Part of the Inland Waterway. Outstanding walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike fishery.
| Species | Population | Best technique |
|---|---|---|
|
Micropterus dolomieu
|
Tubes, drop shot, jigs near rocky points | |
|
Sander vitreus
Inland Waterway system ÔÇö trophy walleye
|
Jigs with minnows, crawler harnesses, trolling crankbaits | |
|
Lota lota
Deep water -- best through the ice at night
|
Large tube jigs, jigging spoons, and smelt or sucker meat fished on bottom through the ice at night. Best action after dark near river mouths and rocky lake structure. Tip-ups with live smelt are also | |
|
Aplodinotus grunniens
Called "sheepshead" in Michigan
|
Bottom fishing with nightcrawlers, crayfish, or cut bait; also jigging crayfish imitations and blade baits near gravel points and rocky structure | |
|
Coregonus clupeaformis
Great Lakes access
|
Jigging small spoons, Swedish Pimples, or jigging Rapalas in deep water; small bait flies and nymphs; ice fishing with tiny tube jigs tipped with wax worm near bottom | |
|
Esox lucius
|
Spoons, large swimbaits, sucker minnows under a bobber | |
|
Lepomis gibbosus
|
Small worms, crickets, tiny jigs near docks and weed edges ÔÇö same approach as bluegill | |
|
Osmerus mordax
Spring dip-netting in tributaries
|
Spring dip-netting in creek mouths and tributaries during spawning runs (check local regulations for net size/limits). Ice fishing with tiny teardrops and wax worms -- smelt move in massive schools un | |
|
Ambloplites rupestris
|
Small jigs, spinners, crayfish imitations | |
|
Neogobius melanostomus
Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
|
Small tube jigs and drop-shot rigs on bottom in Great Lakes and river habitats. Illegal to use as live bait in Michigan. Any round goby caught must be killed -- do not return to water. | |
|
Petromyzon marinus
Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
|
— | |
|
Morone americana
Invasive -- do not transport live
|
Small jigs, spinners, and live minnows under a float. Aggressive and easy to catch. Do NOT transport live white perch -- this aids their spread. | |
|
Perca flavescens
|
Small jigs tipped with minnow or waxworm, small spinners, ice fishing with teardrops and waxworms | |
|
Coregonus artedi
Michigan Threatened -- handle carefully, report catches to MDNR
|
Ice fishing with small spoons and jigging lures at thermocline depth; fall trolling near river mouths with small spoons | |
|
Acipenser fulvescens
Threatened — catch-and-release only. DNR monitoring program active.
|
Catch-and-release only in most Michigan waters — check current regulations. Bottom fishing with nightcrawlers or spawn in legal areas only. | |
|
Salvelinus namaycush
|
Jigging spoons deep, vertical jigging | |
|
Esox masquinongy
|
Large bucktails, jerkbaits, topwater gliders, sucker minnows ÔÇö always finish with a figure-8 boatside |
* Records shown are from our database. For the most current data, visit the Michigan DNR directly.