Captain Ron Dohm Jr. from Sport Fish Michigan gives us his latest Michigan fishing report for June 17th, 2024.
Michigan Fishing Report: 6-17-2024
With things ahead of schedule here in Michigan and the fish are biting. Anglers can find good bites for smallmouth bass, trout, salmon, walleye, and other species all across the state. Right now is a great time to plan a trip to Michigan.
Smallmouth Bass: Lake Michigan Fishing Report
On the Grand Traverse Bay the water is warmer than it typically is this time of year and conditions are a few weeks ahead of the usual schedule. The smallmouth bass already had a big wave of spawning fish spawn and are off their beds for the most part. There are still plenty of fish shallow, however a lot of fish have already moved out to some deeper structure and the bite has been great.
Most of the smallmouth bass have been taking advantage of the large mayfly hatch that has been taking place. Anglers can catch bass by throwing topwater baits early in the morning. In the afternoon bass can be caught using hair jigs, ned rigs, poppers, and drop shots.
Lake Michigan Fishing: Lake Trout
Vertical jigging for lake trout have been awesome in the bays on Lake Michigan. We are picking up fish in the 70-100 feet of water range. Look for lake trout on deepwater structure like reefs or humps. Utilize your graphs to find these spots, looking for structure, bait and ultimately the fish.
Just about anywhere you find alewife around lake trout are close by. Matching the bait and finding the thermocline is important when on these spots. Use heavy 1-ounce jigs or jigging spoons to catch lake trout.
Lake Michigan Fishing: Big water salmon
Anglers are having great success on the 2-3 year old king salmon in the top 60-70 feet of water. Anglers can find those bigger four year old fish deeper down in the 80-120 feet of water. Keep your eye on the wind patterns as that’s changing the fishes location by the day. Standard spoons and flasher fly combos are getting it done for most anglers.
