Michigan's Best Bets for Fishing
Our state has a great variety of fishing opportunities. Here's a game plan for you to take advantage of as many options as possible in the next 12 months.
| 2004 FISHING CALENDAR
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By Mike Gnatkowski
I don't know of any state that has the variety of fishing opportunities that Michigan does. Because of this, you need to have a game plan to take advantage of as many options as possible. The following is a calendar that should help in planning your angling adventures for the next year.
JANUARY
Portage Lake Pike Marquette County's 9,640-acre Portage Lake is considered one of the best in Michigan for trophy northern pike through the ice. "First ice seems to be the best," said Paul Schuster of Dick's Favorite Sports. Schuster suggested trying the area near Pike Bay, which produces the first safe ice by Christmas. Later, anglers spread out along the dropoff along U.S. Highway 41 north of Chassell and in Torch Bay along Laminrande Shoal. Ice conditions on Portage can be tricky. Currents make it imperative that you use extreme caution and wear an inflatable flotation device. Key is to locate isolated weedbeds where big northerns cruise the edges or lie in wait. For more information, contact Dick's Favorite Sports in Houghton at (906) 482-0412 or on the Web at www.dicksfavoritesports.com.
Little Bay de Noc Walleyes Big walleyes are the ticket once safe ice forms in late December or early January. Best locations are the reefs right off Gladstone. Concentrate on the reefs in 10 to 25 feet of water. Start shallow and then work deeper in the morning. Reverse the process in the evening. Jigging spoons like Swedish Pimple, Do Jiggers and Jigging Rapalas score. Contact: Bay Shore Resort, (906) 428-9687, www.bay-shore-resort.com.
Pere Marquette Lake Steelhead Ice-anglers use Slammer tip-ups to suspend wigglers or spawn bags in front of cruising steelhead. Concentrate on the marshy east end of the lake in 5 to 10 feet of water. Use some floaters in your bags to suspend it just off bottom. The rainbows will average 6 to 10 pounds, but fish topping 15 pounds are common. Contact: Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1-800-542-4600.
Photo by Ron Sinfelt
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FEBRUARY
Kalkaska County Trout Lakes "Kalkaska County has an abundance of really nice trout lakes that don't see a lot of fishing pressure, especially in the winter," said Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor Tom Rozich. Lakes like Bear, Starvation, Big Twin, Big Guernsey and Blue receive regular plants of browns, rainbows, splake and lake trout. The trout can be caught using a variety of methods. Slammers or tip-ups work well for targeting bottom-hugging lake trout. Splake, browns and rainbows tend to suspend more and can be caught with baits suspended below a bobber or by jigging. Minnows, wigglers and larva all take their share of fish. A flasher or graph can be a big help. Contact: Jack's Sport Shop, (231) 258-8892.
Lake Mitchell Crappies The black crappie population on Wexford County's Lake Mitchell has exploded in recent years. Specks in the 10- to 14-inch range are common, and ice-anglers take limits with regularity during February. Lively shiner minnows are a top choice, but larva works, too. Contact: Pilgrim's Village, (231) 775-5412.
Saginaw Bay Walleyes Last year's cold winter produced ideal conditions on Saginaw Bay, and ice-anglers hammered the big walleyes. Look for some hot action from Linwood all the way around to Caseville. Early in the month look for 'eyes in the 17- to 24-foot depths straight out or a little southeast from the Linwood Road access. Later the walleyes will begin moving shallower during the pre-spawn. You can catch them then in as little as 4 feet of water. Early and late in the day are best. Contact: Frank's Great Outdoors, (989) 697-5341, www.franksgreatoutdooors.com.
MARCH
Houghton Lake Panfish "The panfish fishing on Houghton was phenomenal last winter," said Lenny Kauffman of Lenny's Sporting Goods in Houghton Lake. Treatments to kill off weeds during 2002 have eliminated a lot of the cover in which panfish used to hide. Fewer weeds also mean less food. Expect to catch 'gills in the 7- to 9-inch range. The hottest panfish action on Houghton takes place on last ice. Kauffman said that a good location is off Houghton Lake Heights on the south shore. Big bluegills and sunfish can be caught in as little as 4 feet of water. Platter-sized crappies can be found in slightly deeper water. Ice remains safe well into April. Contact: Lenny's Sporting Goods, (989) 422-3845.
Crystal Lake Lakers It takes most of the winter for 9,711-acre Crystal Lake to freeze. But when it does, it serves up some outstanding trout fishing. The Benzie County lake receives regular plants of laker, brown and rainbow trout. Best locations for lake trout are from Lobb Road to Railroad Point on the south side of the lake and from Herdman's Point to the Warren Road access on the north side. Concentrate on the 70- to 100-foot depths. Shiners or smelt on tip-ups or Slammers produce lakers that will range from 5 to 10 pounds. Rainbows and browns frequent the 10- to 40-foot depths off Beulah and where creeks enter the lake. Try wigglers or spawn suspended off bottom. Contact: Benzie County Chamber of Commerce, 1-800-882-5806.
Wigwam Bay Perch Perch invade the shallows off the mouth of the Pine River at last ice. The big perch will crowd into as little as 2 feet of water. Use a strip of belly meat on a spoon to keep your line in the water and perch under the hole. Contact: DNR Southern Lake Huron Management Unit, (989) 684-9141.
APRIL
Detroit River Walleyes Schools of spawning walleyes begin entering the Detroit River in April. Fat pre-spawn females topping 10 pounds are common during the first two weeks of the month. Good catches continue through May. Vertical jigging with 3/8- to 1/2-ounce leadhead jigs sweetened with a minnow is a proven tactic. Use a trolling motor to slip the current, trying to keep your line as vertical as possible. Many anglers fish the Trenton Channel off the warmwater discharge, but fish are available throughout the river. For information on fishing success, live bait and licenses, contact Trenton Lighthouse Tackle at (734) 675-7080.
Manistee Brown Trout Manistee has a well-deserved reputation for spring brown trout. Every year, fish topping 20 pounds are taken. Anglers troll the harbor mouth along the color line, south to Gurney and Cooper creeks and north to Bar Lake. Ply the 6- to 12-foot depths and use a surface temperature gauge to find the warmest water possible. Body baits that imitate baitfish are hot lures. To book a spring brown trout charter, contact Capt. Mike Cnudde at (231) 723-4063 or on the Web at www.decoycharters.com.
Muskegon River Steelhead The Muskegon River from Croton Dam to Newaygo has some of the finest spawning habitat in our state, and fresh runs of steelies seek out the gravel runs in April. Most anglers sight-fish for rainbows visible on spawning redds. Anglers use either spinning gear or fly rods to bounce bottom with spawn or flies. If the water is up and discolored, drift-boaters or anglers who drop-back plugs take limits. Contact: Parsley's Sport Shop, (231) 652-6986.
MAY
St. Joseph Salmonids Spring trout and salmon go on a feeding binge off St. Joseph in May. The attraction is warm water spilling from the mighty St. Joseph River and the discharge of the Cook Plant near Bridgman. Baitfish seek out the tepid water, and salmonids are not far behind. The catch is a smorgasbord of silvery cohos, kings, lake trout, steelhead and the occasional brown trout. A proven tactic early in the month is to troll the beach in 5 to 15 feet of water with in-line planers and shallow-set Dipsey Divers. The rigs account for limits of cohos and browns then. Later, chinooks begin to school near the pierheads and in the 40- to 60-foot depths. Shallow-set downriggers, divers and lead-core lines are good then for salmon in the 5- to 20-pound range. As waters warm, anglers head offshore for a smorgasbord of steelhead, cohos and lakers. For more information, contact Tackle Haven at (616) 925-0341.
Cass Lake Smallmouths Open to catch-and-release fishing, anglers can get a jump on the bass season on Oakland County's Cass Lake. It contains plenty of 4-pound-plus smallies that perk up in May. Anglers work weedlines and boat docks with tube jigs and crankbaits. Twenty- to 30-fish days aren't uncommon. Anglers can access the lake via Dodge No. 4 State Park. Contact: KD Outdoors, (248) 666-7799.
Tittabawassee River Walleyes Anglers will find plenty of walleyes in the "Titt" after the season opens in April. Post-spawn males hold in the river through May. Vertical jig with leadhead jigs and half a night crawler for 'eyes that will average 1 1/2 to 3 pounds. Limits are the norm. Access is at Imerman Park, Center Street and Wicks Park.
JUNE
Au Sable River Brown Trout Giant Hexagenia mayflies that hatch in late June cause brown trout to go on a feeding binge on the South Branch of the Au Sable River in Roscommon County. The flies hatch on muggy nights, and big browns can be heard slurping the hapless flies. Bushy No. 4 or No. 6 dry flies that imitate the "Hex" flies and stout leaders are needed to horse trout that routinely top 5 pounds. The 11-mile section of the Mason Tract offers easy wading and mud banks that harbor the burrowing mayflies. Contact: Gate's Au Sable Lodge, (989) 348-8462.
Gene's Pond Largemouths An impoundment of the East Branch of the Sturgeon River, Dickinson County's Gene's Pond is loaded with flooded timber, weedlines and stumps that offer ideal largemouth bass cover. Topwaters and buzzbaits produce plenty of bucketmouths in the 3- to 4-pound range.
Lake Erie Walleyes June's stable weather makes it an ideal time to catch Lake Erie's plentiful walleyes. Use deep-diving crankbaits behind inline boards over 10 to 15 feet of water off Luna Pier, Bolles Harbor and Monroe. Most fish will be 1 1/2- to 3-pound eaters.
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