Post by sam on Apr 4, 2011 16:40:28 GMT -5
DNR Fishing Reports
This page was last updated on APR 04 2011 04:24 P.M.
Lake Michigan
lkmichigan@dnr.in.gov
Description:
N/A
Fish
Chinook salmon or king salmon
Description:
Members of the pacific salmon family, the chinook or king salmon and the coho salmon can be found in Lake Michigan and its tributaries in northern Indiana. Pacific salmons do not feed during spawning, but will strike a lure during their runs. Cohos will spawn in the fall in their third year of life and die, while chinooks will spawn in the fall, winter or spring in the fifth year of life, allowing them to grow larger. The chinook or king salmon teeth are set in dark gums, with black spots on the back and both lobes of the square caudal fin. The chinook or king salmon has 15-17 anal fin rays and averages 30 pounds though some can reach over 100 pounds.
Bait: D&F, hammered sthingys
Depth: 12-22 foot
Comments about fish:
Reports of a very few Kings being taken over the weekend. No real numbers but they should be showing up soon as the water warms and alewife begin moving towards shore. Also some reports of nice browns being taken.
Coho salmon
Description:
Members of the pacific salmon family, the chinook or king salmon and the coho salmon can be found in Lake Michigan and its tributaries in northern Indiana. Pacific salmons do not feed during spawning, but will strike a lure during their runs. Cohos will spawn in the fall in their third year of life and die, while chinooks will spawn in the fall, winter or spring in the fifth year of life, allowing them to grow larger. The teeth of the coho salmon are set in light color gums. The coho salmon has black spots on the upper lobe of a slightly forked caudal fin with 12-15 anal fin rays.
Bait: Lake: Bodybaits, D & F combos, sthingys Shore: N/C, shrimp, squid, wobbler type sthingys
Depth: Lake: 9-18' down Shore: 4' to bottom
Comments about fish:
Anglers continue to catch limits, especially in Indiana’s western portion of LM. Cohos have been caught out front of the E Chicago Marina entrance E to Buffington Harbor, along the Inland Steel Wall & over in the Indiana Shipping Canal on a variety of lures including bodybaits, D/F combos & sthingys fished anywhere from Surface to 16' down. MC boat anglers are also doing well, especially out front of Trail Cr & heading E. Bodybaits & sthingys are the top producing lures fished 12-18' down. Red thin fins and J9 rapalas in orange have been exellent producers. Shore anlgers using spawn are also finding good action from the breakwaters and piers.
Lake Whitefish
Description:
Distributed throughout the Great Lakes, the lake whitefish is a subfamily member of the salmons that spends most of its time in the deep waters of Lake Michigan. This cold-water species moves into shallower waters during early spring and fall to spawn, becoming more accessible to anglers. A popular foodfish, the whitefish has a subtle pearl color on its back and sides and averages 2-5 lbs in size.
Bait: small chunks of skein, pieces of nightcrawlers
Depth: Bottom
Comments about fish:
Anglers catch whitefish off the MC Lighthouse Pier. Top baits include chunks of skein or pieces of N/C fished right on the bottom. With the increase in water temperatures, action has slowed considerably.
Rainbow or steelhead trout
Description:
Ever popular among Indiana anglers is the trout family, which includes the brown, lake and rainbow or steelhead trout. Many fisherman can be spotted on the shores during spawning season when the trout begin their runs into the tributaries. Rainbow or steelhead trout have a white mouth, teeth and gums and small black spots on their backs, sides, and caudal and dorsal fins. The caudal fin margin of the rainbow or steelhead trout is square and the fish has 9-12 anal fin rays.
Bait: Lake: Shrimp Tribs: Shrimp, spawn bags, spinners
Depth: Lake : 4-8' under a bobber Creek: Deeper holes & runs
Comments about fish:
Shore anglers fishing the MC area have seen an increase in the amount of fresh silver steelhead caught over the past weekend off the MC Lighthouse Pier. Top bait for steelhead is shrimp suspended 4-8' underneath a bobber. Nice catches have been reported in the middle/upper reaches of Trail Cr over the past week. Slow action reported on Salt Cr with just a few caught in the upper reaches. Action picked up on the E Br of the Little Cal, upper and middle sections. Top producing baits were egg sacs or shrimp fished just off the bottom in the deeper holes & runs. In addition, spinners with black, brass or silver blades can also be effective for aggressive fish as water temps warm.
Comments about body of water:
Surface water temp in the harbor at MC is middle 40's °F. Water temp of Trail Cr at Friendship Gardens was 45 F°. Just a reminder to all anglers that a portion of Trail Cr & the E Br of the Little Calumet River will be closed to all fishing from April 1 through June 15. This closure allows recently stocked fish to safely migrate downstream to LM. The closed season applies to: The E Br of the Little Calumet River in Porter Co. from US 12 upstream to US 20 & Trail Cr from the Franklin Street Bridge upstream to US 35. Mixsawbah SFH stocked 36,300 brown trout into Trail Cr on 3/30/2011 and will be stocking 130,000 steelhead this week. Please release them safely, since they are our future fishing opportunities.
« DNR Fish & Wildlife Home
This page was last updated on APR 04 2011 04:24 P.M.
Lake Michigan
lkmichigan@dnr.in.gov
Description:
N/A
Fish
Chinook salmon or king salmon
Description:
Members of the pacific salmon family, the chinook or king salmon and the coho salmon can be found in Lake Michigan and its tributaries in northern Indiana. Pacific salmons do not feed during spawning, but will strike a lure during their runs. Cohos will spawn in the fall in their third year of life and die, while chinooks will spawn in the fall, winter or spring in the fifth year of life, allowing them to grow larger. The chinook or king salmon teeth are set in dark gums, with black spots on the back and both lobes of the square caudal fin. The chinook or king salmon has 15-17 anal fin rays and averages 30 pounds though some can reach over 100 pounds.
Bait: D&F, hammered sthingys
Depth: 12-22 foot
Comments about fish:
Reports of a very few Kings being taken over the weekend. No real numbers but they should be showing up soon as the water warms and alewife begin moving towards shore. Also some reports of nice browns being taken.
Coho salmon
Description:
Members of the pacific salmon family, the chinook or king salmon and the coho salmon can be found in Lake Michigan and its tributaries in northern Indiana. Pacific salmons do not feed during spawning, but will strike a lure during their runs. Cohos will spawn in the fall in their third year of life and die, while chinooks will spawn in the fall, winter or spring in the fifth year of life, allowing them to grow larger. The teeth of the coho salmon are set in light color gums. The coho salmon has black spots on the upper lobe of a slightly forked caudal fin with 12-15 anal fin rays.
Bait: Lake: Bodybaits, D & F combos, sthingys Shore: N/C, shrimp, squid, wobbler type sthingys
Depth: Lake: 9-18' down Shore: 4' to bottom
Comments about fish:
Anglers continue to catch limits, especially in Indiana’s western portion of LM. Cohos have been caught out front of the E Chicago Marina entrance E to Buffington Harbor, along the Inland Steel Wall & over in the Indiana Shipping Canal on a variety of lures including bodybaits, D/F combos & sthingys fished anywhere from Surface to 16' down. MC boat anglers are also doing well, especially out front of Trail Cr & heading E. Bodybaits & sthingys are the top producing lures fished 12-18' down. Red thin fins and J9 rapalas in orange have been exellent producers. Shore anlgers using spawn are also finding good action from the breakwaters and piers.
Lake Whitefish
Description:
Distributed throughout the Great Lakes, the lake whitefish is a subfamily member of the salmons that spends most of its time in the deep waters of Lake Michigan. This cold-water species moves into shallower waters during early spring and fall to spawn, becoming more accessible to anglers. A popular foodfish, the whitefish has a subtle pearl color on its back and sides and averages 2-5 lbs in size.
Bait: small chunks of skein, pieces of nightcrawlers
Depth: Bottom
Comments about fish:
Anglers catch whitefish off the MC Lighthouse Pier. Top baits include chunks of skein or pieces of N/C fished right on the bottom. With the increase in water temperatures, action has slowed considerably.
Rainbow or steelhead trout
Description:
Ever popular among Indiana anglers is the trout family, which includes the brown, lake and rainbow or steelhead trout. Many fisherman can be spotted on the shores during spawning season when the trout begin their runs into the tributaries. Rainbow or steelhead trout have a white mouth, teeth and gums and small black spots on their backs, sides, and caudal and dorsal fins. The caudal fin margin of the rainbow or steelhead trout is square and the fish has 9-12 anal fin rays.
Bait: Lake: Shrimp Tribs: Shrimp, spawn bags, spinners
Depth: Lake : 4-8' under a bobber Creek: Deeper holes & runs
Comments about fish:
Shore anglers fishing the MC area have seen an increase in the amount of fresh silver steelhead caught over the past weekend off the MC Lighthouse Pier. Top bait for steelhead is shrimp suspended 4-8' underneath a bobber. Nice catches have been reported in the middle/upper reaches of Trail Cr over the past week. Slow action reported on Salt Cr with just a few caught in the upper reaches. Action picked up on the E Br of the Little Cal, upper and middle sections. Top producing baits were egg sacs or shrimp fished just off the bottom in the deeper holes & runs. In addition, spinners with black, brass or silver blades can also be effective for aggressive fish as water temps warm.
Comments about body of water:
Surface water temp in the harbor at MC is middle 40's °F. Water temp of Trail Cr at Friendship Gardens was 45 F°. Just a reminder to all anglers that a portion of Trail Cr & the E Br of the Little Calumet River will be closed to all fishing from April 1 through June 15. This closure allows recently stocked fish to safely migrate downstream to LM. The closed season applies to: The E Br of the Little Calumet River in Porter Co. from US 12 upstream to US 20 & Trail Cr from the Franklin Street Bridge upstream to US 35. Mixsawbah SFH stocked 36,300 brown trout into Trail Cr on 3/30/2011 and will be stocking 130,000 steelhead this week. Please release them safely, since they are our future fishing opportunities.
« DNR Fish & Wildlife Home