SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN — This coming Saturday is the large and smallmouth bass opener on the inland waters and the Great Lakes.  The season opener on Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River is not until Saturday, June 16.  Catch-and-release anglers have caught a fair to good number of bass.  The late spring weather has put spawning about a week later than normal. 

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Overall: Bass can still be found on the beds in most of the inland lakes. The majority of bluegills were also in the shallows in pre-spawn mode.  A fair number of crappie were still being caught.  Pike fishing was good.    

• St. Joseph: Continues to produce very good salmon fishing. The fish had moved slightly deeper and were caught in 115 to 160 feet.  A decent number of Chinook were still caught in 80 feet with spoons and spin doctors with green on them.  Pier anglers caught a few Chinook along with catfish and freshwater drum.  Perch fishing was slow. 

• South Haven: Salmon fishing was on fire as boat anglers were getting limit catches of Chinook and coho. Several Chinook were 16 pounds plus and the biggest was up near 24 pounds.  Most were caught in the top 60 of waters 130 to 170 feet deep. Dipsey divers were the ticket but the bigger fish were taken on blue and yellow dolphin spoons or J-plugs.  Pier fishing was slow for all species. There was still a good number of baitfish around the piers. 

• Grand Haven: Boat anglers are doing very well on Chinook and coho salmon. The best action was 20 to 80 feet down in 80 to 180 feet with orange spoons and green or white flies.  Perch fishing was fair in 55 to 80 feet.  Catfish and freshwater drum were caught by pier anglers using worms.  Anglers are reminded that the south pier is closed due to construction between the first lighthouse and the end of the pier. 

• Grand River at Grand Rapids: Walleye anglers are fishing around the bridges and the creek mouths. Anglers were getting a good number of smallmouth bass so the opener should be good. Pike were also caught. 

• Grand River at Lansing: Continues to produce smallmouth bass.  Anglers should find fish at any of the dams along the river. Some caught the occasional pike or crappie. 

• Ingham County: Small panfish and some bass were caught at Hawk Island Park.

• Muskrat Lake: Was producing some crappie but anglers were sorting through the small ones to get a few keepers. 

• Shiawassee River: Was producing some rock bass at the Shi Town Dam.   

• Lake Ovid: Was producing a few crappie. Look for bluegills in the shallows as the waters warm back up.   

• Maple River: Was producing bass, pike and some nice catfish.     

• Morrison Lake: Anglers were getting crappie on minnows and wax worms.  The bluegill bite should improve by the weekend.    

• Muskegon: The salmon action picked up for boat anglers.  Chinook were caught 25 to 100 feet down in 100 to 200 feet with orange spoons and green or white flies. 

• Muskegon Lake: Bluegills are moving up into the shallows during the day.  Bass anglers caught fish around the docks in the marinas and along the shoreline.  Walleye were caught by those trolling blade baits in the channel during the day.   

• Whitehall: Boats trolling spin-glos and spoons near the bottom in 40 to 70 feet caught lake trout. Pier anglers caught walleye on body baits or soft plastic swimbaits.

• White Lake: Anglers caught bluegill and pumpkinseed when floating red worms or wax worms in five to 10 feet.