Michigan is known around the country as a prime destination for World Class Salmon and Walleye Fishing.  With incredible fishing lakes like:  Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Gogebic, Houghton Lake, Lake St Clair and Higgins Lake, you are sure to catch your limit on these and most Michigan Lakes. Spend your fishing vacation at one of our great Michigan Fishing Resorts and you will find it's a place worth coming back for again and again.  There is also great Michigan Lake Property for sale throughout the state, so you can find your Dream Lake Home.  Camping at Michigan Campgrounds is also a popular choice for a fun Michigan Fishing vacation.  Whether you enjoy trophy fishing or just a relaxing vacation, you will find beautiful Michigan Lakes throughout the state!

Top Michigan Walleye Fishing Lakes

Lake Gogebic

Walleye in Lake Gogebic normally hold close to weedbeds, dropoffs, and best in areas with both features.  They usually move towards the edge of deep holes as the water warms.  The hungry post-spawn walleye respond to a variety of baits and methods, while jigging along edges becomes one of the most popular techniques later in the season.  Try 1/4 oz jigs with minnows early in the year, and leeches later in the year.

Houghton Lake

Weeds and small drop offs are the only structure this lake has to offer, causing walleye to collect in dense pockets.  In the spring, before there are many weeds, trolling the shallows with crankbaits provides the best opportunity for big catches.  The shallows on the east side of the lake, around the Cut River, is a good place in early summer.  After the weeds get thick, pitching a jig or slip bobber tipped with a leech into weed pockets is a good bet.  Try the weed pockets in Prudenville throughout summer.

Portage Lake

Portage Lake is a consistent producer of big walleyes that remain active throughout the summer, partially because it can be tricky to pull fish out of the dense vegetation and structure.  Lake Portage provides good protection from anglers and other fish, as well as a plentiful food source, to allow many of them to reach trophy size.  Jigging is the best way to get a hook in front of Portage Lake walleye once the vegetation arrives.  The best setup is a long rod with a strong backbone to jerk those trophy's above any weeds and brush they could use to snap your line.  Pitching a jig tipped with a worm or leech into a weed pocket and twitching it until it settles to the bottom is a proven technique.

Mullett Lake

This lake holds a lot of walleyes, with 6-10 pounders being fairly common.  This, combined with structures well-suited for trolling, make it easy to locate and catch big walleye.  In springtime and early summer, target gravel bottoms near drop offs.  The warmer the water gets, the deeper the fish go, holding to reef areas across the lake.  Several good reefs are on the west end of the lake, averaging about 12 feet deep and surrounded by areas that drop to 40-60 feet.  Casting or trolling crankbaits across the reefs is a good way to hone in on active fish, starting close to the bottom and working towards the surface.

Gun Lake

Hit big dropoffs, like those around Murphy’s and Hasting’s Points, near the middle of the lake.  A deep hole in Robbins Bay, in the southwest portion of the lake, holds walleye throughout the middle of the day.  Night fishing is another good way to find relaxed walleye feeding.  They are likely to be in the shallows, making them vulnerable to casting and trolling with shallow running crankbaits and spinners.

Michigan Fishing Reports

Lake Erie Fishing

Anglers are still catching walleye, however numbers are down from previous weeks. Walleye are scattered in all areas, however fish seem to be holding close to the bottom. Lures run within 20 feet of the bottom is a good bet. Because anglers are running gear deep they are inadvertently catching many white bass, white perch, yellow perch and sheepshead, especially on worm harnesses. Running minnow type stickbaits such as Renoskys or Rapalas will help reduce the hook-ups with non-target species.  The smallmouth bass action has been good in 25-45 feet near structure such as reefs, rock piles and drop-offs. Some anglers have had decent catches as shallow as 15 feet. When fishing in deeper areas; a drop-shot rig with live crayfish or shiners works well, however tubes or plastics that imitate crayfish, gobies and shiners will also produce.

Lake Erie Fishing

Lake Cadillac Fishing

Crappie fishing has been good after dark and in the early morning. Cooler weather will bring the bluegills back into shallower waters. Try wax worms, leaf worms or crickets under a bobber. Bass and pike are hitting again.

Crystal Lake Fishing

In Montcalm County is also producing some big crappie. The fish are suspended in roughly 8 to 12 feet of water. The bluegills are starting to move in shallow.

Higgins Lake Fishing

Good lake trout action with fish ranging from 18 to 22 inches. Most are trolling cowbells and bombers 5 feet off the bottom in waters 80 to 100 feet deep.

Houghton Lake Fishing

Anglers are still getting walleye, crappie and bluegills. Some of the walleye are running small. Those doing the catch and immediate release bass fishing have caught some nice largemouth.

Indian Lake Fishing

Walleye were caught by those trolling or drifting near the weed beds with crawler harnesses or surface raps. Perch anglers were fishing close to shore with crawlers.

Lake Gogebic Fishing

Is producing some 12 and 13 inch perch. Walleye have been caught by those trolling along the west shore.

Lake St. Clair Fishing

Is producing some nice smallmouth bass.

Mullett Lake Fishing

Lots of walleye anglers fishing 17 to 28 feet of water between Red Pine Point and Round Point or Dodge Point and Needle Point. Most are trolling in 20 to 30 feet of water but a few were trolling 40 to 50 feet down in 60 to 100 feet of water. Tout were caught 20 to 50 feet down in 75 to 100 feet of water. Pike anglers were still trolling crawlers, crank baits or minnows in 10 to 20 feet of water. Popular spots for yellow perch were Topinabee, Scott Bay, Pigeon Bay, Long Point, Dodge Point and near the sunken islands in 10 to 40 feet of water. For smallmouth bass, try Round Point and Pigeon Bay in 25 to 35 feet of water.

Portage Lake Fishing

Cooler weather has been good for bluegill fishing as some limit catches reported near Little Eden. Perch also caught in the same area and around the buoy. Be ready to sort out the small ones.

Michigan Walleye Fishing Tips

1. Look for primary and secondary points that jut out into deep water and also humps, underwater islands, rock bars and dropoffs. Steep breaks or sudden depth changes near a channel are hotspots for jumbo walleyes in summer and fall.

2. Normally, a slow, steady retrieve is best for casting crankbaits to walleyes. If that doesn't work,
try moderate and even fast retrieves. Also, experiment with the stop-and-go approach: Reel a
few turns on the handle and suddenly stop. Wait several seconds; reel again. This jerky action is
sometimes the key to a heavy catch.

3. When fish are deeper than 15 feet, consider vertical-jigging. Position your boat directly over the
structure or a spot where you've pinpointed fish or baitfish on the sonar. Lower a spoon or jig to
the depth that fish are holding, or slightly above that; then, begin pumping the rod tip up and down anywhere from 6 to 24 inches. Be sure to lower the rod tip just fast enough so that the lure falls freely, but no slack forms in the line. Strikes will often come on the drop, and if too much slack gets in the line, you won't be able to detect the subtle hits or set the hook quickly enough.

4. On spring and summer nights, walleyes often head to the shallows after sunset. A thin-minnow plug from 4 to 6 inches in length is best, but shallow-diving crankbaits can also produce well. Cast and retrieve these slowly and steadily over shallow points, reefs, humps, and the edges of islands.

5. For daytime summer walleye fishing, key in on these favored types of structure: reefs, primary and
secondary points, humps, rock bars, flooded timber and depressions in the main lake. Also pay
attention to inlets and outlets where the current can attract baitfish and walleyes.
 

Also Visit

Wisconsin Lakes

Minnesota Lakes

Canada Fishing

Florida Fishing

Ontario Fishing

California Fishing

Texas Fishing

New York Fishing

Minnesota Fishing

North Carolina Fishing

Michigan Lakes

Florida Bass Fishing

Wisconsin Fishing

Minnesota Fishing

Canada Lakes

Florida Fishing Reports

Michigan Public Records

Mobile Storage Containers

USA Fishing

Storage Facilities

SLS Free

Self Storage

Detroit Self Storage

Dumpster Rental

Forklift Rental

Links  2  3  4

Michigan Fishing Site Map

To Advertise On Michigan Fishing Online
Email - Eric@MichiganFishingOnline.com