Fishing in August is always a mixed bag when plying the big waters of Grand Traverse Bays, Platte Bay, and northern Michigan’s rivers.
Grand Traverse Bays: Lake trout fishing remains hot, and the fish this year have been large, thrilling anglers of all experience levels. The typical laker baits when trolling slowly have been seeing steady action in the early mornings and late evenings. Trollers still continue to pick up scrappy ciscos as well, helping to provide constant action. Salmon have also shown up on both East and West Bays, adding lots of excitement to morning and evening trips. To target salmon, trolling speeds need to pick up in pace from what is the norm for lake trout. These hard-charging fish are large again this year, pulling lots of drag for thrilled anglers. Early first-light and twilight are the primary times to target salmon on the Bays, as their activity is typically at its highest.
Jigging on the bays is also spectacular. Both lake trout and the early salmon are being
jigged up from depths anywhere from 80 to 155 feet. Salmon are typically higher in the water column, but it’s not uncommon that they mix in adjacent to the lakers. Big jigs are the ticket for the salmon, like the Jonah Jigs’ 3 ouncer. Any given day might see a different color preference, but there is absolutely no doubt about bites. Lake trout seem to like white or green more often than not, and jigs ranging from 1 to 3 ounces all work. Aggressive jigging motions trigger angry bites, and it’s not uncommon to watch salmon and lake trout chase a jig on the sonar, just prior to feeling a thunderous bite. Early in the morning or late evenings are the best times to jig for salmon, but lake trout will bite all day, giving anglers seeking a more relaxed fishing experience some good action.
Platte Bay: Cohos are showing up in bigger and bigger numbers each day, getting ready to run into the Platte River in early September. Those willing to jig deeper waters for cohos are finding a great bite overall. Those trolling Platte Bay are often rewarded with good catches of both king and coho salmon along with lake trout when targeted. Protected somewhat from a southwest wind, this bay is a great option for smaller boats when the big waters of Frankfort aren’t an option. The launch at the mouth of the Platte River is very shallow, so care should be taken, as propellers and rocks don’t seem to like each other much.
Northern Michigan Rivers: The Betsie River will start to see the first pushes of king salmon in mid-to-late August, bringing with it much anticipated excitement. Angling pressure increases as well, once word is out that these bruising battlers are in. Rivers like the Platte and Boardman see a slightly later arrival date for their salmon. While there may be an early push or two, the typical run for these rivers is closer to early September. The Platte River is a designated trout stream, so DNR regulations mean that only single non- weighted hooks may be used. For complete regulations, please visit the DNR website or pick up one of the plentiful DNR regulation handbooks.
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