Traverse City Record-Eagle

Outdoors

January 21, 2010

Fish Report: Warm weather weakening ice

LANSING -- Warmer weather has made ice fishing a lot more comfortable. But it is important that anglers use extreme caution and pay close attention to changing ice conditions, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says.

No motorized vehicles should be going out on the ice. Ice on the inland lakes seems to be holding up better, but catch rates have been on the slow side, the DNR said Wednesday in its weekly recreational fishing report.

Traverse City: Both the East Bay and the West Bay have open water.

Lake Leelanau: Ice anglers are still taking a few walleye.

Green Lake: Ice anglers are catching smelt but some are small.

Cedar Lake: Pike are hitting on tip-ups and smelt have been caught.

Lake Missaukee: Had fair to good panfish action.

Lake Cadillac: Had fair to good pike fishing.

Lake Mitchell: Is also producing some pike and panfish.

Manistee River: Look for steelhead in the upper stretches near Tippy Dam.

Mullett Lake: Anglers were targeting perch in 12 to 40 feet of water. Most were 5 to 8 inches and only a few topped 10 inches. Anglers are mainly staying close to shore. The middle of the lake has not been fished due to questionable ice conditions.

Higgins Lake: Smelt have been caught about 10 feet off the bottom in waters 30 to 50 feet deep. Perch can be found in 15 to 20 feet of water, but sort out the small ones. Lake trout and good numbers of whitefish have been caught along the drop-off near deep water. Rainbow trout can still be found near the mouth of Big Creek.

Houghton Lake: Pike are hitting on tip-ups with sucker minnows and walleye are hitting on jigs with minnows. Catch rates for bluegill were sporadic and a few crappie were caught on minnows.

Muskegon Lake: Anglers should stay away from open water in the channel leading to Lake Michigan. Pike have been caught in the middle sections of the lake. Those fishing off Hartshorn Marina were using tip-ups with golden shiners. Perch were caught on the bottom in 45 to 60 feet of water. Try minnows, wigglers, mousies or spikes. Bluegills were caught in 3 feet of water off the North State Park.

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