Upper Peninsula Weekly Fishing Report – Feb. 17, 2021

Keweenaw Bay

Anglers recently had better success with catching fish each trip out. Most were catching splake along with the occasional coho, brown trout, lake trout, whitefish and burbot. Anglers have reported seeing smelt but very few have been caught during the day.

Little Bay De Noc

Ice conditions improved, and anglers were fishing all the way down to Escanaba. Lots of anglers are walleye fishing, however catch rates have been spotty. Yellow perch fishing was fair to good.

Munising

Fewer anglers have been out due to bitter cold temperatures. Those that have gone out reported nice catches of coho and quality size splake. Whitefish numbers were low. Those targeting lake trout were starting to head out. Schools of smelt were scattered off Sand Point and the Anna River.

Cedarville and Hessel

Ice conditions off Cedarville were unknown. Anglers were seen in Musky Bay, Cedarville Channel and Government Bay. Catch rates were unknown. Off Hessel, anglers are fishing in the bay however there are some areas that do have considerable snow drifts. Perch fishing slowed but some were still able to find fish up to 10″ when jigging minnows, wax worms and spikes in 14 to 17 feet. No word on splake or pike being harvested.

Techniques to target trout through the ice:

Many anglers look forward to the opportunity to target trout – and not just on April 25 for the statewide opener! Trout fishing through the ice can be quite fun if you use the proper techniques. Consider the following:

Tip-ups

Certain species of trout, particularly brown trout, really gravitate to tip-ups as they linger in shallower water. Consider your depth if you do this type of fishing.

Jigging

Lake trout and brown trout can be attracted easily by jigging with a spoon. For lake trout, use a piece of smelt or sucker as your bait. For brown trout use the head of a minnow.

Don’t want to sit on the ice looking for trout? Then gear up for the open-water season! Find information about Michigan’s trout species.

Continue to use caution. Toward the end of the season ice becomes soft. Although it may still be more than a foot thick, it might not be strong enough to hold someone safely. Never go out alone, take a cell phone, check the ice ahead of you with a spud and pay attention to the weather. For more safety tips visit Michigan.gov/IceSafety.