Greg Keefer.

OCTOBER
Walleyes
St. Joseph River
Walleye for walleye, few Michigan rivers can match the St. Joe.One of the best times to tag a limit of ‘eyes is during the pre-spawn period in the late fall and early winter when the fish are moving in from Lake Michigan, especially in the lower section. A few fish are upriver by this time and more are on their way. These migrating walleyes have a 25-mile stretch between Lake Michigan and the Berrien Springs Dam where all upstream progress is stopped.

The St. Joe is especially good for walleyes below the Berrien Springs Dam where they’re forced to congregate. There is also plenty of good fishing from Colon in St. Joseph County all the way down to Lake Michigan.

The St. Joe empties into Lake Michigan near the city bearing its name. The river meanders through the Lower Peninsula on its westward journey, and then dips across the Indiana state line. About 50 miles east of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, the river crosses back into Michigan in Berrien County.

For more information, contact the DNR’s Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit at (269) 685-6851.

NOVEMBER
Steelhead
Au Sable River
Steelhead are well on their way up the Au Sable River by November. Action picks up as the fish move out of Lake Huron and into the 20-mile stretch of river that ends at the Foote Dam. Though steelies are found in this stretch of river all year long, the numbers shoot up in the late fall.

Steelhead usually reach 10 or more pounds and anglers can expect to find many of them once the run picks up steam. By mid-November, the largest numbers of fish are in the river.

The best fishing has been from Foote Dam downstream to the Whirlpool landing with most of the fish being in the deeper gravel. As water levels rise, the fish swim farther upstream. During periods of low water, they’ll hold up in the deepest water they can find. These deep holes are concentration points where anglers can roll a wax worm, spawn bag or earthworm for some nice-sized fish.

High-water hotspots are hard to pinpoint, since the trout are moving.

For more information, contact The Dam Store tackle shop (989) 739-9979 in Oscoda.

December
Crappies
Union Lake
Crappies attract many ice-fishermen in December when there’s safe ice. Bonus fish include bluegills and yellow perch that are often taken in shallow water.

Locals like to hit the hardwater for papermouths the first hour or two after sunset. Most anglers head for home at dusk, but the Union Lake crappie bite is just getting underway.

Try setting tip-ups right out from the boat ramp or on the shallower water on the northwestern and eastern edges of the lake. Many of the fish are taken in 5 to 10 feet of water.

At other times, anglers will find schools of cold-water crappies suspending in the depths. Be willing to work the water and keep moving until you connect with fish.

Union Lake is a short drive for Detroit-area anglers in Oakland County. The lake covers 465 acres of fish-producing water with excellent yields of crappies.

Occasionally, the lake will yield a walleye or redear sunfish.

State-owned public access is located on the north shore near the intersection of Union Lake Road and Locklin Lane.

Contact the Michigan Boat Works at (810) 632-7933 for more information.

Find more about Michigan fishing and hunting at: MichiganSportsmanMag.com