Fishing_Content Page_Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report

Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report - July 21, 2025

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.

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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 21, 2025: West Shore Green Bay Creel Report

Brown County

Fox River Anglers: Moderate to high fishing pressure was observed this week along the Fox River. The anglers with the best success were those launching their boats on the river but fishing on Green Bay. The most-caught fish over the past week were smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, sheepshead, white bass and quite a few catfish. Reports of higher water temperatures (75-79 degrees Fahrenheit) were seen at all locations this week along the Fox River. Those anglers who could find the cooler waters tended to have higher catches. Trolling crawler harnesses or jigging with plastics was the most common method for boat anglers throughout the week.

Suamico River: Moderate to high fishing pressure was observed this week at the Suamico boat launch. The most common fish caught out of this location were walleye, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, white bass and catfish. Walleye anglers reported success trolling crawler harnesses in 23-30 feet of water, with the walleye caught ranging in size from 20-24 inches. Some walleye anglers were also jigging with night crawlers or minnows. Water temperatures ranged in the high 70s throughout the week.

Marinette County

Good salmon fishing continued this week, with the occasional brown trout and rainbow trout also reported. Anglers fishing from Green Island north to Chambers Island were having success. Most salmon were in the 8-14 pound range, with a few small ones starting to show up as well. Flasher and flies were still catching fish, but spoons were also starting to work equally as well. Some warmer water pushed in this week, so anglers who could find colder water had the best results. Anglers fishing the Menominee River were catching a mixed bag of walleyes, sheepshead, white perch, and smallmouth bass. Walleyes were being caught on crawler harnesses. Water temperatures were in the upper 60s to the mid-70s, depending on wind conditions.

Oconto County

Good yellow perch fishing was seen this week, with catches coming in from many different areas. Fishing in the weeds in 7-14 feet was productive, as well as the mud in 20-30 feet. Both crawlers and minnows were working. The occasional walleye and sheepshead were also caught while perch fishing. Walleye anglers started to have some luck this week off Oconto and Pensaukee. Trolling crawler harnesses in 7-15 feet of water was producing fish, as well as casting the same areas with shiver minnows. Some anglers were having luck trolling flicker shads in a little deeper water. Walleye anglers were catching sheepshead, white perch, and yellow perch. Water temperatures were mainly in the mid- to upper 70s.

Geano Beach: Moderate-to-high fishing pressure was observed this week out of Geano Beach. The most successful anglers were those aiming for walleye and yellow perch. Walleye anglers reported successful catches in 20-28 feet of water, where cooler water was more prevalent. Sizes of walleye caught ranged from 17-26 inches. Most reported trolling with crawler harnesses or jigs with live bait. Yellow perch anglers reported high success in the earlier parts of the day when water temperatures were cooler. Sizes of yellow perch caught ranged from 10-14 inches. Other fish caught this week were smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, sheepshead, white bass, and catfish. Water temperatures ranged between 74-78 degrees Fahrenheit this week. 

 

July 21, 2025: East Shore Green Bay Creel Report

Bayshore County Park: Heavy fishing pressure was observed this week, except on the days with rainy and windy conditions. Anglers targeting walleye had mixed results, with those seeing the best success trolling flicker minnows in 10-12 feet of water or casting jigs near Volks Landing. Anglers targeting yellow perch also had mixed results, with those doing the best fishing with nightcrawlers in about 20 feet of water just north of Bayshore Park. Anglers also unintentionally caught drum (sheepshead) and white perch. Shore anglers had great success catching drum. The water temperature was around 73 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chaudoir’s Dock: Heavy fishing pressure was observed this week, except on the days with rainy and windy conditions. Anglers targeting walleye had mixed success, with those seeing the best results jigging in 15-25 feet of water over rocky reefs. Anglers targeting yellow perch also had mixed results, with those having the best success fishing just north of Chaudoir’s Dock in about 22 feet of water. Anglers also unintentionally caught drum (sheepshead) and white perch. The water temperature was around 73 degrees Fahrenheit.

Eagle’s Nest: All boaters who were interviewed were recreational boating and not fishing. No water temperature was reported.

Little Sturgeon Bay: There was limited fishing activity this week, with windy and rainy conditions likely limiting fishing activity on some days. Smallmouth bass anglers were able to take advantage of some breaks in the poor weather, and they were able to catch bass in 10-20 feet of water using plastic tubes and drop shot rigs. Anglers caught between two to seven smallmouth bass per boat. One angler targeting yellow perch managed to catch 13 yellow perch in about 15 feet of water using live nightcrawlers. The water temperature was around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sawyer Harbor: There was limited fishing activity this week with windy and rainy conditions likely limiting fishing activity on some days. Anglers were able to catch some smallmouth bass in about 14 feet of water using plastic jigs near Larson's Reef. The water temperature was around 71 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

July 21, 2025: Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report

Kenosha County

Ramps: This week remained spotty for boat anglers. No specific depth seemed to be more successful, as most groups came back with only a few fish. However, the evening bite has been outstanding just before dark. Anglers have found high success rates with spoons just before dark and were able to catch limits of fish this way.

Shoreline: Shore anglers saw limited success this week as only a few perch were caught throughout the week. The harbor has been largely round goby and rock bass. Minnows seem to be the only bait that catches perch in the Kenosha harbor. Salmon and trout have been scarce at best for several weeks now and have not picked up at all.

Milwaukee County

Ramps: Milwaukee County boat ramps were busy this week with loads of anglers hoping to make the leaderboard for this year’s Salmon-a-rama competition. Early in the week, anglers launching out of South Shore Ramp before sunrise had luck targeting waters between 50-75 feet deep near the Green Can south of the launch, with most groups bringing in several Cohos, kings and the occasional brown trout. Some of the Coho salmon harvested weighed nearly 9 pounds. Anglers launching later in the afternoon at both McKinley and South Shore launches report catches consisting of rainbow trout, with spoons remaining the dominant lure. By the weekend, anglers had shifted focus to deeper waters between 75-160 feet just north or straight out of McKinley Marina. Flasher flies have started to pull fish again after spoons being the most successful lure the last few weeks, but spoons are still proving hot for most common game species. Anglers are encountering lake trout over 10 pounds biting at depths around 90 feet, with kings continuing to bite about halfway down the water column.

Shoreline: Anglers fishing at Oak Creek Power Plant this weekend reported encountering freshwater drum while targeting trout with spoons, with one angler bringing in two 7-pound drum and one 9-pound drum, all within an hour around noon on Saturday.

Ozaukee County

Port Washington Piers/Harbor: Catches of Coho salmon and Chinook salmon have been reported off the piers this week. Popular tactics have been using shrimp, alewives, and casting spoons.

Port Washington Ramps: Most boats were reporting frequent success catching rainbow trout and Chinook salmon, with some Coho salmon in 110-150 feet of water. Most Chinook salmon were caught deeper in the water column, around 75-100 feet down. Surface water temperatures were around 65-67 degrees Fahrenheit. Spoons in a variety of colors have been working very well, as well as flasher flies in a variety of colors. Cohos have also been caught on Coho dodgers and flies.

Racine County

The shore anglers this week continued to see good perch fishing and put up big numbers in the perch division as Salmon-a-rama ended. A few Chinook and Coho salmon were finally caught from the piers as well after a drought for the past few weeks. Overall, minnows have still been drastically more successful than plastics and artificial baits for perch fishing. 

Boaters: This week brought continued high catch rates for boaters. The Chinook bite was excellent in the early morning hours between 90-120 feet with multicolored rigs. Later in the morning, fish were also caught in high capacity between 40-60 feet. Some larger lake trout were caught late in the week, but overall, Chinook and rainbows dominated this week’s catch.

Sheboygan County

Sheboygan Harbor and Piers: Catches of Chinook salmon and rainbow trout have been reported, as well as some catches of Coho salmon and brown trout. The most popular tactics have been casting spoons.

Sheboygan Ramps: Most boats are reporting success, frequently catching Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, and lake trout as well as some Coho salmon. The most productive depths have been between 100-140 feet, and running baits 70-90 feet down in the water column. Rainbow trout have been caught anywhere from 60-150 feet of water. Spoons in a variety of colors have been working very well, and flasher flies in a variety of colors, white has been working well too. 5 colors have also been reported to be working well for rainbow trout. Surface water temperatures have been around 65 degrees.

 

July 21, 2025: Northern Lake Michigan Fishing Report

Door County

Northern Door County: Despite the fluctuating temperatures and rain this week, it was a good time for anglers to be out on the water. Shore anglers were targeting yellow perch and rock bass. Boating anglers were targeting Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass. Shore anglers looking to catch rock bass had good luck in Egg Harbor and Sister Bay using nightcrawlers. Shore anglers were also out targeting smallmouth bass but had little success. Boating anglers targeting salmonids showed good results in many spots. Anglers hoping to catch king salmon had best luck at Bailey's Harbor and Gills Rock using spoons in waters around 60-120 feet deep and trolling around 2-2.5 miles per hour. The anglers targeting rainbow trout did best in Bailey's Harbor, Gills Rock, and Rowley's Bay using spoons in waters 70-110 feet (Bailey's Harbor & Gills Rock) and 120 feet (Rowley's Bay) deep. These anglers were trolling around 2.2-2.6 miles per hour. Lastly, anglers hoping to catch smallmouth bass were most successful in Rowley's Bay, Sister Bay, and Ellison Bay using drop shots and tubes. These anglers were casting in waters around 5-15 feet deep. 

Sturgeon Bay: Shoreline anglers were mainly targeting smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass were caught using live worms and plastics. Some of the boaters fishing in the canal were also going after smallmouth bass. Most of these groups were fishing in 10-12 feet of water using both worms and jigs. The surface temperature average in the canal was around 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Lake Michigan boaters were out targeting both trout and salmon, with rainbow trout, Coho salmon and Chinook salmon being recorded caught. The average reported depth of bites was between 40-70 feet down, and the average depth of water groups were fishing in was 100-150 feet. The typical trolling speed was around 2.3 miles per hour. Surface temperature average was about 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kewaunee County

Algoma: Anglers fishing the shorelines were primarily going after yellow perch and northern pike. Yellow perch were caught using worms as bait. Boaters that launched out on Lake Michigan were targeting both trout and salmon, with rainbow trout, Coho salmon, and Chinook salmon being reported caught during the week. Most bites were between 40-70 feet down, and most groups were fishing in 100-140 feet of water. The trolling speed average was around 2.4 miles per hour. Surface temperatures ranged from 65-69 degrees Fahrenheit with an average of about 66 degrees. 

Kewaunee: Shoreline and pier anglers were targeting both trout and salmon. A brown trout was recorded caught off the end of the pier with a spoon. Lake Michigan boaters were also out going after both trout and salmon. Rainbow trout, Coho salmon, and Chinook salmon were reported caught throughout the week. The average depth of bites was similar to last week, being around 75 feet down. Most groups were fishing in 110-130 feet of water. The trolling speed average was about 2.4 miles per hour. Surface temperatures varied from 64-68 degrees Fahrenheit with an average of about 66 degrees.

Manitowoc County

Anglers are reporting some catches of Chinook with rainbow trout mixed in and very few Coho salmon. The average catch for each group has been 2-4 fish. A couple of groups reported 8 and 7 fish. A total of 49 Chinook and 17 rainbow trout were reported caught throughout the week. A select few groups have targeted rainbow trout in water from 15-40 feet. Most anglers have been fishing between 80-140 feet. The best catches have come from 90-110 feet, with bites coming 50 feet down or more. Water temperatures have been warm, with multiple groups reporting 60-degree water 50 feet down. Interviewed groups have caught fish on spoons, flasher flies using dipsy divers. A couple of standout colors were orange and green. Trolling speeds have been around 2.0-2.2 miles per hour. Anglers fishing off the Two Rivers and Manitowoc Piers have caught 8 rainbow trout, 2 Chinook and 1 Coho. Most of the fish have come on shrimp below a bobber.