Saginaw Bay: The ice off Palmer Road is gone. Boat anglers fishing lakeward of the Saginaw River mouth are taking good catches of walleye. Most are using jigs with minnows. Sebewaing had good perch fishing in the river during the warm-up.
Saginaw River: Anglers between the mouth and Essexville have taken limit catches of large perch. They are using perch rigs with shiners.
Au Gres: Boats trolling off the mouth are getting a few walleye.
Au Gres River: Is high and muddy. A few perch and a good number of steelhead have been caught where there is open water in the river and by those surfcasting.
Pine River: An ice jam at the mouth was preventing boats from launching. The water is high and muddy. The only thing caught was a couple small perch.
Pinnebog River: A few suckers were just starting to show up however it is still early for them at this location.
Rifle River: The sucker runs are just getting started. The action should pick up through the week and peak sometime next week.
Quanicassee River: Was producing limits of large perch for those using perch rigs with shiners between the bay and the M-25 Bridge. Catch rates were not as good off the old State Road Bridge.
Outer Saginaw Bay:
Au Sable River: With the warmer weather, melt off is increasing the river flow. Spawn, spoons, spinners and body baits are working well down near the mouth. Upstream, try spawn, spinners, wax worms or flies. Look in the deeper holes as most fish were not on the gravel.
Oscoda: Pier anglers caught steelhead on spawn, spoons, spinners or body baits.
Tawas: Ice anglers inside the state harbor and open water anglers fishing outside the wall are getting brown trout, steelhead and lake trout. Live minnows are best but spoons were also working in open water.
Tawas River: Those casting lakeward off the mouth have caught a few walleye.
Weekly Fishing Tip: Spring is a great time for targeting steelhead
The month of April is often a perfect time to fish for steelhead in Michigan’s rivers. Did you know our state is thought to offer some of the best steelhead fishing in the country?
A variety of techniques can be used to fish for this aggressive species; including live bait, artificial lures and flies. Rivers all across Michigan provide access for steelhead fishing. Some better-known rivers include the Betsie, Grand, Little Manistee, Manistee, Manistique, Pere Marquette and St. Joseph rivers in the Lake Michigan watershed, the Au Sable River in the Lake Huron watershed, the Huron River in the Lake Erie watershed, and the Huron and Two Hearted rivers in the Lake Superior watershed.