Lake Michigan Fishing Report 10/23/09

[Woody]

Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: October 22, 2009

Kenosha Co.
In Kenosha a few chinooks and browns have been taken in the harbor on skein under a slip bobber, but fishing has been slow overall.

Racine Co.
Shore anglers fishing in the Racine harbor have been catching a few browns on spawn. The Root River is holding good numbers of chinooks, along with increasing numbers of coho and a few steelhead and browns below the Root River Steelhead Facility. Large black or olive colored flies have been productive. Over 600 fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Thursday, October 22. So far this season, a total of 1,516 chinooks, 183 coho, 16 steelhead, and 13 browns have been passed upstream. The next processing day is tentatively Monday, October 26.

Milwaukee Co.
In Milwaukee trollers fishing in the harbor and around the gaps have been catching a few chinooks and browns. Milwaukee shore anglers have been catching browns on spawn in the lagoon at Lakeshore State Park, and anglers fishing near the Milwaukee Yacht Club have been catching chinooks. Fishing has been slow in the Menomonee River, but some chinooks have been caught in the Milwaukee River in Kletzsch and Estabrook Parks. Black flies and spawn have both been productive. In Oak Creek, anglers have been catching a few chinooks on yarn in orange, green, or red.

Ozaukee Co.
Shore anglers in Port Washington have been catching good numbers of chinooks, coho, rainbows, and browns near the power plant. Both skein and spawn sacs produced fish. In the north slip anglers have been catching chinooks and browns, and anglers fishing Sauk Creek have taken a few chinooks and coho near the mouth.

Sheboygan Co.
In Sheboygan shore anglers have been catching chinooks and browns on spoons and skein in the marina. A few chinooks, rainbows, and coho have also been caught off the north pier on spawn. In the Sheboygan River anglers have been catching fair numbers of chinooks between Taylor Avenue and the Kohler dam. Most fish have been taken on flies, but spoons have caught some as well.
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: October 20, 2009

Manitowoc Co.
Salmon anglers fishing in the East Twin River had a good week of fishing. Anglers were concentrated around the Mishicot dam catching large Chinook salmon. Anglers were catching fish during daylight hours by casting spinners or using spawn sacs. Some spawn sacs were combined with yarn balls or small marshmallows. On the West Twin River, salmon anglers also had a productive weekend harvesting some big Chinook salmon. Fishing pressure was high in Shoto all weekend with anglers fishing from both river banks at the dam and in the river downstream. Successful anglers were using spawn sacs or yarn balls with a single hook. In Two Rivers, boat fishing was slow this past week, with very few anglers fishing from boats. On Sunday a couple anglers were casting spoons from both the north and south piers with little success.

Kewaunee Co.
Weather over this last week has been cool, windy, and rainy throughout the week making for some foul weather fishing this week. Some kings continue to move up the rivers this week, but the numbers have started to drop off. Fish are still being caught in the Ahnapee and Kewaunee Rivers from the mouths all the way up to the fish refuges below the dams, but there has been much less success this past week. Anglers that have been fishing in the harbors have been able to pick up browns and rainbows this week, but upstream it is all kings.

Door Co. (Lake and Bay sides)
No report of salmon action on Lake Michigan this week; there just didn’t seem to be anyone going out on the big lake. Action off the piers at the Coast Guard Station remained poor; the rain and cold temperatures seemed to keep most anglers off of the piers. A few anglers reported taking some kings trolling spoons and crank baits in the canal. Further north, kings can still be seen swimming in most of the harbors. Again this week there was not a lot of action on the other species, probably due to the weather.

Green Bay Fishing Report: October 22, 2009

East Shore

Door Co. -no report
Brown Co. -no report

West Shore

Oconto Co.
Stiles dam is still producing some panfish using slip bobbers and leaf worms or minnows. Drifting crankbaits and chug baits on the Oconto River for smallmouth is working well. A few salmon and browns are being caught at the Oconto Breakwater Harbor casting cleos and stickbaits. Perch are also biting at the Breakwater and Oconto Park II; minnows and crawlers are working well.

Marinette Co.
Hattie Street Dam is producing some nice browns over 15 pounds along with a few walleye and the occasional salmon; Rapala's and spoons as well as drifting crawlers has been working. Little River for salmon has been slow, as has been the Peshtigo River with a few salmon being caught daily.