Rainy River

Rainy River anglers finding more shiners and walleyes have entered the river with morning/evening still the best for now. Trolling cranks or pulling spinners producing the best to cover lots of area but walleyes found vertical jigging tipped with a shiner doing good. Smallmouth bass in good numbers along shoreline rock, bridge embankments and feeder streams. Many sturgeon over 50" and 60" being boated at all times of the day and night.

Yellow Creek Lake

Anglers fishing  are picking up some large catfish at the boat launch near L & M Campground. Reports indicate the big catfish also are congregating around the North Shore boat launch. In addition to the catfish, fishermen are doing well with largemouth bass and are catching the occasional northern pike or sunfish in the lake, too.

Once the water temperatures begin to cool

Fish often become easier to locate with electronics when they begin to locate in deeper water. Once walleyes begin to school more tightly in the fall, anglers have a better chance to locate a decent sized pod of walleyes to fish if they are looking in the right areas in the lakes.

There are a few characteristics anglers should be looking for late in the season, regardless of the species of fish they are trying to locate.
Once the water temperatures begin to cool in the fall, most species of fish want to stay close to their food. A spot can have all of the positive characteristics of an area that should be good to fish, but if there are no baitfish and nothing else for fish to eat there, the walleyes and other predator species likely won't be there either.
Perch, crappies and sunfish may be looking for insect larvae, crayfish, minnows or other smaller forage when they choose where they want to be located in the fall.

Sturgeon Bay

 Bad weather has limited fishing opportunities in the Sturgeon Bay area for both boats and shore anglers. Very little success was reported by any boats coming off the Lake Michigan side, with only a single fish here or there reported. Perch fishing has slowed according to reports over the past week also, and fewer boats than normal have been out to boot. Some walleye anglers have had some success trolling crawler harnesses out on the bay in 20-30 feet-of-water, but they have also reported a lot of sheepshead and catfish bycatch.
Shore anglers have had very limited success for smallmouth or any species besides gobies for that matter, as storms and changing weather seemed to scatter fish.

Oconto River

Blue gill and some small mouth are still being caught below the Dam at Stiles on the Oconto River although the catch rates have dropped this past week. Fishing the mouth of the Oconto River is still producing some small mouth, cat fish, and drum mainly using live bait. Fishing Young's Reef this past week was producing very good success with most anglers rip Jigging. Trolling crawler/harness and bottom bouncers was also working well. Perch anglers were having some success from the Pensaukee River to Oconto Park II fishing in 6 to 14 feet of water using minnows and crawler chunks. The most productive time to fish has been early morning.
Genoas Beach- The launch was consistently full throughout the week and weekend despite the strong winds that kept many anglers home. Only a few interviews were taken and all the anglers interviewed were in search for walleye. Some spent a short time on the water due to the weather change and came home empty while others had a couple fish to take home.

Lake of the Woods

 

Walleyes are moving closer to shorelines with the onset of fall temperatures, Lake of the Woods Tourism reports in its weekly update. Anglers have reported catching more walleyes in front of Lighthouse Gap near the mouth of the Rainy River, where crankbaits and spinners with crawlers or shiners are producing the best results. Big schools of walleyes continue to roam the "no man's land" of Big Traverse Bay, the report said, and reefs also are producing well.

Up at the Northwest Angle, anglers have reported mixed bags of walleye and perch limits in Minnesota waters, with fish being found anywhere from the 14- to 18-foot depths to as deep as 25 to 28 feet of water. In Canadian waters, crankbaits have been producing larger walleyes, the report said, while pulling spinners and bottom bouncers or jigging the deeper waters between reefs is yielding fish, as well. Look for crappies in 30 feet of water or deeper off points, where jigging with a minnow is a proven tactic.

Lighthouse Gap

Fall temperatures are here and excellent fall fishing has come with it. Good numbers of walleyes moving closer to shorelines.  Walleyes in front of Lighthouse Gap increasing. Crankbaits and spinners with crawlers or shiners doing the best. Big schools of walleyes in no man’s land of Big Traverse Bay. Reefs producing well! Hammered gold, glow, perch, crayfish all good colors.

Anglers in the Rainy River finding some walleyes with morning/evening still the best. Some shiners starting push back up the river with hungry walleyes on pursuit. Trolling cranks or pulling spinners producing the best. Smallmouth bass in good numbers along shoreline rock, bridge embankments and feeder streams. Sturgeon anglers finding great success while moving around until you find the right hole.  Many sturgeon over 50″ and 60″ being boated.

CHESAPEAKE BAY:

  reports fall species such as spot, speckled trout, and puppy drum are beginning to draw more interest, while the summer favorites such as flounder, cobia, and red drum are staging to leave local waters. The cobia season closes on Sept. 15. Near the mouth of the bay and along the ocean front, some fish are exceeding 50 pounds. Nice yellowbelly spot along with some big croaker are infiltrating the lower bay and local Inlets. The bay flounder bite is still strong on live bait and jigs worked near the CBBT structure. Spanish mackerel are still available along tide rips near the Bridge Tunnel, along Cape Henry, and along the buoy lines at the mouth of the bay. Speckled trout are showing in inlets, and big amberjack are still available on local wrecks. Offshore billfish action was very good, although the latest weather could mix things up a bit.