Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported some success casting jerk baits, using electronics to position their lures close to target fish. Anglers also caught walleye slow-trolling crawler harnesses near drop-offs. Perch anglers found success near reefs and river mouths, as well as locating schools along the deep sides of drop-offs and roaming in basin-like areas.

Big Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported slow fishing, but noted large-sized catches. Smallmouth bass anglers reported good fishing with soft plastics. Some anglers noted using a drop-shot rig caught many fish this week, with natural colors being the most productive.

St. Ignace: There were no reports of lake trout last week due to inclement weather. When conditions improved, anglers tried trolling spoons or Spin-N-Glos along the northwest and west sides of Mackinac Island at depths between 50 and 80 feet. No salmon were reported. At the Carp River, undersized walleye were caught while floating leeches. At the Pine River, walleye anglers caught at least one fish when trolling nightcrawler harnesses or floating nightcrawlers and leeches. Most boat anglers spent their time near the mouth of the river. Shore anglers also floated leeches, with reports of walleye biting throughout the day. In addition, rock bass, perch, and bullheads were caught by anglers targeting walleye.

Grand Marais: The lake trout bite remained steady for boat anglers trolling and jigging at deeper depths. Boat anglers also reported catching some northern pike in West Bay. Fishing pressure on the break wall slowed down significantly, but the few anglers who fished there reported catching lake whitefish and round whitefish.

Ontonagon River: Fishing efforts on the river were strong over the past week, with walleye reportedly caught in fair numbers. Recent rainfall had left the river cloudy, which slowed fish activity. Most anglers preferred trolling, although some also found success jigging.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: Angling efforts from Ontonagon were fair over the past week, while Union Bay and Silver City saw less activity. Recent catches consisted primarily of lake trout, with occasional coho salmon mixed in. These fish were caught by anglers trolling at various depths.

Black River Harbor: Fishing efforts out of the harbor were low over the past week. Reported catches consisted of coho salmon and lake trout in low numbers. Anglers found the best success when trolling across a variety of water depths.

Keweenaw Bay/ Huron Bay: Anglers reported catching good numbers of coho salmon as well as an occasional Chinook salmon in the last week. These were caught trolling spoons and flasher/flies in the upper 50 feet of the water column. Those fishing for lake trout were successful when trolling and jigging both natural and artificial presentations in 50 to 150 feet of water.

Marquette: There were very few anglers around Marquette this week due to heat, wind, and thunderstorms. The coho salmon and Chinook salmon bite remained very slow, with only a few coho salmon reported caught but none seen firsthand. Anglers trolling for lake trout east of the White Rocks toward Granite Island reported catching lake trout high in the water column, in 100 to 130 feet of water. Most of the lake trout were caught around 25 feet down on 5-color spoons.

Au Train: Only one angler report was received in Au Train. This angler had a limit of lake trout in two and a half hours, trolling for lake trout in around 120 to 150 feet deep Northeast of Au Train Island, out in the flats.

Traverse Bay/Portage Entry: Anglers reported catches of lake trout and whitefish while jigging between 80 and 150 feet of water. Anglers reported greater success when using natural bait. Anglers trolling spoons and flasher/flies caught lake trout as well as coho salmon and Chinook salmon. They had the most success in 60 to 90 feet of water.

Les Cheneaux Islands/DeTour: Anglers in Hessel caught perch using worms, minnows, and leeches. Smallmouth bass were also caught off the pier. Boat anglers reported good numbers of smallmouth bass and pike in the shallows of Cedarville and Hessel. In Detour, anglers had success with lake trout when jigging and trolling in the shallows at depths of 80 to 120 feet. Atlantic salmon and Chinook salmon were targeted trolling near the lighthouse. Atlantic salmon were caught on 3-color lead core lines and in the top 20 feet of the water column.

Munising: Anglers fishing off the pier on the mouth of the Anna River had success on splake and northern pike using spoons and spinners. Boat anglers reported a slow bite but did catch some Chinook salmon and lake trout trolling near Grand Island.

UP counties: Walleye and panfish were caught on inland lakes. Walleye and bass were caught at the head of Little Bay de Noc. Salmon and steelhead were caught on Lake Michigan. The St. Mary’s River near DeTour and Drummond Island saw good numbers of Atlantic salmon, and smallmouth bass being caught. While numbers were lower, anglers caught good size perch on Big Manistique Lake.

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Fishing tip: Change Up Your Retrieve!

If the bite is slow, don’t be afraid to vary your retrieve speed or add pauses when using lures. Sometimes a sudden stop-and-go motion or a faster retrieve can trigger a reaction strike from hesitant fish. Experimenting with your presentation can turn a quiet outing into a productive one.