Upper Peninsula Weekly Fishing Report – July 22, 2020

Keweenaw Bay

Anglers fishing Huron, Traverse and Keweenaw bay had similar success. Jigging for lake trout remained somewhat productive, while those trolling picked up a few lake trout and the occasional Chinook salmon.

Marquette

Surface water temperatures are very warm for Lake Superior with the mid-to-upper 60s offshore and above 70 degrees near shore. A few anglers out trying for lake trout did poorly, with only one or two fish taken. Water levels were high at the mouth of the Dead River.

Little Bay De Noc

Walleye catches were best along the “Black Bottom” when trolling crawlers or stick baits along the east bank in 20 to 30 feet; near Breezy Point right along the break; and a little further south near Round Island in 16 to 24 feet. Perch fishing was spotty with only a few caught near the green buoy by the Day’s River and along the First or Second Reefs with crawlers or minnows in 14 to 35 feet. There was good bass action near the mouth of the Whitefish River when casting plastics.

Manistique

Weather conditions have limited anglers. Most salmon anglers are still fishing the buoy area and towards Barques Point at 60 to 90 feet down in 100 to 120 feet. Most boated two to three fish.

Manistique River

There was still some walleye being caught up near the High Dam spill-over when using stick baits, jigs, and crawlers. The breakwall was good for walleye, but many were undersize.

Munising

There were very few anglers. Fishing was slower with only a couple lake trout taken. Fishing off the Anna River dock has been poor this summer with very few fish being caught.

Raber

Anglers had good catches of northern pike along the north shore of Raber Bay when trolling and casting crankbaits or a chrome spoon with a red eye just off the weed beds in the early morning. For perch, anglers were fishing between Big Lime and Little Lime Island in 6 to 8 feet with worms and shiner minnows. Also try a small white rubber body spinner bait near the weeds. There were no reports of lake herring at Lime Island.

Detour

Effort for trout and salmon slowed at the Detour Reef, since most are targeting lake herring. A few caught Atlantic salmon, pink salmon and lake trout two miles south of the Detour Lighthouse.  Lake trout are staging in either direction once you hit the 90-foot flat. East of the lighthouse, head to the first red buoy, which has structure and baitfish for salmon. Stagger your lines from 25 to 40 feet for Atlantics or 52 go 60 feet for Chinook. Fair walleye catches were reported off Sweets Point for those trolling bottom bouncers with shad colored crankbaits in 8 to 12 feet off the points and rocky shelves. Those anchoring and still fishing with a slip bobber and shiners in 8 to 10 feet also caught walleye.

Drummond Island

There were good catches of lake herring on the north side of the island. Try red or brown teardrop jigs tipped with a wax worm in 25 feet near Burnt Island, Pigeon Cove, Fair Banks Point and Butterfield Island.

Cedarville and Hessel

There were no reports of herring at Prentiss Bay or McKay Bay near Cedarville. For smallmouth bass, try the Middle Entrance of the Les Cheneaux Islands or the mouth of Duck Bay when casting spinners or jigging with an orange tube jig in 4 to 6 feet. There were no reports of yellow perch caught throughout Cedarville Bay or the channel that runs parallel to Islington Road. For Hessel, yellow perch could still be found near the finger docks at the marina.

Many are small but anglers have caught bigger fish on worms and small white or chartreuse spinners with a rubber body. Early morning was best. Some nice pike were caught off the Hessel fishing pier when using large minnows or creek chubs 2 cranks off the bottom in 8 feet.

St. Ignace

Those fishing the Pine River caught walleye when trolling and drifting worms or leeches. Many were small. On the Carp River, anglers caught walleye and perch when drifting worms and leeches off the sea wall. A few limit catches of walleye were taken in the early morning.