Fishing_Content Page_Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report

Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report - July 13, 2026

Fishing Wisconsin

Generally, fishing reports will be updated weekly on Tuesdays. This may change based on the availability of reports and the field staff's work schedules.

Unless otherwise indicated, this fishing report information comes from our creel survey clerks, who work in the lakeshore areas from March through October and in the tributary rivers seasonally in spring and fall. Creel clerk schedules are random and vary in the days and times they are scheduled to be in a specific location. This allows us to generate statistically valid fishing efforts and harvest information.

The information in these reports is based on the days and times of the week that creel clerks are present. You can obtain additional fishing information by contacting local bait shops, charter captains, guides and marinas.

Reminder: Anglers must carry a paper copy of their license/stamps while fishing on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and the Wisconsin/Michigan, Wisconsin/Minnesota and Wisconsin/Iowa boundary waters.

 

July 13, 2026: West Shore Green Bay Fishing Report

Brown County

Fox River: Lower levels of fishing pressure were observed this week with more pleasure boaters taking to the water. Anglers reported catching channel catfish and flathead catfish as well as plenty of freshwater drum on various types of live bait on bottom rigs with worms being the most popular bait.

Fox River Mouth: Most parties interviewed throughout the week were pleasure boating. However, some anglers were targeting walleyes in lower Green Bay. Groups targeting walleye were having the most success trolling with green and purple crawler harnesses and #9-sized minnowbaits in 20 to 30 feet of water. One group reported harvesting 15 walleyes, all over 20 inches.

Suamico River: Moderate fishing pressure was observed throughout the week with most anglers targeting walleyes. Groups were finding the most success trolling green shad-style baits and crawler harnesses in 20 to 30 feet of water. Some anglers mentioned that they were catching fish suspended 10-15 feet down. A few groups reported catching their limits with most anglers catching around 3 walleye per trip. Most walleye anglers also reported catching an average of 5 freshwater drum per outing. Some bass anglers were also interviewed, but they reported limited success.

Marinette County

Fishing on the bay continued to improve this week for salmon and trout. Chinook salmon were making up most of the catch with a few brown and rainbow trout caught as well. Most areas produced fish from Green Island to Chambers Island in the deep waters and along the shorelines north and south of the Menominee River. Spoons of various sizes and colors were working best with some salmon being taken on flies. A few larger salmon around the 20-pound mark were caught at the end of the week. Surface temps were in the low 70s with most anglers fishing around 40 feet down and deeper.

Oconto County

Walleye activity picked up quite a bit this week especially out of the Pensaukee River where anglers were getting limits or close to limits. Crawler harnesses were working best with several anglers noting that they had the best luck fishing 15 to 20 feet down in 30 feet of water. Others were catching fish on the bottom in the same areas just a bit shallower – around 20 feet of water. Further north off of Oconto and Oconto County Park 2, anglers were starting to see better catches for walleye this week. Most fish were caught out in deeper waters there as well with 25 to 30 feet being popular. Lots of sheepshead and some catfish were also being caught by walleye anglers. Perch anglers had more of a struggle this week to fill their limits. Most boats were averaging 3 to 8 perch. Surface temps were in the low 70s.

Geano Beach: Moderate fishing pressure was observed this week with lots of anglers targeting walleye. Anglers who had the most success reported trolling crawler harnesses in 15 to 25 feet of water. Boating activity aside from anglers was much more limited at this location.

 

July 13, 2026: East Shore Green Bay Fishing Report

Bayshore Park: Due to projected storms, limited fishing pressure was observed. An angler targeting yellow perch had good success while fishing with night crawlers just north of Bayshore Park in around 20 feet of water. The angler stated that he had better success with nightcrawlers than with minnows. The sizes of the yellow perch that were kept ranged from 8 to 13 inches long. The water temperature was around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Eagle's Nest: Limited fishing pressure was observed this week. Only one angler was interviewed this week and reported catching one 10-inch walleye and a freshwater drum just north of the Eagle’s Nest boat launch.

Chaudoir’s Dock: There were no interviews of anglers conducted at this location this week.

Little Sturgeon Bay: There was a smallmouth bass tournament over the weekend which resulted in heavy fishing pressure for smallmouth bass. The tournament anglers had mixed results with the best success coming from anglers fishing in 8 to 25 feet of water from Henderson’s Point to the mouth of Sturgeon Bay. Anglers targeting walleye had the best success trolling minnowbaits and jigging with nightcrawlers off Larsen Reef in around 20 feet of water. Anglers targeting yellow perch had success fishing within Riley's Bay in around 8 feet of water using live nightcrawlers. The sizes of the perch that were kept ranged from 8 to 14 inches. The water temperature was around 76 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sawyer Harbor: Limited boating activity was observed this week. All boaters who were interviewed were recreational boaters and were not fishing.

 

July 13, 2026: Northern Lake Michigan Fishing Report

Door County

Green Bay: Smallmouth bass remained the primary target for both pier and boat anglers. Pier anglers at Egg Harbor and Sister Bay caught smallmouth bass, rock bass and pumpkinseed using nightcrawlers and single-tail grubs. Several anglers reported better fishing in Sister Bay Harbor when winds pushed water into the harbor and slower fishing when northwest winds pushed water out of the harbor. Boaters reported catching smallmouth bass on Ned rigs, dark sleeper baits and soft plastic goby-style swimbaits. Walleye anglers also found success with fish being caught on shiver minnows as well as nightcrawler and jig combinations. Water temperatures ranged from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Lake Michigan: Boat anglers continued targeting Chinook salmon, rainbow trout and the occasional brown trout. Most groups reported fishing in 80 to 100 feet of water, with most fish caught between 50 and 70 feet down. Flasher flies and spoons continued to produce trout and salmon, while crankbaits in black, gray, white and green pumpkin were effective for smallmouth bass. Surface water temperatures ranged from 69 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit, with temperatures dropping to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit in deeper water. Chinook salmon caught ranged from 10 to 19 pounds and 28 to 37 inches.

Sturgeon Bay: The shorelines across Sturgeon Bay saw most anglers fishing for smallmouth bass. Anglers had success catching smallmouth bass, yellow perch, freshwater drum and round gobies. Both nightcrawlers and red worms were commonly used as bait. Most groups fishing the canal were targeting yellow perch. Perch anglers were fishing in 14 to 22 feet of water using worms, minnows and leeches. Other species reported caught from boaters in/near the canal include smallmouth bass, freshwater drum and yellow bullhead. The average surface temperature in the canal this week was around 74 degrees Fahrenheit. On Lake Michigan, groups were out fishing for both trout and salmon. Anglers reported good numbers of Chinook salmon and rainbow trout with a few Coho salmon mixed in. Most groups reported trolling in 90 to 130 feet of water with bites coming in 30 to 50 feet down in the water column. Anglers said red-tipped lures were getting bites more frequently than other colors this week. Surface temperatures climbed from 61 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit as the week progressed.

Kewaunee County

Algoma: Ahnapee River anglers were going after smallmouth bass and northern pike. Anglers ended up catching freshwater drum, bigmouth buffalo and round goby while using worms and soft plastics as bait. Lake Michigan boaters were out fishing for both trout and salmon. Anglers were catching mostly Chinook salmon and rainbow trout with coho salmon being caught at a much lower frequency. Groups were fishing in 90 to 120 feet and reported most fish were biting between 35 to 50 feet down. Dark colored lures were preferred by salmon this week. Surface temperatures ranged from 63 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kewaunee: Along the pier, anglers committed their time fishing for trout and salmon and had success catching rainbow trout. In town, shore anglers were able to catch common carp and bullheads. Groups fishing on Lake Michigan were targeting trout and salmon. Anglers had the most success catching good numbers of Chinook salmon but also caught coho salmon, rainbow trout and lake trout. Anglers reported that most bites came from 30 to 50 feet down, while fishing between 80 to 110 feet of water. Green colored spoons and flasher flies were commonly used. Surface temperatures ranged from 62 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit with the temps rising as the week progressed. 

Manitowoc County

Anglers have been catching a good amount of Chinook salmon along with some rainbow trout. There have also been a few lake trout and coho mixed in. The average group caught 5-7 fish per trip. Anglers reported catching fish from 50-120 feet. The best results came from 85-115 feet. Surface temperature was around 68 degrees with 51-degree water 50 feet down. A combination of spoons and flasher flies caught the most fish. Standout colors include green, white, glow and anything with spots. Effective trolling speeds of 2.2-2.5 miles per hour at the ball. Anglers fishing from the piers reported catching three Chinook salmon, caught on small spoons.

 

July 13, 2026: Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report

Kenosha County

Pier/Shore: Fisherman from the shores and piers continue to have minimal success this week. Hot temperatures have made pier fishing difficult and most anglers have only been catching gobies and a few other species of smaller game fish such as bass or bluegill.

Ramps: Fishing this week brought in all of the major species with most anglers coming back with a mixed bag of fish. Successful depths have been extremely variable day to day anywhere between 40 and 240 feet of water. The evening and night bite has been significantly hotter than during the morning and daytime hours. Bright orange and green flasher flies and dodgers have continued to be the trend as well.

Milwaukee County

North Milwaukee: The recent heat wave greatly slowed fishing in the northern Milwaukee area as there was a much larger number of people trying to get to/on the water causing the launch ramps and accessible shorelines to become very crowded. The water temperature has also risen significantly. At the start of the week, shore anglers with thermometer attachments were finding water in the mid-60s during their efforts. By Sunday, however, that number had risen to the low 70s and a great deal of the fish targeted by the shore anglers had stopped biting. Boats out of McKinley were targeting locations deeper than the previous week and were fishing in 80-140 feet of water. Most boats were using flashers with blue flies, or dodgers with the same colored flies. Spoon use tended to be primarily in the blue range, with more than a few anglers using the blue dolphin spoon. One angler, who did very well, offered that he was fishing off Fox Point, in about 70 feet of water. A larger than usual amount of pleasure boat traffic forced a lot of anglers to start earlier than usual and the hot spots were reported to look like "Christmas Tree Lane with all the red and green lights that were parked out there at 4 a.m..." Shore-casters in the North Shore were also limited due to the high temperatures. Some anglers in the Lakeshore area had limited success catching perch and bluegill, but for a lots of them the Dragon Boat festival made them decide to do something else with their time last week.

South Milwaukee: Boats out of the South Shore Ramp  were also running a little bit deeper than in previous weeks, with fishing efforts ranging from 85-100 feet of water. Fishermen here also had some success with flashers with flies and spoons. Moving south from the McKinley ramp in the northern area of the city, the amount of non-fishing pleasure craft at each ramp increased substantially until, at the Bender Park Ramp, there were almost exclusively jet skis using the ramp to launch. Anglers using the Oak Creek Power Plant Pier had little to no success.

Ozaukee County

Pier/Shore: Many anglers were targeting salmon over the week as well as carp, catfish and smallmouth bass. There was limited amount of luck with anglers catching salmon, but more success when targeting smallmouth bass. Catfish were also caught.

Ramp: Moderate fishing effort was observed despite the fishing tournament occurring at this time. The anglers that did go out were targeting salmon and many species of trout. Most success took place in 90-100 feet of water with hooks reaching 45 feet down trolling south. The main bait that was used to catch salmon were large spoons in just about every color. A small number of lake trout were caught when anglers were targeting rainbow trout.

Racine County

Pier/Shore: The south pier has picked up a handful of Chinook and coho Salmon this week as we move into tournament week. Jigging spoons continue to be the best method from the piers. Additionally, perch fishing has picked up from the harbors near docks and bays. The best method is using live bait, with minnows being better than crawlers.

Ramp: This week brought near limits for most anglers and huge species variety going into the weekend. Every common trout and salmon species were caught this week with great success. Depth was once again highly variable from anywhere between 60 and 180 feet of water. Most fish were caught outside daylight hours in the early morning or late nights on bright orange, green and pink flashers and dodgers.

Sheboygan County

Pier/Shore: Compared to last week, many pier anglers were unsuccessful on their fishing trips. Many were targeting king salmon with no success. The bait used by most anglers was spoons. The north pier had more anglers than the south pier all week.

Ramp: Fishing effort was high throughout the week, with many anglers coming in with king salmon and lake trout. The fishing tournament had many anglers coming in with king salmon, almost reaching their limit. Many rainbow trout were caught when anglers were targeting salmon from spoons. Most anglers were fishing in 80-120 feet.