Saginaw Bay Area had lots of fishing activity off Palmer Road where yellow perch including many small ones were caught in one and a half to six feet of water. The keepers were running seven to nine inches. A couple walleye were also taken at night. A few were fishing off the mouth of the Pine River but most were concentrated off Palmer Road. A good number were fishing off the Pinconning Park in waters up to four feet deep where the occasional limit catch of eight to 10 inch perch were caught. Some were catching small perch inside the Linwood Beach Marina.
- Fishing was slow at the Hot Ponds. At Quanicassee, anglers fishing inside Lindy’s Marina off the river and caught bluegills and crappie but no perch. Some are starting to venture out from Vanderbilt Park but the perch fishing was spotty. No activity off Thomas Road. From Sebewaing north to Bayshore Marina, most of the activity was off Geiger Road but perch fishing was spotty. A few did well but they had to work hard for eight to 10 fish measuring seven to nine inches. Fishing was slow off Mud Creek with only a few perch and one pike taken. At Caseville, a few lake trout were taken in the river near the pier however the ice was still questionable, especially out near the end of the pier. The ice was still questionable at Port Austin and Grindstone City with just a few shanties appearing at both harbors.
- Saginaw River was in transition, with too much ice for boat fishing but not enough for ice fishing in most places. A couple anglers were fishing on the basin behind Ojibway Island in Saginaw and a few were slowly heading out from First Street but the ice is not all that thick yet and anglers need to use extreme caution. There might be five or six inches in one spot but only an inch thick a few feet away. There was no fishing activity from Saginaw to the mouth.
- Tittabawassee River was just not fishable due to colder temperatures making a lot of floating ice.
- Au Gres River anglers were out and taking a few walleye in the evening.
- Tawas Area finally had some ice cover back in the “armpit” of Tawas Bay and up inside Tawas Point. Those heading out from the access road next to Jerry’s Marina were getting some perch during the day and a few walleye in the evening in 18 to 20 feet. There was no activity inside the harbor at Tawas.
Fishing Tip: Book a camping trip & enjoy some fishing
There are many locations where you can participate in outdoor recreational opportunities within the state of Michigan, including at state parks or recreation areas. Many of these locations feature great fishing.
To find parks, recreation areas and state forest campgrounds that have fishing available, please visit www.dnr.state.mi.us/parksandtrails/. At this site you can search by location or by activity.
Many state parks and recreation areas also have great camping available. And now may be the time to schedule your summer camping and/or fishing trip by reserving a spot through the DNR’s reservation system. Visit midnrreservations.com to make a reservation up to six months in advance.