Buc’s Fishing Report — 10-02-2025
ON-SITE UPDATE. Windy this morning with chop on open water. Salmon runs are picking up across Northern Michigan and the U.P. Strong numbers of fish are stacked below the Hesperia Dam, the Betsie River is fishing well, and the lower Pere Marquette is loaded though the upper river remains slow. At Tippy Dam, salmon are steadily pushing upriver and the spawning migration has begun.
MOON & SOLUNAR BITES. Waning crescent (22% illumination).
• Major: 8:44–10:44 AM, 9:10–11:10 PM
• Minor: 12:57–1:57 AM, 5:13–6:13 PM
RIVER FLOWS & TEMPS.
• Manistee (Tippy Dam, Wellston): 1,320 cfs, 8.50 ft, ~63°F.
• White (Whitehall): 212 cfs, 0.80 ft.
• Boardman (Traverse City): 185 cfs, 4.60 ft.
• Pere Marquette (Scottville): 400 cfs, 0.80 ft.
• Manistique (U.P.): 945 cfs, 3.41 ft.
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HOT SEVEN PIERS & JIGGING
Frankfort. Glow spoons and jigs producing at first light.
Manistee. Pier and harbor marks holding kings.
Ludington. Pier casting spoons early with nearshore marks producing.
Whitehall. First steelhead showing on skein and spoons.
Muskegon. Basin and piers producing kings and first steelhead.
Grand Haven. Coho on spoons with scattered deeper marks.
Burt Lake Maple Bay. Good perch and a few walleye on weed edges.
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RIVER SNAPSHOT
Tippy (Manistee). Run building as salmon push upriver to spawn.
White (Hesperia). Heavy numbers of salmon below the dam.
Pere Marquette. Lower river loaded with fish, upper river low and clear.
Betsie. Strong salmon activity in lower stretches.
Boardman (Traverse City). Weir in at Union St. and reach closed, fish stacking below.
Platte. Salmon in the river mouth and below the weir, bobber rigs with skein producing.
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PERCH REPORT
Big Glen. Bigger perch showing with less sorting, wigglers and minnows best.
Lake Leelanau. South end producing near Cedar River and Pines Campground sandbar.
Crystal. Perch off Railroad Point weedbeds.
Portage (Onekama). Fair bite with many small fish.
Manistee Lake. Few perch with salmon staging.
PM Lake (Ludington). Perch schools starting to build.
Pentwater. Fair bite, mostly small perch.
White. Bluegill strong by the marina and weed edges, yellow-belly perch in weeds.
Muskegon. Perch action poor.
Green (Interlochen). Perch steady on 8–12 ft weed edges.
Long (Traverse City). Fair perch and a few walleye on south end and peninsula edges.
Burt. Good perch bite with bonus walleye.
Mullett. Bigger perch showing with less sorting.
Lake Charlevoix. Perch at Ironton, Horton Bay, Elm Point, and Cedar Rest with bonus walleye.
Torch. Perch on south-end weedbeds and some on north weedbeds.
Elk. Perch off Whitewater Township landing.
Otsego. Fair perch and a few walleye.
Drummond Island. Strong perch bite in Scotts Bay and Maxton Bay on minnows and wigglers, bring wigglers with you.
East Grand Traverse Bay. Cisco and lake trout bite strong with occasional salmon.
Little Bay De Noc. Perch steady near Kipling, Narrows, and Aronson Island.
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INLAND LAKES
Lake Cadillac. Smallmouth and largemouth on humps and edges with panfish on minnows and waxworms.
Lake Mitchell. Largemouth and panfish near lily pads and stumps.
Lake St. Helen. Pike and largemouth in weedy bays with panfish on jigs.
Higgins Lake. Smallmouth on drop-offs and lake trout on vertical jigs.
Walloon Lake. Smallmouth on rocky points and panfish on small baits.
Lake Missaukee. Bluegill and largemouth in shallow weeds.
Holton Lake. Bass and panfish around docks and weed edges.
Crystal Lake (Greenville). Town lake panfish and largemouth on small jigs.
Wabasis Lake. Bass and panfish near public access on minnows and spinners.
Long Lake (Greenville). Bass and panfish on drop-shot and slip bobbers.
Tamarack Lake (Lakeview). Largemouth and pike active in coves.
McLaren Lake (Hesperia). Multi-species with steady panfish.
Hamlin Lake (Ludington). Walleye at dusk and panfish on weeds.
Silver Lake (Mears). Pike and largemouth on wind-blown weedlines.
Bear Lake (Manistee). Panfish on weed edges with evening bass bite.
Big Platte Lake. Smallmouth on points and perch on first breaks.
Black Lake. Perch on flats and cuts 6–12 ft.
Crooked Lake (Emmet). Smallmouth and panfish on rocks and weeds.
Pickerel Lake (Emmet). Panfish steady on finesse jigs.
Houghton Lake. North weedbed perch and bluegill steady on worms.
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TOP 10 U.P. HOTSPOTS
Little Bay De Noc. Walleye and perch on weeds and humps.
Munising / Grand Island. Lake trout on reefs and ledges.
Marquette. Trout on steep drops with spoons and jigs.
Keweenaw / Copper Harbor. Trout and salmon on rocky points.
Escanaba / Big Bay De Noc. Walleye and smallmouth on breaks and weeds.
St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie). Salmon and steelhead in current seams.
Portage Entry / Grand Marais. Mixed trout and salmon along structure.
Tahquamenon Bay. Walleye and panfish at river mouths.
Drummond / Les Cheneaux. Perch hot in Scotts and Maxton Bays.
Au Train / Ford River. Trout, walleye, and perch on points and narrows.
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SAGINAW BAY & RIVER
Saginaw Bay. Walleye scattered with perch in cuts and channels.
Saginaw River. Walleye staging in channel holes on jigs, perch and catfish mixed.
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LIVE BAIT PRO TIP
On Big Glen, Burt, and Drummond Island, perch are hitting best on wigglers and minnows. Use slip-bobbers or Perch Pounders on weed edges and humps, and bring wigglers before heading to Drummond.
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TIGHT LINES, BAITMAN OUT
#LiveBait #bucsbait #perch #salmon #walleye #steelhead #tightlines
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