Lake Michigan
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Lake Michigan Fishing Reports
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Reports from all past years within a 60-day time frame
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Fall
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
53°
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Fall
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Boulders
Had an awesome day dropping on fish to end the season. Used graphs to scan for structure. After structure was located we would spot lock and drop on the fish using a 3/8 oz weight, size 1 or 2 Owner Mosquito and the Venture Lures dropper worm or the Berkley Flat worm. Also caught a handful of fish using the Dropper worm rigged on a Ned rig. Water temps in the low 40 degree range
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Winter
Technique
Umbrella Rigs
Structure
Points
Air temps 43 and water temps at 40. Tough day trying to bank fish. Blue bird skies with a light breeze.. tried the harbors around the dock pilings with blade baits off bottom and flip/flopping a trap off the bottom. Jerkbaits for suspending fish and umbrella rigs used more as search bait. Target mouth of harbor too since Lake Michigan-Chicago is so deep. Threw a hair jig slowly.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Winter
Technique
Hard Jerkbaits
Structure
Baitfish
Bank fishing so targeting inlets to harbor and edge of flats to deep water
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Summer
Technique
Tubes
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Minnows
Late July was pretty tough in the way of finding larger smallmouth. We caught a lot of smallmouth on Ned rigs and dropshots, although most were one pound or less besides a couple 1.5 pounders. We were able to pull up two nice smallmouth over 2.5 pounds dragging tubes DEEP. I’m talking 20-30 feet of water dredging the bottom. Tubes were custom goby colors close to green pumpkin.
Species
Lake TroutSeason
Summer
Technique
Trolling 20'+
Structure
Open Water/Basin
Forage
Alewife
Caught deep trolling with a spoon. Troll way down near the bottom on a summer day and you’ll be glad you did!
Species
TroutSeason
Winter
Technique
Inline Spinners
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Alewife
Water Temperature
34°
Went out for steel head and caught a nice female brown trout on a spawn sack. I use inline spinners as well. Inline spinners do well for steel head as coho Salmon in Lake Michigan
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Fall
Technique
Ned Rigs
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Minnows
It was a cooler fall day with a slight chop on the water. I was fishing from a break wall along the rocks, trying to get a bite. I tied on a zman TRD craw and started hopping it back along the rocks, and this guy took the bait and gave me a good fight.
Species
TroutSeason
Fall
Technique
Inline Spinners
Structure
River Channels
Root River, Racine, WI
