BIG & LITTLE BAYS DE NOC

“The Big and Little Bays de Noc are probably some of the most overlooked waters for big pike,” said Mike Herman, the fisheries biologist supervisor for the Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit in the southern half of the U.P. “If you can find weedbeds in these waters, you can get into some big pike. A lot of anglers avoid these waters because they’re so big. You’ve heard the old adage of big baits for big fish.” The biologist recommends using a chub or sucker minnow under a bobber next to a weedbed to draw a strike.

Both bays on Lake Michigan have extremely clear water.

Little Bay de Noc covers over 30,000 acres along the southern shore of the U.P. It has inflowing rivers, rocky shoals and breaklines to the south. Pike are taken along the shoreline near the Rapid River and Kipling in the upper part of the bay.

Big Bay de Noc features miles of weedlines, islands and shoals that harbor some monster-sized northern pike, with some especially productive fishing in the smaller bays on the west side of the Garden Peninsula. There’s plenty of room to roam here, with over 90,000 acres of water. Target monster-sized pike along the eastern and western shorelines by the dropoffs. In the upper section, concentrate efforts in smaller bays such as Ogontz and Martin bays and off Nahma. In the lower section, the area off Fayette State Park produces northerns. Weedbeds, sandbars dropping off into deeper water, shallow bays and submerged points are always good bets.

Contact the Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit by calling (906) 786-2351.

* * *

Now is the time to go for open-water pike, and these waters are some of the best that Michigan has to offer. More information can be found on the DNR’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr. For assistance in finding lodging and other local amenities, contact Travel Michigan at 1-888-784-7328 or on the Web at www.travel.michigan.org.