Big Manistee River:

 Chinook and coho salmon have reached Tippy Dam in good numbers, but anglers are having a hard time getting them to hit. Anglers had slightly better success above the coffer dam on the Consumers Energy side with a mix of everything from spawn to crankbaits and spinners. Fishing between High Bridge and Bear Creek has been slow with the exception of a few Kings caught out of the mouth of Pine Creek. The bite was steady east of Bear Creek in the lower section. Those anchored in the deeper holes and casting crankbaits did best in the morning.

Musky anglers also take advantage

Musky anglers also take advantage of the moon for late-night feeding by those toothy monsters.
When these top predator fish are actively feeding all night, and have shorter periods of feeding activity during the day, the perch enthusiasts take advantage.
Perch, a primary forage for predator fish, will be more active during the day when they aren't being chased.
To me, the real fall fishing pattern starts in our area around the third week of September and lasts until we ice up.
It starts a week or so earlier north of us and a week or so later south of us.
When we are into a fall pattern, fish are more predictable in their locations, and will stay schooled in the same area sometimes for several weeks. They are easier to pattern.
Starting now, minnows will become a "go to" bait, and as we get further into the fall, larger minnows become a preference for all the predator fish (bass, northern, musky, and walleye).

Monongahela lock areas

In Greene County and in the southern half of Washington County, walleye are beginning to move into the Monongahela lock areas. Fishermen looking to pick up flathead catfish might have a difficult time, but it is reported that the Maxwell Lock and Dam area is harboring a steady flow of gar. The best success rates for the gar are attributed to using live bait with a pantyhose tail.

While fishing has been slow recently on the Monongahela River in Fayette County, the Youghiogheny is yielding channel catfish, smallmouth bass and some trout for local anglers.

Pelee Island in Ontario waters

Walleye fishing has slowed a bit around the island area, but has been good still at times. Some good sized walleye are starting to show up on the shallow reef areas around Pelee Island in Ontario waters, and around the reefs North of Kelleys Island and around all of the Bass Islands. Open water walleye fishing should be picking up west of Rattlesnake over to Niagara Reef area and some of those reefs N of Davis Besse power plant also producing walleye in the 7-20 ft. depth range. I have not had a good eastern report in a few days so if you are heading East try the area off of Sawmill Creek down to Vermilion in close to shore anywhere from 20-32’ of water or out on the Sand bar N of Vermilion out to the weather buoy 17 miles north.

Bass fishing has been excellent in the harbors for largemouth. Talking to some tournament pros fishing a tournament over the weekend in Ohio waters most said the smallmouth fishing around the islands was tough, but the ones they found were nice big ones. Maybe it is because the water is so warm and during warm water periods, smallmouth prefer live bait such as crawfish and the pro anglers can only use artificial baits. Even as good of fishermen as they are, there is no substitute sometimes for the real thing. Soft shelled crawfish are the way to go right now if targeting smallmouth bass. Look for them on sharp drop offs and rough rocky bottom around the islands or reefs N of Davis Besse.

Devils Lake

 

Walleye fishing has been good, Devils Lake Tourism reports in its latest update. Walleyes are beginning to move from shallow structure into deeper water, and anglers have reported catching fish in depths ranging from 22 feet to 44 feet of water with spinners and bottom bouncers. Use 1½-ounce bottom bouncers when fishing in less than 30 feet of water and 2-ounce bottom bouncers when fishing deeper than 30 feet. Ditches of sunken roads are good starting points, the report said, and color preferences vary by day. Fish have been hitting both live bait and soft plastics. Vertical jigging also has become more productive in recent days, a sign that fall is approaching. Focus on sunken rock piles and other submerged structure along with current areas near any of the bridges.

Trinidad Lake

The surface temperature is currently around 74 degrees. Juvenile smallmouth and perch are being caught from areas of cover using night crawlers. We are also seeing a few trout being caught on PowerBait from shore. Early mornings and later evenings continue to be the most productive time to fish. Catfish are still hit or miss throughout the lake for anglers fishing at night using worms and liver. Fishing from shore has slowed down. Boaters are still catching trout, walleye, and perch using jigs tipped with a night crawler or artificial minnow. Some boaters are catching fish trolling worm harnesses.

Monongahela River

 Fishing in most of the region seems to be slow in recent days, but anglers are having lots of luck with catfish in the Monongahela River in West Elizabeth. Gar are also hitting in the area. A few carp and smallmouth bass still pop up from time to time in the river as well.

Lake St. Clair:

Lake St. Clair: Smallmouth bass were caught halfway between the Clinton River and the Shipping Channel when drifting minnows in 17 feet, around the 400 Club and the Mile Roads when casting crank baits or drop-shotting leeches or around the St. Clair Light with tube baits in 14 to 21 feet. Walleye were caught near the Dumping Grounds, the St. Clair Light and the mouth of the South Channel when trolling purple, chartreuse or perch colored crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers. Musky were caught near the "Fire Cracker" and the Clinton River in 10 feet. Crayfish colored body baits worked well. A few bluegills were caught in the canals near Nine Mile Road. On the north end, walleye were caught near the Fair Haven launch when drifting crawlers. Smallmouth bass were taken near the mouth of the Middle Channel when casting tube baits or crank baits. Panfish were in 6 to 8 feet in Anchor Bay.