July 12, 2019 Fishing Reports for the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan

Marinette County – A few boats out on the Peshtigo River this week trying for perch. The Menominee River had a few bass anglers and walleye anglers with some walleyes being caught around the train bridge area upstream from Stephenson Island. Success was had trolling crankbaits with sheepshead also being caught. No walleye reports in the bay this week from Marinette to Peshtigo. A couple brown trout were caught this weekend in the bay fishing in depths of 35 to 60 feet. – Scott Poquette, fisheries technician, Peshtigo

Oconto County – Good numbers of boat anglers seen this week at Pensaukee, Oconto, and Oconto Park II. Boats were seen fishing between Oconto Park II and the Oconto River for perch and walleyes. A few good reports of walleyes being caught trolling crawler harnesses. Depth ranges of 8 to 20 feet so fish are scattered. A few walleyes were also reported caught in the Oconto River between Holtwood campground and the mouth. Perch anglers were concentrating on rock piles with weed growth using minnows and crawlers. Upstream at Stiles dam anglers were targeting panfish with bluegills and rockbass being caught. A few smallmouth bass anglers were out having very little luck on the river. – Scott Poquette, fisheries technician, Peshtigo

Brown County – This weekend there was an increase of pleasure boaters at the Fox River mouth. The anglers that are targeting walleye have been having some success with averaging three to five walleyes. Musky anglers haven’t been having much luck I talked to about five anglers going for musky, and only one of them caught one. They have at least two docks closed due to the high water. On the Fox River the Foxpoint and fairgrounds launches were in high use during the weekend due to pleasure boaters. The boats that were fishing didn’t have much luck. The boat launches docks in the beginning are under water. The anglers from shore weren’t having much luck either. Majority of them were targeting smallmouth bass, but not having luck. Geano Beach launch had high use on the weekend with most anglers targeting walleyes. The anglers that were targeting walleyes were having success with most boats catching at least three walleyes. A few northern pike were caught on accident by anglers targeting walleyes. Duck Creek usage is starting to pick up. During the weekend there were multiple boat trailers, along with a bunch of kayakers. The anglers trying for perch or walleye haven’t had any luck. The anglers targeting walleye have been getting sheepshead and catfish though. These boat launches the docks are under water just in the beginning for a little bit. Suamico River anglers have been having luck targeting walleye. The average size fish have been 15 to 22 inches. The usage of this launch has been very high. There has been a good mix of pleasure boaters and anglers launching from this site. During July Fourth it was majority of pleasure boaters launching from this launch. On Saturday night the road going past the launch flooded, so it was going across the road. In the flooded areas of the road carp were spotted trying to cross the road. The docks are perfect at this launch as they are not underwater. Brandon Wagester – fisheries technician, Green Bay

Door County – Angler effort and launch use was moderate at Potawatomi State Park; however, catch rates and success remained low. Idlewild access use remains very low. There was an increase of small recreational vessel traffic and pleasure boating. Little Sturgeon Bay Carmody launch showed steady use but mainly by pleasure boaters. Anglers continue to report low success fishing for walleye. Launch traffic at Bayshore Park was very heavy throughout the holiday weekend. Weather was mainly clear with wave action calm. Use was dominated by pleasure boaters with parties turning out in large numbers to enjoy the weather. Angler effort was low with those fishing targeting walleye and yellow perch. This location had low angler success. A passing storm on the afternoon of July Fourth, brought very heavy winds and rain for under an hour, which drove traffic off the water in most locations. Following the short storm, weather cleared very quickly. However, both pedestrian and launch use declined sharply. Chaudoir’s Dock had steady traffic following the pattern of mainly recreational boaters. One angling party had standout success angling for yellow perch bringing in eight, the largest a little over 13 inches. Other angling parties, however, had little to no success with a focus on walleye or yellow perch. Shore angler effort increased at this location with low success. – Riley Schultz, fisheries technician, Green Bay

Salmon fishing in northern Door County has started to improve. There were several boats catching chinook salmon out of Bailey’s Harbor. The anglers that were having success fishing for chinooks were all fishing from 100 to 200 feet of water. The surface temps ranged from the mid 60s in closer to upper 50s out in the 200 feet of water range. While the surface temps varied it seemed like the water temp was 56-58 degrees 50 feet down. Majority of the salmon were caught on flasher fly combos with diving disc lures no color pattern that seemed to catch more fish this week. A few fish were taken on diving disc lures with spoons. Anglers heading out past 300 feet of water are still catching rainbows with some chinooks mixed in. Many fish were caught in the top 50 feet of the water column. There was fishing pressure in Gills Rock again this week. A couple anglers were using the Bues Point Landing in Moonlight bay and had mixed results targeting smallmouth bass. Some of the anglers caught 20 plus fish using plastic baits. While other anglers got fewer than five fish. There were reports of some smaller smallmouth bass being caught off of Anclam Park in Baileys Harbor using crankbaits. The shore fishing in Rowleys Bay was slow throughout the week. However, the fishing near the mouth of the Mink River and throughout the bay was decent. Smallmouth bass were reported being caught on just about every kind of tackle you could think of. Water temps at the mouth of the Mink were 70-75 degrees.

Smallmouth bass fishing has remained steady throughout Northern Door County. There are reports of fish being caught near Ephriam and the surrounding area. Majority of the fish are caught on plastic tubes along the bottom. It seemed like the fish were being targeted in the 8-15 feet of water. The anglers that were catching bass said that they were spitting up alewife once the fish was in the boat. That corresponds with other anglers reporting of bait balls being seen throughout Door County. The majority of boat traffic over the weekend was pleasure boating, especially in the Egg Harbor and Sister Bay Area. The anglers fishing from shore in Ellison Bay are still catching smallmouth bass right in the marina. Using a minnow that is suspended off the bottom is key yet. A few rock bass were also caught in the Ellison Bay Marina. Andersons Dock in Ephriam had a good crowd out there over the weekend; however, the number of fish caught was low. It seemed like more fish were caught on Friday than the rest of the weekend. Using a worm was the most effective way to catch fish there. One perch fisherman managed to get a few perch in Egg Harbor. The number of perch caught this week decreased compared to last week. Getting out early in the morning and using minnows seemed to be the key there. Cody Flavion, fisheries technician, Sturgeon Bay

Manitowoc County – The anglers fishing out of the Manitowoc Marina have had good success catching at least one chinook salmon and/or rainbow trout per trip. The fish caught per boat is still low for this time of the year, but a few boats have reported up to five fish in a single trip. Most salmon being caught were big; the largest measured being 23 pounds. Anglers have continued to report good numbers of bait balls in various depth ranges. Spoons are showing the greatest success catching fish in 200-250 feet of water, with the most success coming between 5 and 9 am. Surface water temperatures ranged from 58-60 degrees near the shore to 50-55 degrees in deeper water. Fifty feet down, it has been roughly 46 degrees in 300 feet of water. Shore anglers were out in good numbers but many of them didn’t stay long. Bait fish were spotted on the shoreline of the harbor along with carp and sheephead, which can make for a great non-traditional fishing opportunity. Fishing out of Two Rivers was similar to Manitowoc. Surface water temperatures were around 58-60 degrees near the shore and between 50 and 59 degrees in deeper water. Many fishermen continue to fish in deep water, anywhere from 200 to 350 feet of water. This tactic is becoming more common between the anglers fishing out of Two Rivers and Manitowoc. A good number of fish were seen surfacing out from Veteran’s Park. On the weekend, strong winds from the north brought some cooler water and large waves keeping many anglers at home. Even with the north winds water temperatures increased from those reported last week. The trend of warmer water temperatures resulting in a greater yield of fish has continued.- Jake Fencl, fisheries technician, Mishicot