Fishing Report For Elk Lake, MI

Current Report: Good

Springtime in Elk Lake is the time to catch some real quality smallmouth bass. There are lots of smallies in the 3 lb to 4 lb caught here. Reports of smallmouth up to 7 pounds being caught, are more than folk lore.

FALL. Fall is in full swing and smallmouth have followed schools of baitfish out of coves and bays into 15 to 25 feet deep. They thrive in the cold, clean water, which is an ideal environment for them. Locals report that tube jigs are a great choice when the bass are around 15 feet deep. Drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics are also popular in 10' water or deeper. Fishing shallow for smallmouth is often good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days. Late in Fall, smallies move to slightly deeper water, around 25 to 30 feet deep.

WINTER. Winter will isolate them around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. They can generally be found from 15 to 40 feet deep. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs tend to temp smallmouth in deep water. I like to work these deeper haunts very slowly, as the bass are somewhat sluggish. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING. After ice out, when water temperatures rise into the 50's, smallmouth move from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They feed heavily in 4 to 15 feet of water at this time. Jerkbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, slow-rolled spinnerbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics are also successful, when bass are shallow to mid depth. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into shallower water, and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 20 to 30 feet deep, and feed aggressively.

SUMMER. Smallmouth bass are currently feeding shallow early and late in the day in 8 to 12 feet of water. They are being caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish, gizzard shad, and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 20 to 30 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some fast action. Anglers fishing around heavy rocky areas, are reporting good catches.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

FALL. As Fall is working its way toward Winter, anglers are finding yellow perch feeding aggressively in 15 to 25 feet of water, especially around weed lines, rocky banks, points and drop offs. They are starting to migrate toward Winter holding areas, often in the deeper sections around the edges of weedbeds, drop offs along flats, channel edges, and humps. Minnows, spinners, spoons and crankbaits are ideal this time of year.

WINTER. The cold of winter drives perch deeper again in search of food and stable water conditions. Mid-depth flats are ideal Winter holding spots. Early in Winter, perch are caught when they are feeding in weedy areas, in 8 to 30 of water. Ice fishing was good last year for yellow perch in Elk Lake, and is expected to be great this winter. Jigs tipped with nightcrawlers, wax worms and minnows all catch these schooling fish.

SPRING. Perch spawn in Spring when the water temperature warms to the mid 50's and mid 60's. Anglers are beginning to catch them in 2 to 10 feet of water using minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. Docks, weed lines, drop offs all attract yellow perch searching for a meal. Later in Spring, they drop into 10 to 18 feet of water. Points, creek mouths, sheltered bays and flats adjacent to deeper water, are good holding spots in late Spring, having historically delivered great stringers of perch.

SUMMER. Fat yellow perch here feed primarily on small fish and invertebrates. Spinners, underspins, small crankbaits, mealworms, nightcrawlers and maggots are catching perch in 10 to 30 feet of water. In early Summer, plus the first and last hours of the day ,seek them out in shallow feeding zones. Drop-offs, and in areas with submerged vegetation, are most often key feeding spots..

Current Report: Good

FALL. Lake trout are returning to relatively shallow water, as Fall weather is cooling the lake. They spawn in the Fall, and for a few weeks can typically be found 20 to 40 feet deep on points, flats and humps that have a rocky bottom. Lake trout feed on small fish, so lures imitating baitfish, sunfish, perch or small trout are good choices. Cloudy days, early mornings and early evenings are the best time to catch big lakers. Later in Fall they return to 60 to 90 feet deep, or deeper. Spoons, jigged vertically within the target depth can entice bites. Trolling with spoons, brightly-colored jerkbaits, and spinners with a variety of rigging methods to get these lures to run deep. For big lakers, use larger baits.

WINTER. Favoring water temperatures in the 40's, lake trout find areas to their liking in 50 to 150 feet of water, and tend to stay there throughout the cold months. Focus on the deep central basin, around breaks in the main channel, and mid-lake humps. Learning these areas before the lake ices over can get you into some of the better area for ice fishing. Patient anglers willing to work slowly are catching some nice lake limits through the ice. After ice out, trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, completes the cold-water season in 80 to 100 feet of water, or deeper.

SPRING. Prime laker fishing season is during Spring. Spring weather finds lake trout, along with baitfish, into 20 to 60 feet of water. Early Spring is a prime time to catch big lakers, especially when they are in 20 to 30 feet of water, early and late in the day. Lakers are caught in areas of the lake which have deep water next to shallower, feeding spots. Jigs and heavy spoons are catching the majority of these big lakers. Slow trolling with leaded line or downriggers allows small crankbaits and spinners to be worked in deeper water, which also produces some nice fish. Later in Spring they typically drop into 40 to 100 feet of water.

SUMMER. Summer heat drives lake trout deeper, generally below the thermocline in 40 to 150 feet deep. Early and late in the day, lakers may feed shallow. Generally, lake trout prefer to stay deep, below the thermocline, throughout Summer. They look for depth variations like ditches, channels, humps and ledges, but are being caught in the deeper water around this structure. Heavy spoons and jigs, as well as very slow trolling, with leaded line or downriggers, produce many of the lakers being caught during Summer. In late summer concentrate on channel edges, troughs, and main lake humps.