Captain Ron Westrate of CoHooker Charters reports from Saugatuck:

This past week again produced limit catches of Lake Trout, however the salmon were few and far between. The salmon that were caught hit 60 to 70 foot down but the lake trout hit off the bottom in 75 to 90 foot of water. The lake trout continue to be in the 12 to 20 pound range and the salmon are the 2 and 3 year old with the 4 year old chinook being absent.

The down riggers and the dipsy divers were run on the bottom with Silver Horde Gold Star metal dodgers with spin n glows. This combination produced 17 fish by 8:30 (1 1/2 hours of fishing) this morning. Any salmon and steelhead that we caught, were caught on regular stinger lures (orange corey and reverse christmas) and glow Silver Horde plugs pulled on 200 and 300 foot of copper.

I do not know where the 4 year old chinook salmon are, however the water in-front the piers is still in the mid 60 degrees and we do not see anything in this water. Grand Haven boats were catching small salmon and steelhead out in 260 to 300 foot of water. To get to this depth out of Saugatuck, we would have a 15 mile run and I have not talked to any one who has fished this depth here. Check back next week for an update or charter reservations or email me at captron@chartermichigan.com .

Captain Ed Stowe of Stowaway Charters reports from Ludington:

The fish are out in the deepwaters now. From the 35s out to the 4200#s. The thermocline is deep-90′ down it is 56 degrees. Almost any moonshine early, with the Happy Meal and Bad Toad doing the best for me lately, rerg size spoons are finally taking fish again and although the thermocline is deep we are taking fish on the three cores, the 5 cores and 7 and 10 cores. The higher fish are mostly steelies so we are using double orange crush, fireballs, red lazers and riversides. Double Glos and Blue Splatterbacks on the cores and Meatrigs on the coppers are also taking fish. Green spindoctors with Dark Seaweed flies and later 11″ White paddles with Froggy meatrigs are a good bet either on the riggers or the wire divers. The fish are also in Pere Marquette Lake and in the Pere Marquette river in good numbers. In Pere Marquette Lake it doesnt matter what you use as long as it is a J-plug or j-plug type bait, with Chrome Redhead and Grey Ghost being the favorite colors. In the river #5 spinners, HotnTots, Glo Thundersticks and PingaTees are good bets. The salmon are in the Sauble at the State Park and Spinners and egg sucking leach flies are producing now. Good Fishin…..Capt Ed

Captain John Giszczak of Stray Cat Charters reports from Luna Pier:

This past week was rough on the lake but perch fishing was very productive
Sunday the Lake was on fire! Limit catchs everywhere.
Some of the best fishing was near “E” buoy – had to move a few times, but the fish where on the large side.
In front of Bolles Harbor in 14′ of water many anglers took limits.
Some of the charter boats are still running way out, but many have found good fish closer to home.
Good bets are still Turtle Island area in 9 to 12 feet of water, the 2nd set of cans north of the Lighthouse on the Michigan side of the ditch
Just off the “Platform on the Ohio side of the channel has been producing a mixed bag.

Most of the bait shops have a fair supply on emerald shiners, but call ahead, some of the shops are mixing in chubs with the emeralds.

Luna Pier Harbor Club Marina has “Golden Shiners” which are very good alternative to emerald shiners. The Goldies are much more tolerant of warm water and will for a day or two if kept cool and aerated.

Ohio upped it’s limit to 30 perch per angler this season – Michigan still remains at 50 per angler

Captain John
Stray Cat Charter Fishing LLC
734-787-0030
http://www.walleyefishingmichigan.com

Capt. Ken Deaton of J-Lyn Charters reports from Harbor Beach:

Fishing continues to be on hold with the high winds and waves. It looks like this will continue again this week. If you really need to get out on the lake and fish I would suggest fishing inside the harbor using spoons and body baits trolling along the channel. You could also try for some perch inside the harbor fishing with minnows along the channel edges and around the weed beds inside the harbor. Be safe, and keep those lines tight!

Captain Ron Westrate of CoHooker Charters reports from Saugatuck:

After 10 days of watching the waves approaching 18 feet and winds often
over 50 MPH, we finally got a chance to fish on Sept. 9. What we are
getting is October weather in early September. We were hoping that that
water would have cooled down and that the fish would move in, however we
found 70 degree water in front the piers and very few fish. Moving out
to 100 foot of water we found 67 degree water on the surface and 67
degree water on the bottom, so we continued out to 200 foot and found a
temperature break down 70 foot. Out in this water there are 2, 3 and a
few 4 year old salmon and lake trout from 60 foot to 150 foot down. By
the end of the week, the water had stabilized somewhat and the the
temperature break was 60 foot down in 100 foot of water with the same
combination of fish as was found in the 200 foot depth.

The best methods continue to be spoons on the copper, flashers and flies
on the dipsy divers and dodgers and flies on the downriggers. With small
bait fish out in this deeper water, regular size stingers and nitro
lures worked the best on the 300 and 400 copper with color combinations
changing from day to day. On the dipsy divers white glow, white blue
wiggle and white glow mountain dew echip flashers with no see um green
and green hypnotist flies did very well. The downriggers produced very
well with green glow Pro Chip flashers and metal dodgers with green
hypnotist and last supper flies.

With a weather forecast that calls for more west winds and move high
seas, I do not see any cold water moving in soon. And without the cold
water and with the low river flow, the salmon will not school in mass
and they will just trickle in, a few at a time, and continue up the
river. Check back or email me at captron@chartermichigan.com for
information or charter reservations.

Captain Ed Stowe of Stowaway Charters reports from Ludington:

The water has turned to ice at the point from the hard blows of the past week. As the water cools we are taking fish on the 3 cores and 5 cores with plugs on them. Almost any moonshine early, with the Blue Jackel and Mongolian Beef doing the best for me lately, and the Silver Hoard ace highs, Double Glos and Yellow Splatterbacks on the cores and coppers are taking fish. Blue Bubble spindoctors with Blue Fairway flies and later 11″ White paddles with Moo Moo meatrigs are a good bet either on the riggers or the wire divers. The fish are also in Pere Marquette Lake and in the Pere Marquette river in good numbers. In Pere Marquette Lake it doesnt matter what you use as long as it is a J-plug or j-plug type bait, with Chrome Redhead and Green Gloes being the favorite colors. In the river #5 spinners, HotnTots, Glo Thundersticks and PingaTees are good bets. Good Fishin…..Capt Ed