity but the bite was slow.  Water levels were high. 

The Weekly Fishing Report is intended to give anglers an ”idea” of what is going on around the state. Updates for the report come from our DNR Fisheries Creel Clerks (seasonal staff) and field staff as well as DNR Conservation Officers working in in the field. General information when available can be found in the first paragraph for each section of the report. For those looking for specific information on a certain body of water or port, it is safe to say if a certain species is being caught in some waters in the area, more than likely they are being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species.  

While we would love to include all waters and ports of the state that simply is not possible, especially with more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams. 

Trout season begins Saturday

Multiple openers kick Michigan fishing season into high gear
Michigan Department of Natural Resources would like to remind anglers to dust off their fishing gear and get ready for the opening of two fishing seasons Saturday, April 25. The statewide trout season and the Lower Peninsula inland walleye, northern pike and muskellunge seasons all open that day. 

Anglers are reminded that in Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye, northern pike and muskellunge seasons open Friday, May 15.
Please note, due to recent regulation changes the catch-and-immediate-release season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is now open all year on all waters (unless otherwise closed to fishing). The possession season for bass opens statewide Saturday, May 23, except for Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River, which open Saturday, June 20.
Fishing is a major economic driver in many parts of the state. Each year in Michigan, anglers typically spend 28 million days on the water and generate $4.4 billion in economic activity which generates $623 million in local, state and federal tax revenue. On top of that, sportfishing in Michigan is estimated to support nearly 38,000 jobs.
The new license season began April 1, so anglers need to be sure they have purchased a new fishing license for this fishing season. The 2015 fishing licenses are valid through March 31, 2016.
The 2015 Michigan Fishing Guide and Inland Trout & Salmon Maps are available online. Visit the DNR website at michigan.gov/fishingguide for more information. 

Going fishing? Be careful out there

Michigan Department of Natural Resources urges anglers to use caution when planning trips on Michigan’s rivers and streams this winter. Winter fishing for trout and steelhead can be challenging and rewarding, but cold air temperatures can cause sudden and significant changes in flows in rivers and streams.

According to DNR fisheries biologist Kyle Kruger, temperature effects are most pronounced at times of very cold air temperatures, particularly below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if areas with extreme nighttime cold temperatures alternate with warmer days.

"When nights are very cold and clear, rivers can see extensive freezing and often ice dams form," Kruger said. "These dams cause water to back up the streams, reducing flow downstream, and can be quickly released if temperatures rise above freezing during the daytime hours. This can cause unpredictable and often sudden flow changes."

Kruger said this phenomenon is noticeable on the middle to lower Au Sable River in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula. "The middle Au Sable River is particularly susceptible to the influences of cold weather, more so than some of the state’s other winter steelhead streams," he added.

Extensive ice damming and anchor ice formation can occur below Mio Dam (Oscoda County), particularly in the area around McKinley, during periods when air temperatures are below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically, these ice-damming events cause unusually low flows to be seen below Foote Dam (Iosco County).

"We want anglers to remember that the colder the weather, the more unpredictable flows will be in some of Michigan’s rivers," Kruger said. "Please use appropriate caution if you're planning fishing trips during these periods."

DNR fisheries staff strongly recommends that when planning for a winter fishing trip to one of the state’s streams, anglers should check on river conditions and weather forecasts locally. Air temperatures below 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit are likely to create conditions for more difficult fishing, particularly from a boat.

Flow and water temperature data for many of Michigan’s larger steelhead streams have real-time gauges which can be checked online through the U.S. Geological Survey.

There also are many weather-related websites that can provide forecasts for anticipated air temperatures that can help you better plan for expected conditions. Take advantage of Michigan’s world-class fishing opportunities – even in winter! Start planning a trip at www.michigan.gov/fishing.