Tuesday is voting day

Proposal 15-1 on all ballots statewide

Voters across Michigan will head to the polls this coming Tuesday to decide a statewide ballot question. Find your polling location and track your absentee ballot at the Michigan Voter Information Center at www.Michigan.gov/vote. You also can view your sample ballot to see if your community or school district has other items on the ballot.

Headed west on US 2?

Work on US 2 bridge begins today

 

COUNTY:

Delta

 

HIGHWAY:

US-2

 

CLOSEST CITY:

Rapid River

                                  

ESTIMATED STARTING DATE:

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

                      

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE:

Monday, June 1, 2015

 

PROJECT:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will perform railing repair work on the US-2 bridge over the Rapid River.

 

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS:

The project will require the work crew to close the eastbound outside lane of US-2 on the bridge. Vehicles wider than 14 feet will be restricted from using the bridge. 

 

Roadside parks opening soon

Most U.P. roadside parks opening Monday

 

Fast Facts:

- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) owns and maintains 32 roadside parks in the Upper Peninsula.

- U.P. roadside parks usually open in mid- to late April each year.

- Opening of some U.P. roadside parks will be delayed this year due to late spring snow, cold weather and wet conditions.

 

April 24, 2015 -- Most roadside parks operated by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in the Upper Peninsula will open April 27. The nine parks located in Luce, Alger, Chippewa and Schoolcraft counties will remain closed until remaining snow melts, facilities thaw and water recedes. Those parks are tentatively set to open May 1.

             "We try to reopen roadside parks as early in the spring as possible," said MDOT Superior Region Transportation Maintenance Coordinator Charlie Heidt. "This year, due to lingering winter conditions, we have decided to hold off on opening some of the parks until a little later."

           MDOT maintains 32 roadside parks in the U.P. They usually close in late October and reopen in mid- to late April.

             For a map and complete list of MDOT roadside parks, visit www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9622_11033_52552---,00.html.

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. 

Tips on fly fishing now available

Weekly Fishing Tip: New to fly fishing? Buying equipment doesn't have to be intimidating!
Many would-be anglers find fly fishing to be a tad intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Part of the intimidation relates to purchasing the necessary equipment, which can get quite expensive. But there are really just a few items you need to make your experience successful!

Obviously the rod is most critical component needed. Many sources encourage anglers to find an option between $100 and $200. The next critical component is the reel, available as a separate purchase from the rod or bought together as a combo. The last necessary item you will need is fly line!

Additional equipment you might need when fly fishing include something to cut the fly line (such as fingernail clippers), polarized sunglasses so you can see better into the water you are fishing, and a hat with a brim to protect you from the elements. You should include a selection of both dry and wet flies in an easy-to-access container, needle-nose pliers or a hemostat to help remove the hook, and a license valid for the area you are fishing. Also, unless you have a boat you most likely will need to get into the water when fly fishing so waders will be necessary to have as well. And don't forget your sunscreen and bug spray!

Want even more info on fly fishing in Michigan? Check out the DNR’s How-To Go Fly Fishing website!

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. 

Be alert to bears on the move

Spring weather has bears, other wildlife on the move

Spring is here, which brings warmer temperatures, longer days and wildlife emerging from their winter homes. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds residents that black bears are among those animals that are now awake and have left their dens.

At this time of the year, wildlife officials receive many calls about bear sightings and bears damaging bird feeders, trash cans and grills.

"Bears are hungry," said DNR bear specialist Kevin Swanson. "They are looking for food after spending months in their dens. While we might not think of bird feeders and trash cans as food sources, a hungry bear certainly may."

Bird seed especially is attractive to bears because of its high fat content and easy accessibility. Once bird feeders are discovered, bears will keep coming back until the seed is gone or the feeders have been removed.

"The majority of complaints we receive about bears in the spring involve a food source. The easiest thing people can do to avoid problems is to take in their bird feeders and store other attractants like trash cans inside until garbage pickup," Swanson said. "Once the woods green up, bears tend to move on to find more natural sources of food, as long as they haven't become habituated to the bird seed or garbage cans."

Bears that are rewarded with food each time they visit a yard will remember these food sources. This can create an unsafe situation for the bear and become a nuisance for landowners if a bear continuously visits their yards during the day and repeatedly destroys private property in search of food.

“We ask landowners to do their part by eliminating the food sources in their yards,” said Swanson. “Given time and no food reward, a bear will move along on its own.”

Anyone who is experiencing problems with bears and has removed food sources for a period of two to three weeks, but has not seen results, should contact the nearest DNR office and speak with a wildlife biologist or technician for further assistance.

Learn more about Michigan’s black bear and how to prevent potential problems by visiting www.michigan.gov/bear.