Upper Peninsula Weekly Fishing Report – August 18, 2021

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers were catching lake trout, coho, cisco, and Chinook while trolling. Trout were mostly caught in water below 80 feet while the salmon were caught higher in the water column. Try trolling with spoons for salmon in water less than 80 feet.

Union Bay: Anglers were fishing in 150 feet and primarily caught lake trout with a brown trout and coho mixed in. The majority of lake trout coming in were in the three to four pound range with a few 10+ pound fish being reported.

Big Traverse Bay/ South Portage Entry: Anglers were catching Chinook and some lake trout. Fish were caught while trolling as well as jigging. Fish caught jigging were in deeper water while fish caught trolling were in a bit shallower water. Try fishing very early morning or later at night.

Marquette: Decent limits of lake trout were brought in. A few coho were also caught.

Au Train: Limits of lake trout were coming in. Anglers were catching fish in 100 to 160 feet of water. A few coho were also caught.

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers were reporting fair catch rates, with many trolling around the marker off Peninsula Point. Trolling crawler harnesses or crank baits were producing well.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth anglers had success around the islands and at the drop offs. Fair numbers persist of steelhead and Chinook.

St. Ignace/Les Cheneaux:  Anglers out of the St. Ignace area were catching a few small walleye at the Carp River. In Hessel, the perch were still biting at the marina. A few pike were also caught off the pier in Hessel.

Fishing Tip: Glow lures can be popular with Great Lakes salmon

One tactic that can be particularly useful when targeting Chinook is fishing with glow lures. This species often can be caught near the surface in low-light conditions, and glow lures make that opportunity even more appealing.

In particular, glow lures work well in the early morning hours before the sun comes up or at night. Many believe this type of lure attracts salmon because it can be seen in the dark from longer distances and encourages them to strike.