Lake Michigan Fishing Report

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This page was last updated on AUG 09 2010 10:34 A.M.

Lake Michigan Fishing Report
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Description:


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Fish


Channel catfish
Description:
The channel catfish has a smooth scaleless skin and barbels on its face resembling cat whiskers. The barbels help the channel catfish taste and feel objects and enable it to locate food in dark and turbid water. The channel catfish has 24-29 rays in its rounded anal fin. The caudal fin is deeply forked and the fish has dark spots on its sides when young.

Bait: Nightcrawlers, chicken livers, shrimp, commercially prepared bait
Depth: Bottom


Comments about fish:

Anglers have been catching channel catfish off the MC Lighthouse Pier & harbor & off the fishing platform at the Portage Lakefront Park. According to anglers, productive baits included nightcrawlers, pieces of shrimp, chunks of chicken livers or commercially prepared baits fished right on the bottom.
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: Magnum sized sthingys
Depth: Up to 80 FOW


Comments about fish:

MC boat anglers are reporting nice catches of big king salmon, lake trout & steelhead along with smaller numbers of coho, brown trout just outside the mouth of Trail Cr in water depths ranging from 60- 80 FOW. Anglers stated that trolling sthingys anywhere from 27-52' down put fish in the box. Anglers launching their vessels out of Portage Marina reported pretty good action for steelhead straight out from the “ditch” in water depths ranging from 58-65 FOW. Just like MC, sthingys were the hot lures. Good action is occuring out of EC near the Gong. This has held true all summer. Nice catches of all species continue to be 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: Dodger & Fly combos, sthingys
Depth: Up to 80 FOW


Comments about fish:

See chinook salmon report.
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: sthingys Pier: shrimp, N/C Tribs: shrimp, spawn sacs, spinners
Depth: Pier: 5-10' under a bobber Tribs: bounce bait along bottom


Comments about fish:

See king salmon report for lake action. So far this summer, skamania steelhead fishing has been poor in all area tribs. Anglers have seen very few in the creeks & even fewer have been caught. IDNR creel clerks interviewed a number of anglers last week & they reported only a couple of fish caught from the upper reaches of Trail Cr. No action to report out of the E Br of the Little Cal or Salt Cr. If one decides to give steelheading a try, use baits such as shrimp, spawn sacs or N/C bounced along the bottom. Also, try spinners with either orange or silver blades. Good areas to fish include the deeper holes & runs & undercut banks or log jams adjacent to deeper water. No steelhead action to report for shore anglers.
Smallmouth bass
Description:
Sunfishes include some of the best-known fish in Indiana. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black and white crappie, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass are all members of the sunfish family. The last rays on the dorsal fin of the smallmouth bass are separated from the rest of the fin. Also, the upper jaw does not extend beyond back of eye, as it does with the largemouth bass. The smallmouth bass commonly reaches 3-4 pounds.

Bait: Minnow, nightcrawlers, tube jigs, small crankbaits
Depth: 3-15 FOW


Comments about fish:

Anglers targeting smallmouth bass continue to report action out of EC & Hammond Marinas over the past several weeks. Look for smallmouth bass to congregate on man-made structure or rocky rip rap in southern LM. Anglers have stated that tube jigs & crankbaits resembling gobies have been effective. Anglers also caught bass on small spinnerbaits & a variety of topwater lures. Either early morning or late evening seems to be the best time to catch smallies.
Yellow perch
Description:
Indiana anglers have long since sought perch for their tasty flavor. The yellow perch, walleye and sauger are members of this popular family. The yellow perch ranges from 6 to 12 inches long and up to one or two pounds.

Bait: Minnows
Depth: Up to 22 FOW


Comments about fish:

It was hit or miss action late last week for YP in the southern end of LM. MC angler reported spotty catches due to the warm water. Portage anglers report the same, action very good one day out front of the “ditch”, nothing the next. Anglers fishing out of EC reported action just outside the entrance to the marina in water depths ranging from 13-18 FOW. Hammond Marina anglers caught perch in water depths to 17 FOW just out-front of the marina entrance. Anglers also caught limits in Cal Park in water depths ranging from 11-16 FOW but most action has reminded spotty. Perch are also smaller compared to the catches in July.

Comments about body of water:


Water temp in the harbor of MC is 74ºF. Area tribs are at normal levels and have cleared susbstantially. Scattered thunderstorms are predicted this week which may impact stream conditions. Water temperature of Trail Creek at Friendship Gardens was 65º F this morning. Lake temperatures remain in the upper 70's. The thermocline is between 18 and 24 foot. On a side note, many freshwater drum up to 14 pounds are being taken by salmon trollers. This is very unusual for this time of year. Water temperatures are causing this flurry of activity.