Lake Michigan Fishing Report: April 13, 2010

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Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: April 13, 2010

Kenosha Co.
In Kenosha steelhead fishing on the Pike River has been slow. In the harbor anglers are catching a few steelhead and browns on white tube jigs or spawn sacs.

Racine Co.
In Racine the Root River is still holding good numbers of steelhead. Upstream of the Root River Steelhead Facility, most fish have been concentrated below the Horlick dam, and downstream most are in Lincoln Park. Large black or fluorescent flies have been productive in faster moving water, and spawn sacs have worked well in the deeper pools. Suckers are also abundant in the river. Fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Monday, April 5. Both Chambers Creek and Ganaraska eggs were taken, and 148 more steelhead were passed upstream, for a total of 331 this season. The last processing day will be Wednesday, April 14.

Milwaukee Co.
In Milwaukee anglers fishing the Milwaukee River along the wall under the Hoan bridge have been catching a few browns and rainbows. Spawn and small shiners have produced the most fish. In the Milwaukee River anglers have been catching a few steelhead on yarn flies at Kletzsch Park. A few steelhead are still being taken out of Oak Creek and the Menomonee River, but numbers have been diminishing. Boaters working in and around the gaps in the Milwaukee harbor continue to catch browns and lake trout. Both jigging and trolling small crankbaits have been effective.

Ozaukee Co.
Shore anglers in Port Washington have been concentrating on the area around the power plant discharge. Fair numbers of browns and rainbows have been taken, and spawn has produced the most fish.

Sheboygan Co.
In Sheboygan, anglers fishing both the Pigeon and Sheboygan Rivers have been catching a few steelhead. Flies and spinners have taken the most fish. Some northern pike have also been caught in the Sheboygan River near the Kohler dam. Fishing off the piers has been slow, but boaters casting crankbaits in shallow water have been taking decent numbers of browns.
The Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report is updated twice per week from March 1 to December 1 each year. This report is a copy of the fishing report we post on our fishing hotline at (414) 382-7920.

Northern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: April 13, 2010

Manitowoc Co.
Strong winds and gusts all week started diminishing by Saturday afternoon. The winds created waves 2-4 feet high on Lake Michigan. Rain and snow throughout the week raised water levels and increased flow while the temperature dropped 8 degrees in local rivers. Air temperatures ranged from the upper-20s to mid-60s throughout the week. East Twin River: Anglers fishing for steelhead near the Mishicot dam had scattered success this past week either fly fishing or using spinners and spawn sacs. Anglers had the best luck downstream near the fire station. Suckers have been caught by the dozens up and down the East Twin using night crawlers, spawn, and plastic jigs. Water temperature dropped to 46F by the weekend. West Twin River: Steelhead fishing has slowed down recently as water levels rose and the water temperature dropped from 56F to 46F. Anglers had the greatest success using spawn sacs with a few split shots for weight. Most of the landed steelhead were still spawning. A few anglers tried their luck fishing for catfish, but the fishing was fairly slow. Manitowoc and Branch Rivers: Fishing was relatively quiet this week most likely due to the strong winds and the high, fast flowing water. A few anglers ventured out for catfish and carp, landing a few small fish. Anglers used a variety of bait from night crawlers to even spawn sacs on bottom. A few fly fishermen on the Branch River, near the golf course saw slow action with the high waters. Silver Creek: The water levels have risen roughly 5” since the mid-week rain. A few steelhead have been observed, but there has been very little fishing pressure. The sucker numbers are still high throughout the area. A few dip netters have had no problem getting their desired amount. Two Rivers and Manitowoc Harbor/Piers: Calmer winds later in the week provided great opportunities to fish lakeside. Using spawn off the bottom and orange casting spoons, a small number were hooked with little success landing the fish. Early season anglers had limited success during the week for carp and catfish. Manitowoc/Two Rivers Ramps: The boat ramps heated up over the weekend with light southerly winds with water temps around 44F. Boaters averaged 1-3 Brown Trout with the most success coming between the Two Rivers Hospital and the South Manitowoc Pier in 8-13 feet of water. Spoons and crank baits of various colors worked best on high lines. Two Rivers/Manitowoc shoreline: A few steelhead have been taken using spawn near the Little Manitowoc River mouth but fishing pressure remains relatively low due to strong winds. Dip netters also have had success taking abundant amount of suckers.

Kewaunee Co.
This week's conditions were a little more favorable for the anglers compared to last week. The rain and snow has helped raise the water levels in all of the streams considerably. The winds were strong for the majority of the week but tapered off during the weekend. The melted snow has lowered the temperature of the Kewaunee stream down to 38 degrees. Lake Michigan has been seeing high waves due to the high winds coming off the lake and has kept most fisherman from launching. There has been high fishing pressure at Stony Creek, Brummerville (Silver Creek), and Footbridge. These locations were also the places reporting the most steelhead being caught. All of the reported fish caught have been hooked with spawn sacs. Forestville is starting to see some increasing fishing pressure as a few steelhead are starting to be pulled of out the stream there. The Algoma and Kewaunee piers are still experiencing slow fishing action with a few brown trout and catfish being caught off the Algoma pier with spoons and chunks of sucker, respectively.

Door Co. (Lake and Bay sides)
For the people who were dreaming of a white April, the wish came true this week. A heavy dumping blanketed the county on Thursday and stuck around until the weekend. Winds were heavy out of the west for part of the week, increasing the number of fisherman on the lake side. Overall the weather was pleasant enough to allow anglers to hit the water all over the Door. Brown trout fishing has continued to be productive on both Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Reports of anglers taking five to ten fish were common off of Baileys Harbor, Ellison Bay, outside of the Sturgeon Bay shipping canal, and along areas of the Sturgeon Bay shores. Some nicer fish have been taken in the fifteen pound range, good news for anglers looking forward to the brown trout tournament being held next weekend. Fire tiger Rapalas have been popular for results, along with fishing in more turbid waters. Pike fishing along the channel in Sturgeon Bay has been somewhat slow. Most fisherman having success have been drifting along the shipping channel edges using live bait suspended off the bottom with floating jig heads. The walleye spawn looks to be right around the corner in Sturgeon Bay. Many fish have been reported off the train bridge and along the shoreline out toward Potowatomi Park. Clown colored Rapalas have been the popular choice for anglers. Good luck to all anglers fishing in the brown trout tournament next weekend.