DNR FISHING REPORTS ====== ROGER'S OUTDOOR NEWS

Manitowoc Co. Manitowoc County salmon fishing was consistent with the past couple weeks, both on the big lake and in the rivers. Few boats out from Two Rivers made it difficult to obtain any interviews, but anglers talking around the port didn’t hear word of any remarkable catches. Manitowoc also had light pressure from boat anglers, but some decent catches came in from those fishing in the harbor or outside the piers. Chinooks and a couple rainbows came in, and anglers trolling crankbaits outfished those using spoons by a wide margin. Flicker shads, shad raps, smithwicks, and other similar baits produced fish, as well as j-plugs. Angler reports stated that the fish showed no color preference, as they caught fish on black, silver, green, and pink. Water surface temps as of Sunday afternoon ranged from 56 right out of the piers on both ports down to 51 at about 40-50 feet of water. No pier anglers in Manitowoc or Two Rivers caught fish during shifts, but some Manitowoc anglers reported fish caught at other times, although in low numbers. A handful of chinooks and rainbows were all that was caught from reports over the last week. River fishing has remained steady since the first fish were caught. The Manitowoc River has had low but consistent numbers coming from a couple spots upstream to Manitou Park. Many anglers have been fishing with shad rap/flicker shad-like baits, which have appeared to be more successful than spoons. Chinooks in the 8-10 pound range have been the most frequent catch. The Twin Rivers have had mixed results. Anglers fishing at the mouth and upstream on the West Twin River have had no success, as reported from interviews or word of mouth, although salmon have been seen jumping up to the Shoto boat launch. The East Twin River catches are still dominated by browns, but chinooks have been caught and seen jumping up to the Mishicot dam. Many anglers fishing in Mishicot have been drift and/or fly fishing with spawn or beads. Kewaunee Co. Salmon are still being caught around Kewaunee, although action has been relatively slow. Some fall weather has brought relief to both the anglers and salmon as water temperatures also dropped thanks to some westerly winds. As the week went on, shifting winds raised the water temperatures on the lake, but there was still more fishing pressure than other weeks, especially in the river. Anglers lined the banks before opening light and a good number were successful very early in the morning fishing the pools of the Kewaunee River. As the days went on, fish were still being caught but it was considerably slower. Angler found more success toward evening when the shadows of the trees shaded pools and the line-sensitive salmon became more active. Egg flies are still the most-used lure, but some anglers have reported catching salmon drifting natural spawn. A handful of anglers have reported that some rainbows and cohos have also been caught in the river this week. Shore anglers on the breakwall and piers have had another slow week. Only a couple fish have been caught off the piers, and no fish have been reported from the harbor area. Fish can be seen swimming all around the piers as well as jumping in the harbor and outside the piers, but most anglers have only reported getting a couple bumps and no solid bites while casting or fishing spawn on bottom. Many anglers taking boats out have been fishing deeper water, but none have reported fish this week, and the same goes for the boats trolling or casting for salmon in the harbor. The Ahnapee River in Algoma has finally had some salmon action this past week. Although it still seems to be slow, chinooks have been caught all the way up to the Forrestville dam. Anglers have also caught fish at Blahnik Park and the Highway X bridge. Crankbaits and spawn fished on bottom have been the lures which have taken fish so far. Water levels are low near the dam, and some rain would likely improve fishing. Stony Creek seems to be the best fishing spot in the Algoma area this fall. All anglers interviewed have reported at least seeing salmon upriver, and some have left with up to five fish, most of which are being caught in the pool above the mouth and below Highway U. Anglers here are fishing with flies or other stationary presentations. No boats coming off Lake Michigan were interviewed in Algoma, but anglers around town have been reporting good catches of perch by those taking boats up the Ahnapee past Olson Park. Sturgeon Bay Chinook can be seen jumping on the east end of the canal as they make their way to Strawberry Creek. Anglers have been trolling the canal with crankbaits and spoons with limited success, one fish per boat or less. The same can be said for pier and shore fishermen. The hot weather and warm water temps are likely to blame for the salmon’s lack of appetite. A few boats traveling out to 400-500FOW in search of immature salmon and rainbows have had a little success but warm water and winds out of the south have not helped. In the canal a few anglers are still finding perch but action seems to be slowing down. Early morning is best. Walleye fishermen have had some success trolling flicker minnows and jigging on Larson’s Reef and other offshore structure. Most activity at the boat ramps over the weekend was from pleasure boaters taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather.