Upper Peninsula Fishing Report for the Week of July 1, 2020

Keweenaw Bay: Those targeting salmon and lake trout had some success, though most of the fish caught were lake trout. The action off Baraga was slow, but anglers are marking fish. Lake trout have been caught out of Traverse Bay and Huron Bay, but no limit catches were reported.

Marquette: Those targeting lake trout have done well near Granite Island, the Pinnacles and toward the Clay Banks. Coho and a few brown trout also have been caught. Those fishing near Shot Point marked fish but had no luck. Catch rates were moderate near Stannard Rock with smaller lake trout caught.

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye fishing was still a bit slow because of all the baitfish and fly hatches. Most fished near the mouth of the Whitefish River when trolling crawlers or stick baits in 22 feet and the mouth of the Escanaba River in 20 feet. Many were small, but some caught fish up to 20 inches. Smallmouth bass were caught near U.S. 2 in the Gladstone Bay area and the east bank area off the Days River when casting plastics in 4 to 10 feet. Perch anglers reported some good catches at Kipling using crawlers or minnows along the edge of the reefs in 28 feet. Bass were caught in the Ford River.

Manistique: Salmon anglers reported few catches with baitfish in the area. Best fishing was for lake trout 60 feet down in 100 feet and steelhead just outside the pier. Good smallmouth action in the river when casting plastics or crawlers.

Manistique Lake: Walleye, pike and bass have been caught in both lakes.

Munising: Had little fishing activity. A couple boats trolling the bay and West Channel for lake trout caught very few. Try trolling the drop-off near Grand Island, the White Rocks or the Wood Island Reef area. For Chinook or coho, try the West Channel.  Those fishing off the Anna River dock reported no catches.

St. Marys River: Good catches of walleye were noted in Carlton Creek, which is just south of the Raber boat launch. Use a crawler harness with a bottom bouncer in 8 to 12 feet near the mouth. Fish also were caught near Round Island, which is on the north end of Lime Island. Target the weed beds in 8 to 12 feet with shiner minnows under a slip bobber.

Detour: Salmon and trout fishing improved, as it appears more Atlantic salmon have moved into the mouth of the river from Lake Huron. A few Chinook, coho and steelhead also were caught when trolling from the lighthouse east. Fish the underwater hump halfway between the lighthouse and the first red buoy on the Drummond Island side.  The hump rises from 70 to 90 feet and seems to hold baitfish for salmon. Fish throughout the water column with lead core and orange and gold spoons with black ladder backs 15 to 60 feet down. A few Chinook were taken on purple and black spoons 55 feet down in 80 to 100 feet.

Cedarville and Hessel: A fly hatch is underway. There were no reports of yellow perch caught in Cedarville Bay. The new parking lot is open for anglers to park vehicles and boat trailers. Anglers are starting to take a few cisco in McKay Bay on a teardrop tipped with a wax worm two to three cranks off the bottom in 12 to 14 feet. Jigging usually works best, and anglers can try 4 to 5 feet down. For Atlantic salmon, try just west of the Cedarville Stone Quarry, at Boot Island and Coryell Island when trolling small squid or fly-type baits in 25 to 40 feet. Young anglers will want to try shore fishing off Hill Island Road, where two fishing platforms offer easy access to Flower Bay. For Hessel, large schools of yellow perch were moving into the Hessel Marina.

St. Ignace: Had no reports, as water temperatures in the straits were 58 degrees at the surface and 55 degrees about 60 feet down. Walleye fishing slowed in the Pine River, but those drifting a crawler harness with leeches at the rapids caught fish. On the Carp River, pier anglers caught a couple walleye when bottom-bouncing with leeches.