Go Fish With the DNR Weekly Fishing Report

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has released the weekly fishing report for area waters.

According to a release, this Saturday, May 25, is the opening day of bass season on the Great Lakes and all inland waters except Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and the Detroit River. Bass season does not open until the third Saturday in June. The agency reports that the "early catch and release season has been excellent so the opener should be as well."

Here is what is biting in the region according to Michigan DNR:

• Lake St. Clair:  Is still producing some walleye especially at night.  Shore anglers are catching a few perch on minnows. The catfish action continues to be good. Crawlers and cut bait worked best.  
• Lake Erie:  Anglers are catching a fair number of walleye in 18 to 22 feet of water between Fermi and the Raisin River buoys 1 and 2. Though most are trolling or drifting crawler harnesses some did better with spoons or body baits. Walleye were caught when drifting crawler harnesses or jigging in 15 feet of water off the Metro Park. Boats launching out of Bolles Harbor are doing well on the north end of the Dumping Grounds in 18 feet of water. Hot colors for walleye were chartreuse, purple, green and white. Bass anglers continue to do well in the harbors and backwaters with crank baits or tube baits. 
• Huron River:  Anglers are still getting the occasional steelhead when fishing between the dams. White bass are still being caught. Keeper size bluegills have been caught below the dam at Flat Rock. Try small minnows, leaf worms or wax worms. Those looking for crappie are fishing the backwaters.   
• Detroit River:  Has lots of white bass in the lower Trenton Channel. Perch have been caught near the Cross Dike.  
• Lexington:  Those trolling caught a mix of trout and salmon in 40 to 50 feet of water. Many say the fish are starting to move north along the Thumb which is why more fish are being caught up near Harbor Beach.  
• Port Sanilac:  Trout and salmon were scattered in waters 40 to 70 feet deep so fish at all depths for chinook, coho, steelhead and lake trout.  
• Harbor Beach:  Salmon are being caught in 40 to 80 feet of water straight out and north of the harbor. Try spoons off downriggers and dipseys, or 2, 5, and 10 colored lines. Orange, red, blue, gray, or green were the hot colors. Steelhead were also caught but the fish were closer to the surface. Lake trout were in 60 to 100 feet. Try dodgers with spin glo’s or spoons just off the bottom. For brown trout, try long lines with bright colored spoons and body baits close to shore. Pier anglers caught walleye at night when casting crank baits.  
• Port Austin:  Those trolling have caught coho and lake trout in 35 to 90 feet of water. A few walleye were caught off the North Wall. Shore anglers on Bird Creek caught some big bullhead on crawlers. 
• Saginaw Bay:  Had good walleye fishing in 10 to 12 feet of water between Linwood and the mouth of the Saginaw River and in the old shipping channel. Anglers are trolling harnesses. Fish were caught out in the Slot from Quanicassee north to the Sunset Bay Marina. At Bay Port, catch and release bass fishing was more popular than walleye fishing with good numbers of smallmouth keeping anglers busy. Walleye fishing from Bay Port and Caseville was concentrated around the big buoy off Sand Point. Channel cat fishing in Wildfowl Bay is excellent right now. A couple flatheads were also caught.  
• Saginaw River:  Had some of the best walleye fishing in the lower river between the Karn-Weadock Power Plant and the Coast Guard Station. Most are trolling fire-tiger hot-n-tots but some are vertical jigging. There’s a lot of bow-fishing activity for carp from Jones Road to the south end of the bay. Shore anglers at Smith Park in Essexville are taking catfish, freshwater drum and white bass. 
• Tittabawassee River:  Walleye anglers are still doing very well on the lower river near the Center Road boat launch when trolling shad raps. Fire-tiger or silver and blue were good colors. Some were getting their limits. The white bass are in and catch rates were very good. The catch and release smallmouth fishing was excellent especially around the Dow Dam. The opener this Saturday looks to be very good.