Upper Peninsula Weekly Fishing Report – April 14, 2021

Ontonagon: Fishing was a little slow over the past week as inclement weather slowed activity. Anglers that made it out found mixed bags of salmon and trout but no big numbers. There were no reports of smelt in area rivers.

Little Bay De Noc: Perch anglers are out and getting fish near Kipling.  Those fishing the Ford River and the Day’s River are targeting steelhead.

Big Bay De Noc: Anglers were getting some perch in Garden Bay.

Manistique River: Was producing some nice steelhead.

Munising: Shore and pier anglers reported a few catches of coho and splake when using spawn bags. Fishing pressure continues to be high, especially on the weekends.  Boat anglers did not do as well as coho catches were sporadic. The occasional splake, brown trout or steelhead were caught. A few boats found coho when casting or trolling crankbaits in 10 feet or less.

Grand Marais: Pier anglers have caught whitefish and a few coho. The whitefish bite is somewhat slow with most fish 10 to 13 inches. The best action came on noodle rods with a single egg. Boat anglers are trolling mainly within the harbor or to the east between Lonesome Point and the Blind Sucker River. Those targeting lake trout near the shipping channels reported good catches. Water temps are still extremely cold at 34 degrees plus or minus.

Cedarville and Hessel: There were no reports for Cedarville this week. From Hessel, one angler trolling crankbaits in Wilderness Bay caught lake trout up to 10 pounds and a small splake. No pier anglers were seen.

Carp River: A few anglers were looking for smelt running at the mouth. A steelhead and a brook trout were caught at the McDonald Rapids when drifting spawn or yarn.

Fishing Tip: Eyes in the field

What’s this oily sheen in the water? If it shatters when you poke it with a stick, it’s likely due to natural bacterial processes. If it clings together, take a picture, note your location and report it to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS).