Fishing_Content Page_Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report

Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report - May 3, 2021

Fishing Wisconsin

In general, fishing reports will be updated once per week, usually on Tuesdays. This may change based on the availability of reports and the work schedules of field staff. 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, which allows us to generate statistically valid fishing effort and harvest information.

Information for these reports is only based on days and times of the week that creel clerks are present. Additional fishing information can be found by contacting local bait shops, charter captains, marinas, etc.

REMINDER - Anglers must carry a paper copy of their license/stamps while fishing on the waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and the WI/MI, WI/MN and WI/IA boundary waters.

May 3, 2021: Green Bay Fishing Report

Fox River & Metro Boat Launch

  • Shore anglers have reported catching sheepshead and white bass on worms. Boat anglers have reported catching walleye, largemouth bass, white bass and sheepshead on crankbaits. The boat anglers also caught sheepshead on worms. Water temperatures are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and the fish seemed to be mostly near or at the bottom.

Green Bay

East Shoreline of Green Bay: 

  • Light fishing pressure at the beginning of last week but heavy activity for the opening weekend.
  • Rough, wavy, choppy water conditions were reported Saturday and Sunday afternoon in the Bay. The average water temp reported was 49 degrees.
  • Success on Walleye was reported at Bayshore County Park, Chaudoir's Dock, Robert M. Carmody County Park Boat Launch and Potawatomi State Park. Most common successful bait used were crankbaits. Boaters reported catching Walleye at a depth of 8-12 feet and 18-24 feet. 
  • Success on Smallmouth Bass was reported by boaters at Robert M. Carmody County Park Boat Launch. Boaters reported catching them at a depth of 5-10 feet and were using jerk baits and hair jigs. 
  • Success on Northern Pike and Muskellunge were also reported being caught by boaters at Robert M. Carmody County Park Boat Launch at a depth of 3-8 feet. 
     

West Shoreline of Green Bay:

  • Duck Creek:  The Duck Creek boat launches were not very busy again this week, but there were a few boats using them on the weekend. As the weather gets warmer, these launches seem to be getting more usage.
  • Longtail Point:  These boat launches remain very lightly used. Most of the vehicles using these locations are there for recreational purposes.
  • Suamico River:  Boat anglers have reported catching walleye, northern pike and sheepshead on crankbaits. Flicker shads were a very commonly used crankbait. The water temperatures were around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Geano Beach:  Boat anglers have had success catching walleye, white bass, northern pike and catfish on flicker shads. Purple seemed to be a popular color for lures at this location.
     

Marinette County

  • Peshtigo River:   Walleyes were being caught in the Peshtigo River by boat anglers using the Municipal Garage launch. Jigs with crawlers or leeches were working best. Most walleyes were around the 16 to 18-inch range.     
  • Menominee River:   Most activity this week was seen on the Menominee River by walleye anglers. Jigs with crawlers or minnows were producing good catches of walleyes around the Menekaunee Bridge. Most fish were running 15 to 18 inches with the occasional larger fish caught. A few walleyes were still present below the dam. Fishing off the Hattie St. Bridge was working best using stick baits. Fishing in low light conditions was reported better than daytime fishing.

Oconto County

  • Angler effort was high for the general fishing opener despite strong winds. Walleyes were being caught from Oconto Park II south to Pensaukee. Most anglers were trolling in depths of 8 to 12 feet. Popular baits included flicker shads and crawler harnesses with harnesses being a bit more productive. The average size was between 16 to 20 inches with the occasional larger fish caught. A few walleyes were still present in the Oconto River and were being caught on jig and crawlers.

Brown County

  • No reports for Brown County this week.

May 3, 2021: Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report

Kenosha County

  • Pike River:  The Pike River experienced another week with little to no angling activity. Fishing on the river continues to be poor as water levels drop and the steelhead run comes to an end. A few anglers were seen fishing near the mouth of the river this week, but no catches were recorded. Water levels, flow and clarity all remain low on the river as we continue to see little rain. The water temperature near the mouth at the end of the week was 64 degrees.
  • Kenosha Piers and Shoreline:  The piers and shorelines in Kenosha saw a fair amount of angling activity this week. The anglers that were seen were targeting Coho using a combination of spoons or shrimp on a bobber. Even though angling activity was steady, no catches were recorded. There are a few barges currently sitting in the Kenosha harbor, so hopefully angling activity will increase once the harbor clears up.
  • Kenosha Ramp:  The ramp in Kenosha went unused this week as conditions on the lake were too wavy for fishing. The only boat activity seen this week was from charter fishing boats. Hopefully the weather will improve, and boating activity will increase again soon. The water temperature at the boat ramp was 60 degrees by week's end. 

         

Racine County

  • Root River:  Angling activity decreased again this week on the Root River as steelhead numbers dwindle. Only a small handful of anglers were seen on the Root. Most were targeting steelhead, with a few anglers looking for smallmouth bass as well. Unfortunately, with angler numbers on the decline, fishing success was low. Only one steelhead was caught using a fly and fly-fishing tackle. Water levels on the river continue to drop as we go on without any rain. The water temperature in the river was about 62 degrees by week’s end.
  • Racine Piers and Shoreline:  The piers and shorelines in Racine experienced a slight decrease in angling activity over the past week. Rough, windy weather at the beginning and end of the week made it tough to fish some of the piers and parts of the shoreline. Anglers that were seen were still targeting Coho that are close to shore. Anglers were seen throwing spoons or fishing with bobbers. Even though angling effort decreased due to rough weather, some success was still seen. A small handful of Coho was caught mostly using a tube jig with a chunk of shrimp floating under a bobber.
  • Racine Ramp:  The ramp in Racine went mostly unused this week as rough weather conditions plagued the lake. Strong winds at the beginning and end of the week made it much too wavy for any boats to get out onto the lake. Hopefully the weather will calm down soon and boating activity will increase. The water temperature at the ramp by the end of the week was 57 degrees.

Milwaukee County

  • Milwaukee Co. Ramps:  While we had much sun and warm weather this past week, the wind likely kept some boaters away. Boaters who attempted the waters this week generally had great luck catching limits of Coho salmon, primarily on flasher flies, just outside the Milwaukee Harbor. Another group had luck catching several large lake trout out of Bender Park, trolling spoons in about 35 feet of water.
  • Harbor and Piers:  Many anglers are catching alewives nearshore, and some are having luck using those alewives as bait to catch Coho salmon and a small number of brown trout. Coho have also been caught on a variety of other baits, including spoons, minnows and shrimp.
  • Milwaukee River: The water level has been somewhat low, with good visibility and moderate angling pressure. Most anglers have been targeting smallmouth bass, and many have had tremendous success. Prime baits are jigs or live worms under a bobber or off the bottom. Many suckers remain in the river. Water temperature ~ 58°F on Saturday.
  • Menomonee River:  The water level has been low on the Menomonee, with slow flows and great visibility. A majority of the anglers this week were fishing for panfish on the canal; none were recorded caught, however. An angler caught a nice, keeper-sized rainbow trout on worms. Water temperature ~ 57°F on Saturday afternoon.
  • Oak Creek: Action has slowed down somewhat on Oak Creek. Water temperature had warmed to 70°F by Sunday evening, yet a few large trout remain in the stream. There are still some large suckers in the stream. The water level is low, flow is slow and it is a bit murky with somewhat low visibility.

Ozaukee County

  • Port Washington:  No one was fishing in Sauk Creek this past week as pretty much all the steelhead have moved out now. Throughout the week, the power plant area has had the most people fishing there but with little luck. Most people who are fishing for trout or salmon haven’t been able to catch much. On the other hand, there have been lots of people fishing for alewife and having good luck there as well as having good luck with common carp. The piers, shore and harbors are still quiet as there were no people fishing from there this past week.

Sheboygan County

  • Sheboygan:  In Sheboygan, the river fishing has started to slow down a lot. There have not been many people fishing the Pigeon River or the Sheboygan River. People who are fishing the Sheboygan River have mostly been fishing at the Kohler Dam or a little farther below the dam. Some smallmouth bass were caught there but not much of anything else. The ramps have been very quiet as well in Sheboygan. With all the bad weather we had last week, there was barely anybody out in boats or fishing from the piers, shore and harbors.

May 3, 2021: Northern Lake Michigan Fishing Report

Manitowoc County

  • Two Rivers/Shoto:  Very few anglers were fishing this week due to windy weather. Fewer rainbow trout have been reported upriver and that is adding to the declining number of anglers. Successful anglers were recorded in the East Twin River where a few small brown trout were caught using worms. Additionally, one small rainbow trout was caught using minnows and one sucker was reported being caught using imitation spawn sacks.
  • Manitowoc/Branch:  Most anglers were fishing in the Manitowoc River with a majority located at Mill Road. At Mill Road several smallmouth bass were caught using jerk baits, minnow baits, nightcrawlers, a green pumpkin tube and a black/blue soft tail plastic. At the Michigan Avenue bridge near Whitewater Drive, one northern pike was reported being caught using a green/grey chatterbait. At the Manitowoc ramp, two lake trout weighing 9 and 6 pounds were caught using orange and green/red spoons. No interviews were conducted for the Branch River due to no anglers being recorded.

Kewaunee County

  • In Algoma, very few anglers were interviewed in the early morning as there has been declining numbers of rainbow trout in Stoney Creek. Low water at Stoney Creek also led to anglers rarely fishing for rainbow trout the past week. Three northern pike were reported being caught using white/pink and yellow kastmasters with black dots at Olson Park.

  • Due to extremely windy weather this week there were very few anglers fishing. The only successful angler reported was at Bruemmer Park where one rainbow trout was caught using a white yarn ball. No other successful interviews were conducted this week.

Door County

  • Water temperature in Green Bay is steadily increasing. Temperatures were recorded between 40- and 48-degrees Fahrenheit depending on location. Sturgeon Bay canal saw the highest number of shore anglers and Sawyers Park boat launch in Sturgeon Bay was the most popular for boaters. May 1 was the fishing opener and many anglers were targeting smallmouth bass. 
  • On inland waterways and tributaries no fishing activity was recorded. A couple anglers were found fishing at Heins creek, however no steelhead were caught or sighted. Brown trout activity also decreased this week and led to many anglers returning empty-handed. However, one boat angler was successful catching two 2.7-pound, 17.5-inch brown trout just north of Bailey’s Harbor. They were caught by trolling with silver and blue/green spoons in 30 feet of water.
  • In accordance with the increasing water temperatures, smallmouth and largemouth bass are becoming more prevalent. Several boating groups reported catching a variety of sizes of small mouth bass around Sawyers Harbor, Sturgeon Bay and Rowley’s Bay. Boaters were having success trolling with spoons and swim baits. Shore anglers were successful using crawfish imitations at Ephraim Pier and were able to bag two 3-pound bass early in the morning.