UTERJanuary
Saginaw Bay ice: walleye and perch
Jigging raps and spoons for walleye at dusk off Linwood and Bay City; perch on minnows. Check the ice — the bay breaks up fast.
Saginaw Bay to the Straits, plus Lake St. Clair
Lake Huron fishing
What's biting in Lake Huron in October: steelhead, yellow perch and northern pike at their peak, with Chinook (king) salmon, smallmouth bass and walleye around too. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows 11 fish here month by month, from Saginaw Bay to Lake St. Clair.
Fall perch, steelhead, and St. Clair's big muskie
Saginaw Bay — one of the great walleye and perch fisheries in the country — the rocky Thunder Bay and Drummond Island shoals for lake trout and smallmouth, the Au Sable and Rifle river runs, and Lake St. Clair, the shallow weedy world-class water for muskie and smallmouth between Huron and Erie.
Saginaw BayBay CityPort AustinOscodaAlpenaRogers CityDrummond IslandLake St. Clair
Updated
Now · October
Fall perch, steelhead, and St. Clair's big muskie
Perch rigs on the bay; spawn in the rivers; big muskie on St. Clair.
Yellow perchMuskellunge (muskie)Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)SteelheadNorthern pikeLandlocked Atlantic salmon
This month here
From the season calendar, best firstPeakPeakPeakPeakSpawningSpawningLeavingAroundAroundAroundAround
Steelhead
Yellow perch
Northern pike
Muskellunge (muskie)
Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)
Landlocked Atlantic salmon
Chinook (king) salmon
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Lake whitefish
Freshwater drum (sheepshead)
The water
Structure that matters
LakeRiverFishing pierBoat rampBridgeDock / pilings
After a cold front
Saginaw Bay is shallow and swings hard with the wind — a northeast blow muddies it and moves the walleye; Lake St. Clair warms first in spring and fishes best on calm, clear days.
Month by month
What's happening, and what to throwFebruary
Peak ice walleye on the bay
Walleye possession is open year-round on Saginaw Bay now; Les Cheneaux whitefish and pike through the ice.
March
Saginaw River walleye run; steelhead start up the Au Sable
Jig the river at night as the ice goes out; spawn bags on the Au Sable and the Rifle.
April
Spring run peaks on the rivers; St. Clair smallmouth pre-spawn
River walleye and steelhead; catch-and-release smallmouth on Lake St. Clair.
May
Bay walleye trolling begins; lake trout shallow off Alpena
WalleyeSmallmouth bassMuskellunge (muskie)Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)Northern pikeFreshwater drum (sheepshead)
Crawler harnesses on the Saginaw Bay flats; lakers on the Thunder Bay reefs.
June
Smallmouth beds on Drummond and Les Cheneaux; St. Clair muskie opens
WalleyeSmallmouth bassMuskellunge (muskie)Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)Landlocked Atlantic salmonFreshwater drum (sheepshead)
Tubes on the gravel for smallmouth; big bucktails on the St. Clair weed edges.
July
Summer walleye and St. Clair muskie
WalleyeSmallmouth bassMuskellunge (muskie)Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)Chinook (king) salmonLandlocked Atlantic salmon
Troll Saginaw Bay's outer reefs; Atlantic salmon and pinks at the St. Marys Rapids.
August
Walleye on the bay, lake trout deep, kings stage
WalleyeSmallmouth bassMuskellunge (muskie)Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)Chinook (king) salmonFreshwater drum (sheepshead)
Downriggers off Harrisville and Oscoda for kings and lakers.
September
Kings and Atlantics up the rivers; perch on the bay
Yellow perchSmallmouth bassMuskellunge (muskie)Chinook (king) salmonNorthern pikeFreshwater drum (sheepshead)
Au Sable and Thunder Bay River runs; jumbo perch on Saginaw Bay's outer flats.
October · now
Fall perch, steelhead, and St. Clair's big muskie
Yellow perchMuskellunge (muskie)Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)SteelheadNorthern pikeLandlocked Atlantic salmon
Perch rigs on the bay; spawn in the rivers; big muskie on St. Clair.
November
Late muskie and steelhead
Lake St. Clair's last open water; Au Sable steelhead.
December
Waiting on ice
First ice on the shallow bays — never trust Saginaw Bay early.
Fish guides for Lake Huron
When, where and what to use, fish by fishChinook (king) salmonFreshwater drum (sheepshead)Lake trout (mackinaw, togue)Lake whitefishLandlocked Atlantic salmonMuskellunge (muskie)Northern pikeSmallmouth bassSteelheadWalleyeYellow perch
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