Upper Peninsula Weekly Fishing Report – Feb. 10, 2021

Keweenaw Bay: Has some ice; however, conditions can change daily, so extreme caution needs to be used when venturing out. Those heading out have caught splake, brown trout, coho and a few pike.

Little Bay de Noc: Perch have been caught off Kipling. Walleye were caught off Escanaba when fishing along the drop-off. Anglers are using jigging raps and tip-ups with sucker minnows.

Munising: Fishing pressure decreased with the brutal cold weather and up to 12 inches or more of snowfall. Wind chills have been as low as 25 below with north winds. A few anglers were out; however, catch rates for coho, whitefish and splake were down.  Whitefish were in 50 to 60 feet. Some were marking smelt. Schools of coho were coming through, but not everyone caught fish. The bite was best in the morning.

Big Manistique Lake: Was producing a fair number of walleye.

St. Marys River: A few whitefish were caught in Ashmun Bay. Perch were caught in Fowlers Bay.

Cedarville and Hessel: A fair to good number of perch were caught off Cedarville by those jigging minnows. Perch were also caught in Hessel Bay. No word on splake.

Fishing Tip: Targeting walleye? Wait until the sun goes down!

While many anglers pack up their gear and head off the ice after dusk settles in, some anglers will stick it out – especially if they’ve got a lighted shelter. This can be an ideal time to target walleye and to see some angling success.

Many anglers adopt a simple presentation when targeting walleye in the dark – they jig a spoon to catch the fishes’ attention and then offer them a setline with a minnow nearby. Focus on baits that glow to appeal to the walleye’s senses, and keep the minnows small to accommodate their slower appetites.

Want even more tips for targeting walleye? Visit the walleye page on our website.