Post by sam on Oct 28, 2010 15:47:56 GMT -5
This page was last updated on OCT 28 2010 03:29 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: Spinners, crankbaits, chunks of skein
Depth: Creek: Deeper holes & runs
Comments about fish:
No action to report for shore anglers. Tribs: Trout & salmon are scattered throughout both Trail & Salt Creeks. According to the creel reports, anglers fishing the E Br of the Little Cal report action for both trout & salmon in the lower reaches. Anglers have also caught kings & cohos in the middle reaches. Kings continue to be caught on spinners, crankbaits and large chunks of skein.
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: Spinner, sthingys, bass size crankbaits
Depth: Deeper holes & runs
Comments about fish:
Coho salmon have shown a preference for chartreuse spinners, smaller wobbler type sthingys & bass sized crankbaits. Fish your lures in the deeper holes & runs. Also try fishing in & around down logs adjacent to deeper water because cohos tend to be cover oriented. Personnel from Bodine & Mixsawbah SFH are in the process of stocking coho salmon in area creeks. Trail Cr received a planting on 10/28. The E Br of the Little Cal will be stocked on 11/1 & 11/3. I will update stocking numbers next week.
Lake 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. The lake trout has a white mouth, teeth and gums, a caudal fin that is deeply forked and a body color that is light to dark gray with light spots.
Bait: Sthingys, bodybaits
Depth: 15-40 FOW
Comments about fish:
With lake water temps slowly falling near shore, boat anglers targeting lake trout should see increasing numbers over the next couple of weeks. A hotspot for lakers is along the submerged break water outside the Port of Indiana. No specialized gear is needed in that area because it is a relatively shallow hump, around 14-20 FOW. Flatlining sthingys & bodybaits are effective methods for catching fall lake trout. Another good place to try is the detached breakwater in MC. Over the past several years, personnel with the IDNR LM Fisheries Research Station have set nets in water depths ranging from 30-44 FOW with very good results. Good numbers of lake trout have been captured along with nice size channel catfish & walleyes.
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: Shrimp, spawn bags, spinners
Depth: Creek: Deeper holes and runs
Comments about fish:
LM Shoreline: No action to report. Tribs: Good numbers of steelhead were caught this past week on spawn sacs floated just above the bottom in the deeper holes & runs below salmon spawning areas. Look for areas of gravel. Steelhead were also caught on smaller sized spinners with brass or silver blades fished near woody debris.
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:
No smallmouth bass action reported to the clerks this week.
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:
No action reported from either boat or shore anglers this past week.
Comments about body of water:
Water temp in the harbor of MC is 52ºF. All area tribs are running low & clear. Water temp of Trail Cr is 49ºF. With November approaching, winter-run steelhead will be right on the heels of migrating salmon over the next couple of weeks. A good place to try includes the harbor of MC & the Portage Lakefront Park Riverwalk. Top producing baits over the years include shrimp or N/C fished 5-8' under a bobber. Winter-run steelhead will also hit a variety of lures including spinners, wobbler type sthingys & smaller sized crankbaits.
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: Spinners, crankbaits, chunks of skein
Depth: Creek: Deeper holes & runs
Comments about fish:
No action to report for shore anglers. Tribs: Trout & salmon are scattered throughout both Trail & Salt Creeks. According to the creel reports, anglers fishing the E Br of the Little Cal report action for both trout & salmon in the lower reaches. Anglers have also caught kings & cohos in the middle reaches. Kings continue to be caught on spinners, crankbaits and large chunks of skein.
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: Spinner, sthingys, bass size crankbaits
Depth: Deeper holes & runs
Comments about fish:
Coho salmon have shown a preference for chartreuse spinners, smaller wobbler type sthingys & bass sized crankbaits. Fish your lures in the deeper holes & runs. Also try fishing in & around down logs adjacent to deeper water because cohos tend to be cover oriented. Personnel from Bodine & Mixsawbah SFH are in the process of stocking coho salmon in area creeks. Trail Cr received a planting on 10/28. The E Br of the Little Cal will be stocked on 11/1 & 11/3. I will update stocking numbers next week.
Lake 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. The lake trout has a white mouth, teeth and gums, a caudal fin that is deeply forked and a body color that is light to dark gray with light spots.
Bait: Sthingys, bodybaits
Depth: 15-40 FOW
Comments about fish:
With lake water temps slowly falling near shore, boat anglers targeting lake trout should see increasing numbers over the next couple of weeks. A hotspot for lakers is along the submerged break water outside the Port of Indiana. No specialized gear is needed in that area because it is a relatively shallow hump, around 14-20 FOW. Flatlining sthingys & bodybaits are effective methods for catching fall lake trout. Another good place to try is the detached breakwater in MC. Over the past several years, personnel with the IDNR LM Fisheries Research Station have set nets in water depths ranging from 30-44 FOW with very good results. Good numbers of lake trout have been captured along with nice size channel catfish & walleyes.
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: Shrimp, spawn bags, spinners
Depth: Creek: Deeper holes and runs
Comments about fish:
LM Shoreline: No action to report. Tribs: Good numbers of steelhead were caught this past week on spawn sacs floated just above the bottom in the deeper holes & runs below salmon spawning areas. Look for areas of gravel. Steelhead were also caught on smaller sized spinners with brass or silver blades fished near woody debris.
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:
No smallmouth bass action reported to the clerks this week.
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:
No action reported from either boat or shore anglers this past week.
Comments about body of water:
Water temp in the harbor of MC is 52ºF. All area tribs are running low & clear. Water temp of Trail Cr is 49ºF. With November approaching, winter-run steelhead will be right on the heels of migrating salmon over the next couple of weeks. A good place to try includes the harbor of MC & the Portage Lakefront Park Riverwalk. Top producing baits over the years include shrimp or N/C fished 5-8' under a bobber. Winter-run steelhead will also hit a variety of lures including spinners, wobbler type sthingys & smaller sized crankbaits.