Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report

Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: April 6, 2010

Kenosha Co.

In Kenosha steelhead fishing on the Pike River has been rather 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 holding good numbers of steelhead. Upstream of the Root River Steelhead Facility, most fish have been concentrated below the Horlick dam, but fair numbers can also be found in Colonial Park. Downstream of the Steelhead Facility most fish have been taken in Lincoln Park. Flies in egg patterns have been productive, as well as woolly buggers and small black stoneflies. Suckers are 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 next processing day will be Monday, April 12.

Milwaukee Co.

In Milwaukee anglers fishing the Milwaukee River along the wall under the Hoan bridge have been catching a few browns and rainbows, as well as perch. Spawn and small shiners have produced the most fish. In the Milwaukee River anglers have been catching fair numbers of 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 jigging in and around the gaps in the Milwaukee harbor continue to catch lake trout.

Ozaukee Co.

In Port Washington a few browns and rainbows have been taken on shiners off the pier. Shore anglers fishing near the power plant have also been catching browns and rainbows; and spawn, flies, and wax worms have all taken fish. Boaters have been catching lake trout just outside the Port Washington harbor. Fish have been 35 feet down and hitting spoons.

Sheboygan Co.

In Sheboygan, fishing on the Pigeon River has been slow, but anglers on the Sheboygan have been catching steelhead near the Kohler dam. Spawn, flies, and stickbaits have taken fish. A few rainbows and browns have also been caught off the south pier on spawn sacs and crank baits.

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 6, 2010

Manitowoc Co.

East Twin River: Anglers fishing for steelhead near the Mishicot dam had some success this past weekend either fly fishing or using spinners and spawn sacs. The sucker run appears to be in full swing as most anglers landed several suckers for every steelhead hooked. West Twin River: Steelhead and sucker fishing has been excellent near the large Shoto dam. 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 launched at the Shoto ramp in search of catfish, but the fishing was fairly slow. Water temperatures in the river have quickly risen to the mid 40s, but water level is very low. Manitowoc River: Fishing in the Manitowoc River was relatively quiet this weekend most likely due to the strong winds and the Easter holiday. A few anglers ventured out for catfish and carp. Anglers used a variety of bait from night crawlers to even spawn sacs on bottom. Very few anglers were steelhead fishing. Branch River: The Branch River over the weekend saw limited angler action. Poor weather and low water levels likely limited fishing activity this weekend. Silver Creek: The water levels in Silver Creek are very low. A few steelhead have been observed but there has been very little fishing pressure. The suckers have had no problem getting through the shallows and can be found throughout the area. A few dip netters have had no problem getting their desired amount. Two Rivers and Manitowoc Harbor/Piers: A strong SW wind made fishing difficult this weekend. A few hardy anglers were using orange spoons or spinners but they had very slow fishing. Manitowoc/Two Rivers Ramps: The boat ramps have been quiet due to the strong winds last week. When the weather has cooperated, anglers have had success catching brown trout with an occasional rainbow using crank baits and spoons of various colors. 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.

In Kewaunee County the weather this past week was not very cooperative with the fishermen in the area. High winds have limited the amount of boats that have been launching from both Kewaunee and Algoma ramps. A few brown trout are being caught off the Algoma Pier with spoons but have been very much hit or miss. The lack of rainfall has lead to low levels of water in the Ahnapee and Kewaunee Rivers and has hampered the efforts of fishermen seeking steelhead. The smaller streams in the area also are displaying low levels of water and are making for some difficult fishing. Some steelhead have been spotted in Stony Creek but have been very skittish due to the high fishing pressure there. On the Kewaunee River,a few steelhead have been caught behind the zoo with egg sacs. Although the trout fishing has been slow in the county, suckers have been making up for that with lots of action. There have been plenty of suckers being caught near Footbridge and near the bridge behind Bruemmer Zoo. Suckers are also very visible in Silver Creek near Brummerville and can provide plenty of action.

Door Co. (Lake and Bay sides)

Although the pounding winds limited fishing on the lake this week, the unique peninsula offered good fishing conditions on Green Bay. Many anglers were seen at the Stone Quarry north of Sturgeon Bay and the Egg Harbor launch areas. Trolling for brown trout along the flats of Sturgeon Bay, Little Harbor, and the south shore on the bay off of Potowanomi State Park yielded some nice fish. Anglers fishing off the Egg Harbor and Murphy Park piers reported many brown trout sightings and follow ups, but few takers. Fishing off of Weborg’s Point in Fish Creek and the Sister Bay marina have also produced a few browns further north. Most anglers were working Rapalas and spoons. Walleye fishing in the bay is picking up with heavy fishing off the train bridge in Sturgeon Bay, with reports of some nice fish being taken with Husky Jerks and Thundersticks. Many boats were seen working the edges of the shipping channel in the bay for northern pike with some decent success. Stream fishing was minimal and reports were of very few fish seen in Hines, Hibbards, and Whitefish Bay Creeks. Water level is very low in all streams in Door County.