Capt. Dave Myers of Cyndie Sue Charters reports from Holland:

The fishing finally picked back up this weekend. Sunday was especially good with an average of 3-4 hits/hour. We caught mostly steelhead with a nice mix of salmon and a few lake trout. The biggest salmon was 22.5lbs with one steelhead topping 13 lbs. We had our best luck in 170 feet of water with the steelhead coming in the top 20 feet and the other fish 80 to 100 feet down. A variety of regular size orange Dream Weaver spoons run off board lines caught most of the steelhead while the blue and green magnum size DW spoons were effective on the deep fish. Also, the coyote flasher with a green glow fly worked well on the deep downrigger. We didn’t need to run copper or leadcore. Also, heard reports from other boats of salmon being caught in 30 – 90 feet of water.

Excellent fishing should remain into June as long as the weather cooperates. What makes it so nice now is having all the different species of fish together. It is common to have a steelhead, salmon & lake trout on at the same time! As we head into June, the steelhead typically head out into deeper water while the lake trout move in but go deeper, and the salmon tend to scatter. How fast the water warms up seems to determine when the fish breakup.

Captain Ed Stowe of Stowaway Charters reports from Ludington:

The browns and steelhead are in the nearshore waters, and at the pierheads and in front of the state park. There are some kings south of the project but be careful of the Indian nets there. Rapala stick baits and Dreamweaver Super Slims painted in the Rapala colors are all working right now. Green Dolphins and Blue Dolphins are good bets for the spring kings either on the riggers or behind the three color or 5 color leadcores. The water in the Lake is super clear so we have to get the baits far behind the boards. Black and silver, Gold and silver, Chartreuse, and Red are all working.

Good Fishin…..Capt Ed

Captain .Dick Rang from Lake and Stream Charters reports from Alpena

Lake Trout fishing is excellent off Thunder Bay. Great catches of larger fish have been the norm. Leadcore, dipsey divers, etc. it doesn’t matter. The water is very cold from 41 to 46 degrees on the surface!

Spoons and flashers and flies are working well in 40 to 50 feet of water. Green and white combos are working. Steel head are slow but will pick up. No bugs up here yet, some steelhead are still in the river spawning.

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

Brown Trout have been being taken in close to shore working the 25 to 45 foot of water areas South of the harbor. Body baits and clean spoons are working, try perch, green, and blue colors.

Lake Trout fishing is good straight out and North of the harbor. Try clean spoons off the downriggers, and flashers or dodgers with flys or spin and glows close to the bottom. Fish 20 foot down to the bottom for best results. Best colors have been purple, green, blue, and black. Start fishing in 60 feet of water and work your way out to the deeper water.

Some salmon continue to be taken South, straight out and North of the harbor. For best results, fish clean spoons off the downriggers 30 to 60 feet down. Good colors have been silver, blue, green and black. Also try some flashers with flys off the dowriggers or dipsey divers as well. Start in 50 feet of water and work out till you find where they are setting.

Steelhead fishing is slow but should continue to pick up. Put out some long lines with the Offshore boards, try clean spoons, and body baits. Best colors have been bright orange, pinks, greens and yellows. Try some 2, 5, and 8 color lead lines as well.

If you want to try for some walleye try North of the harbor working in close to shore, 25 to 40 feet of water.

Try for the perch by the lighthouse or South by the cemetery using minnows in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Captain Bill Winowiecki of Watta Bite Charters reports from Glen Arbor:

A little review of last year brought some good fishing to Glen Arbor.

The early Lake Trout season was good, lots of fish. The King’s started slow, but when they showed up it was the best fishing in the State of Michigan, South Manitou was on fire. Salmon fishing was great until the third week of August and the wind started to blow and blow very hard. It churned Lake Michigan up like a blender. The fall fishing was a wash all the way down the west coast. It killed charter fishing from Chicago to Mackinaw. What this means is that there are a lot of fish still out there waiting to be caught.

I’ve attended many meetings on the fishery over the winter. As many of you know I’m on the Lake Michigan Fishery Advisory Committee, I’m on the Michigan Charter Boat Association Board of Directors, and an active Member of the Grand Traverse Area Sports Fishing Association. My main goal was to get the Lake Trout size limits changed along with all these organizations we’ve finally achieved that goal. We can keep big Lake Trout this year!!!!!! This will make our spring fishery excellent. No more dragging these big fish in, to throw back to die.

I’ve spoken with many Captains down the West Coast of Lake Michigan they were very envious of the Salmon fishing we had on South Manitou. The big King’s showed up around the second week of July and stayed there until late August. It was sure a lot of fun. Every year the fish return to the Manitou Islands with the fall fishing so poor due to the winds, fishing should be real good this year.

Let’s go fishing!!
It will be another fun season.
Captain Bill

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

Lake Trout fishing is good straight out and North of the harbor. Try clean spoons off the downriggers, and flashers or dodgers with flys or spin and glows close to the bottom. Fish 20 foot down to the bottom for best results. Best colors have been purple, green, blue, and white. Start fishing in 60 feet of water and work your way out to the deeper water.

Some salmon continue to be taken South, straight out and North of the harbor. For best results, fish clean spoons off the downriggers 30 to 60 feet down. Good colors have been silver, blue, green and black. Also try some flashers with flys off the dowriggers or dipsey divers as well. Start in 45 feet of water and work out till you find where they are setting.

Steelhead fishing is slow but should continue to pick up. Put out some long lines with the Offshore boards, try clean spoons, and body baits. Best colors have been bright orange, pinks, greens and yellows. Try some 2, 5, and 8 color lead lines as well.

Brown Trout have been being taken in close to shore working the 25 to 45 foot of water areas South and North of the harbor. Body baits and clean spoons should work, try perch, green, and blue colors.

If you want to try for some walleye try North of the harbor working in close to shore, 25 to 40 feet of water.

Try for the perch by the lighthouse or South by the cemetery using minnows in 20 to 30 feet of water.