Southwest Lower Peninsula
Overall: Water levels continue to rise in many areas across the St. Joseph, Kalamazoo and Grand River basins. The rivers are expected to crest by the end of the week and into the weekend. Anglers will need to use caution when fishing the rivers.
St. Joseph River: Water levels were very high after all the rain and there is a lot of debris in the river. Boaters should use caution. A small number of steelhead were moving through the fish ladders.
Grand River at Grand Rapids: Water levels are up and that makes fishing a little more difficult. Anglers caught a few walleye and the occasional steelhead. Panfish anglers continue to target the slow backwaters.
Muskegon River: Water temperatures were up into the low to mid 50’s. Brown trout and some steelhead were caught.
Northeast Lower Peninsula
Ocqueoc River: Had light fishing pressure but those using beads caught steelhead up near the weir.
Black River: Those floating spawn for steelhead near the mouth had no luck.
Au Sable River: Water temperatures in the lower river were in the upper 50’s. Atlantic salmon were caught when casting spoons and trolling plugs through the holes in Oscoda. The steelhead bite slowed but there was still a good number of fish in the system. Anglers did well when drifting flies, wobble-glo’s and beads. Yarn eggs, black stonefly nymphs, and caddis nymphs were good fly patterns. Carp and suckers were also caught by those drifting flies but the sucker run has slowed.
Northwest Lower Peninsula
Overall: Steelhead fishing is slowing down, as most have now spawned and are headed back to the big lake. Inland lake fishing remains good. Walleye were caught in Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. Walleye and smallmouth bass were caught in Tippy Dam Pond.
Bear River: Steelhead numbers were high at the dam but the action has slowed. Most fish were caught at the dam when using spawn, flies and artificial eggs. There continues to be a lot of suckers in the river.
Traverse City: In the Elk River, steelhead fishing slowed. On the Boardman River, a couple steelhead were caught but the fish were few and far between.
Manistee River: Steelhead fishing is about done as most fish have spawned and are headed back to the big lake.