Gone Fishin'

By Bob Baughman

Whether you happen to be planning a full blown, get-away-from-the-city, leave-the-crowd-behind-me vacation trip or just happen to be in the area for a couple of days, the northeastern area of the Lower Peninsula offers a great deal of variety for anglers of all types to enjoy. It does not matter if you are an expert or a beginner, enjoy streams or lakes, like to use fly fishing equipment or big water trolling tackle, want to fish for sunfish or salmon, and want to do all that on open water or through the ice – there is something in Northeast Michigan for all.

Breaking the year into quarters helps break out the opportunities available.
The first quarter of the year would run from January through March and it this neck of the woods that means ice fishing — as long as there is safe ice, of course. The fishing

for yellow perch gets going fast and furious in Black Bass Bay on Grand Lake in Presque Isle County at first ice. Being much deeper, Hubbard Lake, at the northern end of Alcona County, typically freezes over last giving another first ice opportunity for yellow perch and walleye.

While people are waiting for those two lakes to freeze, anglers usually will have already been out for weeks on Fletcher Floodwaters — a shallow water impoundment located south of Hillman.

Fletcher is very popular this time of year for those who chase panfish and northern pike. To the north a bit in Cheboygan County is Black Lake which offers the unique opportunity for sturgeon as well as walleye. Those are just a few prime spots to hit when the water is hard.

The second quarter of the year covers April through June. Trout anglers look forward to the opener on the many small streams in the area — the Black River in Cheboygan County comes to mind as one example. While some are waiting for the inland trout and walleye seasons to open, others already have been out sampling some of the night fishing for walleyes in Lake Huron out of Alpena, Presque Isle or Rogers City. Walleyes over 10 pounds are not uncommon by any means as this fishery stays consistent for a few months. After the inland season opens, anglers try Hubbard, Long, Grand and Beaver Lakes for some early action on walleyes and yellow perch. Hubbard Lake and Fletcher Floodwaters also give up some truly monster-sized northern pike after ice out every year without a bunch of pressure on the water.

Bass season also opens in this quarter and the area offers fantastic angling opportunities for both largemouth and smallmouth action. Smallmouth bass are a staple of both Long Lake and Grand Lake with many over 4 pounds caught every year. It is hard to beat pitching tubes, spinnerbaits or minnow imitators to hungry smallmouths. Largemouth action is mainly confined to Fletcher Floodwaters with anglers from surrounding states making pilgrimages to fish for both smallmouth and largemouth on this body of water. Bass action can also be had on many of the smaller lakes throughout the region from Hillman through Rogers City. Probably the one spot with the greatest potential and being the least fished body of water for trophy smallmouths in the area is Lake Huron. A few knowledgeable anglers routinely catch 5-6 pound giants out of the lake. They are there, but the finding can be difficult.

The third quarter from July through September is when the big water bite for salmon really kicks in. Cheboygan, Rogers City, Presque Isle, Rockport and Alpena all offer easy access to Lake Huron for those interested in chasing steelhead, lake trout, brown trout and chinook salmon. Charter captains operate out of every port with Rogers City and Alpena being the most popular. Any of the local marinas, tackle shops or chambers of commerce can supply plenty of information. Half-day charters are a very economical way to sample some of the hard hitting action as well as obtain some delicious table fare. Put some freshly caught July salmon on the grill, sit back and relax — now that is hard to beat.

Bass fishing is hot and heavy on Grand Lake and Long Lake at certain times throughout this period. Walleyes will tend to suspend in the deeper water on Hubbard Lake and anglers who target them with crankbaits are typically successful. Weeds on many bodies of water have fully developed and many of the panfish can be found on the edges. Don’t underestimate the potential of some of the smaller lakes in the region. Places like Lake Esau, Beaver Lake and Lake Avalon to mention a few, can reward anglers with a great experience. It becomes of utmost importance when fishing the smaller lakes to practice catch-and-release or selective harvest. These smaller lakes just can’t stand up to the pressure as well as the larger inland lakes. Conserving the fishery benefits all of us for the long run.

The last quarter is the period from October through December and it seems only a few people venture out at this time of the year. Steelhead and brown trout can be caught in the rivers and at the river mouths. The salmon are running up the rivers and can be caught from many access points. Salmon by the thousands are stacked up in the waters off of Swan Bay by Rogers City. Very late in the year, the Thunder Bay River in Alpena has a phenomenal run of whitefish for about two weeks as well. This quarter presents opportunities for being one of the few out on the water during late fall. A float trip down any of the branches of the Thunder Bay River is bound to produce a few hungry fish and allow some viewing of the trees turning all sorts of fall colors. Soon everything freezes and that takes us back to the top.

Northeast Michigan has many great opportunities for many types of fishing. There is a story that when a man was asked if the fishing was any good, he replied that “the fishing is always good, it is just that the catching leaves a bit to be desired.” In this part of the state the catching is as good as the fishing — somewhere, all of the time.