Saginaw River:Walleye are being caught near Bay City as well as up near the Tittabawassee and the
Shiawassee River. Try jigs and Swedish Pimples with minnows, wax worms or even a single egg.
Tittabawassee River: Is also producing some walleye.
Oscoda: Pier anglers are targeting steelhead and whitefish. Chinook salmon were still trickling in and are in good shape. Try small spoons, body baits and spinners off the pier. Walleye were also caught on crawlers or body baits.
Au Gres River: Continues to produce chrome colored steelhead closer to the mouth. Fish were still being caught in the lower end of Whitney Drain and near the Singing Bridge. Try floating or casting spawn, small spoons or plugs.
Au Sable River: Schools of whitefish are moving up into the river. The best catches were off the breakwalls and at the mouth however they can also be found several miles upstream. Steelhead are also in with good numbers of fish caught from Oscoda to the Foote Dam. Early morning and late afternoon were best however fish were caught throughout the day. Most of them are chrome colored but you might get the occasional dark fish. All seem healthy and good size. Chinook salmon can still be found. They were hitting on spawn or wax worms. Walleye are starting to make their way into the river.
Tawas: The whitefish catch from the breakwall will peak this week and next.
Tawas River: Has a fair to good number of steelhead being caught between the mouth and the park. Most are floating spawn or wax worms.
Weekly Fishing Tip: Target Steelhead this Fall for Serious Fun
While many people are preparing to head into the woods for the next several weeks, others are taking advantage of an unnoticed activity: fall steelhead fishing.
There are two great strategies to try when targeting steelhead this month, surf fishing the piers and beaches of the Great Lakes and/or river fishing.
If you choose to target the Great Lakes, consider using a slip sinker rig and live bait, such as spawn bags, night crawlers or shiners. You can also try casting small spoons, spinners or body baits with great success. Focus on depths of 12 feet or less as steelhead are hanging in the shallows looking for food.
If you choose to target the rivers, consider using wigglers, caddis or wax worms drifted under a slip bobber. The depth below the bobber should be set to present the bait just off the river bottom. Anglers can also be successful this time of year casting spinners and medium diving crank baits into holes or other holding water that provides steelhead with some depth for cover. The retrieve should be as slow as possible to get the lure down to the bottom without snagging up. Many anglers like a down stream cast for these techniques. For anglers looking for an added challenge, they can also use fly fishing techniques and see some great results!