It’s Friday in the Upper Peninsula, which means it’s time to ignore the lawn, find the tackle box and spend several hours confidently explaining why the fish aren’t where they were yesterday.
The Michigan DNR released their weekly fishing report on Wednesday, and we asked the locals about their success. As always on the Great Lakes, conditions can change quickly with wind and weather, so consider this a starting point rather than a legally binding agreement with the fish.
Western U.P.
Ontonagon
Walleye fishing on the Ontonagon River has been slow, although anglers jigging have generally done better than those trolling. Morning hours have produced the best results. Anglers fishing natural bait have also occasionally encountered lake sturgeon.
Out on Lake Superior, anglers launching from Ontonagon, Silver City and Union Bay have picked up lake trout in fair to low numbers while trolling in approximately 80 to 180 feet of water. An occasional brown trout has also found its way into the catch.
Black River Harbor
Fishing pressure remains light out of Black River Harbor, and unfortunately the lake trout haven’t interpreted the lack of competition as an invitation to cooperate. Catch rates have remained low, with boats trolling roughly 80 to 180 feet of water. Shore anglers have reported little success.
Keweenaw Bay and Huron Bay
Fishing has been fair, with lake trout making up most of the catch. Smaller Chinook salmon, coho and rainbow trout have also been showing up.
Trollers have had their best results with spoons and flasher-fly combinations. Jigging has also produced a fair lake trout bite using both natural and artificial presentations at varying depths.
Traverse Bay and Portage Entry
Lake trout fishing has ranged from fair to good around structure in approximately 60 to 100 feet of water. Spoons and flasher-fly combinations have been productive for anglers trolling.
Jigging has also produced fish, particularly in 100 to 140 feet, although some anglers have found lake trout considerably deeper — beyond 200 feet.
Central U.P.
Marquette
Lake trout continue to provide most of the action. Anglers have been trolling north of White Rocks toward Granite Rock and the Clay Banks in approximately 120 to 160 feet of water.
Fish have been caught throughout the water column, although some of the larger lake trout have been holding deeper around Granite Rock.
Small numbers of salmon and brown trout have also been caught near Little Presque Isle and the Clay Banks in roughly 60 to 100 feet.
Au Train
Fishing pressure was limited by weather during the DNR reporting period, so there isn’t enough information to declare anything resembling a Great Au Train Fish Emergency.
The anglers who did get out found lake trout near bottom in roughly 120 to 160 feet northwest of Au Train Island and around Wood Island Reef.
Munising
Lake trout fishing has been good around Grand Island and Wood Island, with anglers catching fish both trolling and jigging.
A few splake have also been caught by anglers trolling Munising Bay. Fishing near the Anna River mouth remains slow for splake.
Grand Marais
Lake trout remain the main attraction here as well. Boat anglers have continued to do well trolling and jigging, with an occasional coho salmon mixed into the catch.
Fishing from the breakwall has been considerably less productive.
Lake Independence and Big Bay
Anglers targeting walleye and perch have been doing best jigging natural bait in approximately 15 to 20 feet of water.
Remember that Lake Independence is subject to special walleye regulations in 2026. Anglers should consult the current Michigan fishing regulations before deciding which fish get a ride home and which ones receive an immediate pardon.
Bays de Noc
Little Bay de Noc
The DNR reports walleye anglers have been trolling crawler harnesses behind planer boards, with crankbaits also producing fish. Slower trolling speeds have generally produced the better results, while anglers traveling south into Green Bay have reported fair success.
Perch fishing has been inconsistent, although some fish have been caught around Escanaba Harbor and the Escanaba River.
More recent local reports from the Escanaba area add another wrinkle. Walleye and northern pike have been caught over shallow weeds using jerkbaits, with reports indicating some larger walleyes are moving into the bay.
And then there are the salmon.
Recent local fishing reports indicate salmon are being caught off the Escanaba area, including fish approximately 50 feet down over 80 feet of water.
One particularly productive evening charter reported landing 14 fish on more than 20 hookups between roughly 5:25 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., with Dipsys and downriggers producing.
That’s one boat on one evening, so we’re not declaring that every salmon in Lake Michigan has relocated to Escanaba. But there’s enough current evidence to say the local salmon fishery deserves some attention this weekend.
Manistique and the Garden Peninsula
Chinook salmon remain available south of Manistique and around the Garden Peninsula in water approximately 90 feet and deeper.
Spoons, flasher-fly combinations and meat rigs have been producing fish. Steelhead are also being caught higher in the water column.
Between that and the recent Escanaba reports, anglers looking for salmon have legitimate options along this stretch of the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Eastern U.P.
Les Cheneaux and Hessel
Around Hessel, anglers have caught salmon and lake trout near the west entrance.
Perch have been caught from the marina docks, while good numbers of smaller northern pike have been reported around the marina and Wilderness Bay.
DeTour
Lake trout are being caught around the flats.
Chinook and Atlantic salmon have also been reported around the DeTour lighthouse, with early morning and late afternoon providing some of the better opportunities.
St. Ignace
Anglers trolling for Chinook around the St. Martin Islands and Coast Guard pier have had limited success.
Walleye anglers drifting leeches around the Carp and Pine rivers have reported mixed results.
Weekend Best Bets
If you’re looking for somewhere to point the truck this weekend, three fisheries stand out from the current information.
Munising and Grand Marais: Lake trout fishing remains consistently productive, with both trolling and jigging putting fish in boats.
Marquette: Lake trout remain available in good fishing territory from White Rocks toward Granite Rock and the Clay Banks, with the possibility of salmon and brown trout mixed in.
Escanaba through the Garden Peninsula: This may be the most interesting option of the weekend. The DNR continues to report Chinook around Manistique and Garden, while newer local reports show salmon being caught closer to Escanaba as well. Little Bay de Noc also offers a walleye option if the salmon decide they have other plans.
As always, check the weather, current regulations and local conditions before heading out.
And remember: if somebody at the launch asks how you did, the universally accepted Upper Peninsula answer remains:
“Should’ve been here yesterday.”
