Steelhead Tops Area Fishing; Inland Lake Fishing Improves Daily

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Published: 17 April 2015

By Louie Stout

Steelhead fishing continues to provide good action on the St. Joseph River, while lake fishing is slowly coming around.

Steelhead continue to filter into the river although the spring run is near its peak. More than 2,800 steelhead have moved into South Bend so far and anglers are enjoying success.

“There’s a lot of fish on the gravel right now,” said Dick Parker of Central Park Bait in Mishawaka. “The river is in great shape; a little low but the water is clean. I know of a few 12-pounders being caught.”

Flies, fresh spawn and Corkies drifted over the gravel have been good baits.

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Michigan Adopts Year-Round C&R Bass Season; Others Also Go Into Effect Immediately

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Published: 10 April 2015

The Michigan DNR Commission finalized several regulations impacting the 2015-2016 fishing season at its†meeting on April 9.

Changes include a year-round Catch-and-immediate-release (CIR) fishing for bass statewide (unless otherwise closed to fishing). Please refer to the printed fishing guide for waters closed to fishing.

Other changes are:

• Lake Huron lake trout and splake regulations: MH-1 and MH-2 lake trout and splake regulations have changed from season of May 1 - Sept. 30 to Jan. 1 - Sept. 30 to align all of Lake Huron into one season.
• Lake Michigan lake trout regulations: MM-1, MM-2, MM-3 and MM-4 have changed to the following ñ minimum size limit shall be 15 inches and the maximum size limit shall be 27 inches, except the daily possession limit shall not include more than one (1) lake trout at 34 inches or greater. In MM-5, MM-6, MM-7 and MM-8 the minimum size limit has been changed to 15 inches. In MM-1, MM-2, MM-3, MM-4 and MM-5, the lake trout daily possession limit has been reduced from three (3) to two (2).
• Inland Trout and Salmon Regulations: Regulations affecting brook trout minimum size limits have changed, and there is a new regulation creating the Upper Peninsula's Brook Trout Restoration Areas.
• New hook restrictions: Changes are now in place to protect against salmon snagging in some waters.

Due to the Natural Resources Commission's temporary loss of regulatory authority, several regulations were not determined in time for the start of the 2015-2016 angling year (April 1) and consequently were not printed in the hard-copy version of the Michigan Fishing Guide. However, there are several areas of the guide that have an orange star to indicate that changes possibly would be forthcoming.

To view all of the change details, click here.