Lake Michigan Fishing Report

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This page was last updated on SEP 03 2010 09:36 A.M.

Lake Michigan
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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 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 72 FOW


Comments about fish:

See coho for lake report. Chinook salmon were caught off the MC Lighthouse Pier late last week as cold water pushed nearshore, but quickly receded within a day and a half. Anglers stated that glow sthingys and deep diving crankbaits produced a few nice size kings. Will update report when kings start to enter the tributaries.
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 72 FOW


Comments about fish:

Boat anglers continue to enjoy some of the best steelhead action in years in the southern basin of LM. Anglers have also been catching cohos, kings, lakers & even a few browns. Boat anglers launching out of MC report very good action, particularly during the morning hours for steelhead along with cohos, kings & lakers in water depths ranging from 43-72 FOW straight out or slightly W of the lighthouse. Top producing baits have been orange sthingys & bodybaits such as J-11 Rapalas, Frenzy’s or J-plugs trolled anywhere from 22-55' down. Lake trout were caught primarily on sthingys within a few feet of the bottom. Portage Marina anglers report steelhead, kings & coho action out-front of the “ditch” in water depths ranging from 32-50 FOW.
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 coho report for lake action. Creel clerks with the IDNR report steelhead action picked up just a bit late last week as cooler water temps move nearshore for a couple of days. A small run of steelhead made their ways up all tribs according to the clerks. Anglers fishing Trail Cr reported action in the middle to upper reaches. Anglers fishing both Salt Cr and the E Br of the Little Cal report action in the lower reaches. No reports of salmon in the creeks as of today. As for baits, anglers have had the most luck floating pieces of shrimp or small spawn sacs just off the bottom through the deeper holes & runs.
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 34 FOW


Comments about fish:

YP anglers fishing out of MC report very good action with many limits; however, anglers may need to sort through 60 fish to get 15 decent size perch for the frying pan. Perch have been caught out front of Black’s Ditch W towards Beverly Shores in water depths ranging from 23-34 FOW. Action also reported just E of the lighthouse & out front of the condos in water depths to 27 FOW. Minnows have been the top producing bait according anglers. No action reported to the creel clerks from the western ports. Shore anglers fishing off the MC Lighthouse Pier are reporting action; however, most of the fish have been on the smaller side. Anglers report minnows suspended just off the bottom is producing.

Comments about body of water:


Water temp in the harbor of MC is 69ºF. Area tribs are high & muddy as of this morning. Visibility in the lower reaches of Trail Creek is around 2". Barring anymore rainfall, Trail Creek should be fishable by Sunday, perhaps a few days later on the western tributaries. Water temperature of Trail Creek at Friendship Gardens is currently 65º F.