Post by sam on Aug 23, 2010 15:01:07 GMT -5
This page was last updated on AUG 23 2010 12:55 P.M.
Lake Michigan Fishing Report
lkmichigan@dnr.in.gov
Description:
N/A
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 N/C, 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 ,bodybaits, meat rigs
Depth: Up to 60 FOW
Comments about fish:
Boat anglers are enjoying some of the best steelhead action in years in the southern basin of LM. In addition, anglers have also been catching good numbers of cohos, kings & lakers. During the latter half of last week, MC anglers reported that trout & salmon moved from deeper water (75-100 FOW) to water depths no more than 45 FOW. Top lures included D/F combos & bodybaits such as J-11 Rapalas, Frenzy’s & J-plugs trolled anywhere from 25-40' down. Portage Marina anglers report kings & steelhead action out-front of the “ditch” in water depths ranging from 43-57 FOW. Sthingys & bodybaits were the top producing lures.
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 60 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. 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. Shore anglers report no steelhead action.
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: 3-18 FOW
Comments about fish:
Anglers continue to catch SMB out of Hammond & EC Marinas as well as outside the Port of Indiana. Bass anglers are also catching both SMB & LMB out of the lower sections of the E & W Br of the Little Cal. Look for SMB 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. SMB have been averaging around 12"; however, larger one have been reported to the creel clerks.
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 32 FOW
Comments about fish:
YP anglers launching out of Hammond Marina report some action in the Cal Park area in water depths to 18 FOW. Action was slow out of EC Marina with small catches reported outside the marina entrance & along the Inland Steel Wall in water depths to 22 FOW. Anglers fishing out of Portage Marina report slow action out-front of the “ditch”. Better action was reported just W, out-front of Ogden Dunes in water depths to 21 FOW. MC perch anglers report pretty good action at all the usual hotspots: Out-front of Black’s Ditch W to Beverly Shores in water depths to 32 FOW. Action was also reported in-front of the condos in water depths ranging from 23-29 FOW.
Comments about body of water:
Water temp in the harbor of MC is 69ºF. Area tributaries are exhibiting low flows with good visibility. Water temperature of Trail Creek at Friendship Gardens is currently 65ºF, dropping 6 ºF since last week.
Lake Michigan Fishing Report
lkmichigan@dnr.in.gov
Description:
N/A
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 N/C, 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 ,bodybaits, meat rigs
Depth: Up to 60 FOW
Comments about fish:
Boat anglers are enjoying some of the best steelhead action in years in the southern basin of LM. In addition, anglers have also been catching good numbers of cohos, kings & lakers. During the latter half of last week, MC anglers reported that trout & salmon moved from deeper water (75-100 FOW) to water depths no more than 45 FOW. Top lures included D/F combos & bodybaits such as J-11 Rapalas, Frenzy’s & J-plugs trolled anywhere from 25-40' down. Portage Marina anglers report kings & steelhead action out-front of the “ditch” in water depths ranging from 43-57 FOW. Sthingys & bodybaits were the top producing lures.
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 60 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. 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. Shore anglers report no steelhead action.
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: 3-18 FOW
Comments about fish:
Anglers continue to catch SMB out of Hammond & EC Marinas as well as outside the Port of Indiana. Bass anglers are also catching both SMB & LMB out of the lower sections of the E & W Br of the Little Cal. Look for SMB 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. SMB have been averaging around 12"; however, larger one have been reported to the creel clerks.
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 32 FOW
Comments about fish:
YP anglers launching out of Hammond Marina report some action in the Cal Park area in water depths to 18 FOW. Action was slow out of EC Marina with small catches reported outside the marina entrance & along the Inland Steel Wall in water depths to 22 FOW. Anglers fishing out of Portage Marina report slow action out-front of the “ditch”. Better action was reported just W, out-front of Ogden Dunes in water depths to 21 FOW. MC perch anglers report pretty good action at all the usual hotspots: Out-front of Black’s Ditch W to Beverly Shores in water depths to 32 FOW. Action was also reported in-front of the condos in water depths ranging from 23-29 FOW.
Comments about body of water:
Water temp in the harbor of MC is 69ºF. Area tributaries are exhibiting low flows with good visibility. Water temperature of Trail Creek at Friendship Gardens is currently 65ºF, dropping 6 ºF since last week.