By Staff
A number of steelhead and chinook have been caught out of New Buffalo. Boats are trolling in 70 to 110 feet of water using light colored flies, or spoons in color combinations of blue, green or white. Perch anglers are struggling to find fish in 40 to 50 feet of water. Fishing in the Galien River has been slow with anglers catching smallmouth bass, northern pike and freshwater drum.
Near St. Joe and Benton Harbor, boat anglers are bringing in good numbers of chinook along with coho, lake trout and steelhead in waters 65 to 130 feet deep. Spoons or plugs in green, white or blue, or white and tan flies worked best. Pier anglers are still managing to catch some smaller steelhead. Perch, crappie, catfish and freshwater drum have also been caught. In the St. Joseph River, steelhead have been caught between Niles and Buchanan on flies and spinners. From Buchanan to Berrien Springs, smallmouth bass are hitting on jigs and spinners, and walleye have been caught on crawlers. Steelhead fishing is starting to pick up in the Dowagiac River.
Near South Haven, warm water pushed the fish back out to waters 100 to 130 feet deep. Flies in green, yellow or black have worked, along with green plugs. Good numbers of chinook and coho have been caught. Light numbers of perch have been caught in waters up to 25 feet deep. In the Kalamazoo River, good numbers of walleye are starting to show up at the Allegan Dam. Some are drifting minnows and crawlers behind the dam. Bluegill have been caught on crawlers or wax worms under a bobber, and large and smallmouth bass have been caught on crawlers or plastic salamanders. The large fish have been caught downstream near the New Richmond Launch just before dark. Steelhead are starting to show up at the dam, and a couple of brown trout were hooked behind the dam.
Along the Grand River, some early run chinook and coho have been caught near the Sixth Street Dam in Grand Rapids on worms and flies. Brown trout and steelhead have also been caught. Walleye were caught between the dam and Johnston Park on crawler harnesses and Rapalas. At Lyons, channel cats were caught below the dam, smallmouth and rock bass were caught above the dam. Large and smallmouth bass have been caught above the Webber Dam. Near Lansing, good numbers of channel cats have been caught on crawlers and red worms near Moore's Park. A few walleye have also been caught on a jig and minnow. A few nice brown trout were caught on flies and worms in the Rogue River.
From Grand Haven to Muskegon, boats are trolling in waters 120 to 180 feet deep and taking good numbers of salmon. Anglers are fishing at various depths with spoons and green and white or purple and white flies. Pier fishing was slow at Grand Haven with only a few salmon caught on green and silver Little Cleo's. In the Muskegon River, there has been no word of any trout caught. Walleye have been caught in the deep holes on worms and crank baits. Smallmouth bass are hitting on spinners, small crank baits, and live bait. Anglers fishing Hardy Dam Pond have caught light numbers of walleye, northern pike, black crappie, and smallmouth bass on lead head jigs with plastic grubs in waters up to 15 feet deep. Inland, bluegill, northern pike and bass have been caught in Muskegon Lake.