Traverse City Record-Eagle

Outdoors

January 28, 2010

Anglers should remain cautious on ice

LANSING -- Ice fishing conditions across Michigan continue demanding that anglers must remain cautious, the Department of Natural Resources says.

Shoreline ice may not be safe, and anglers should avoid areas near pressure cracks and where creeks or streams flow into a lake. Water levels were up in some rivers after the rain and snow melt, the DNR said Wednesday in its weekly recreational fishing report.

Torch Lake: Did not have safe ice.

Elk Lake: Did not have safe ice.

Traverse City: Still has open water in the East Bay and the West Bay.

Lake Leelanau: Is producing perch and walleye. A few smelt were caught on the north lake.

Crystal Lake: The ice is building. Most anglers are fishing closer to shore.

Green Lake: Ice anglers are catching smelt at night.

Cedar Lake: Pike are still hitting on tip-ups. Smelt can be caught during the day and at night.

Lake Cadillac: Has good pike fishing and some nice walleye have been caught.

Lake Mitchell: Is also producing pike, walleye and panfish.

Manistee River: Steelhead are showing up in decent numbers.

Pere Marquette River: Look for a fair to good number of steelhead.

Pentwater Lake: Opened up from the river to the boat launch.

Mullett Lake: Anglers are catching a few perch in 12 to 25 feet of water when using minnows or wigglers. A couple small pike were taken on tip-ups. Anglers are staying close to shore.

Long Lake: Has been yielding a few jumbo perch along with the occasional northern pike. Ice conditions are marginal so caution needs to be used.

Higgins Lake: Still has good ice and good fishing. Good numbers of smelt have been caught in 25 to 50 feet of water. Try hali-jigs with wax worms, spikes or minnows. Perch have been caught but anglers will need to move around to locate schools of fish. Good numbers of whitefish and limits of lake trout have been caught in 90 to 100 feet of water.

Houghton Lake: Reports good ice and fair fishing. Those jigging shiners in the North Bay, the Middle Grounds and the East Bay caught fish. Pike are hitting on tip-ups all over the lake. Not much on panfish yet.

Tawas Bay: Perch fishing has been very slow. The walleye action picked up some but extreme caution needs to be used. A good share of ice in the outer section of the Bay blew out so more fish were concentrated under the remaining ice. Pike spearing also picked up.

Au Gres: Perch fishing in Wigwam Bay was slow, but a few walleye were caught in 5 to 7 feet of water off Hale Road.

Au Gres River: Anglers were still catching a good number of sub-legal walleye.

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