Grand River moderating as Michigan's bass and salmon season shifts into gear

What's Biting

What's Next

The Grand River at 4,630 cfs gives river anglers a workable window heading into the Memorial Day weekend. If spring rains stay light over the coming days, flows should continue moderating toward clearer early-summer conditions in the lower river corridor. That transition typically consolidates walleye along channel edges and rocky current breaks — slow-rolled jigs and live crawlers on bottom-bouncing rigs are reliable producers at this stage of the season. Walleye that have dispersed from tributary spawning areas should be settling into their summer main-river structure.

Post-spawn smallmouth bass throughout the Grand River system and connected impoundments are in recovery and early summer feeding mode. Tactical Bassin notes that Great Lakes-region smallmouth in clear-water settings respond well to finesse presentations — drop shots, shakey heads, and tube rigs worked along rock piles and bluff walls. The feeding windows near dawn and dusk, amplified by the waxing gibbous moon this week, should produce well on both smallmouth and walleye through the holiday weekend.

On Lake Michigan, late May into early June marks the start of the productive offshore window for King salmon (Chinook). Anglers discussing charters out of Ludington on the Michigan Sportsman Forum signal that demand is building ahead of the peak summer salmon run. Typical charter presentations at this stage involve spoons and flasher-fly combinations on downriggers in 60 to 100 feet of water. Anyone planning a summer Kings trip should confirm bookings soon — popular west Michigan ports tighten up through June.

Saginaw Bay smallmouth, now being tracked under a new Michigan Sea Grant research initiative, are likely transitioning off spawning flats and setting up on deeper rocky structure and shoals as water temperatures climb. Points and mid-depth rock piles in the 8-to-15-foot range are a natural focus. Check local weather forecasts before launching on the open lake — late May on the Great Lakes brings variable wind conditions that can deteriorate quickly, and morning windows typically offer the calmest access for both nearshore and offshore work.

Context

Late May on Michigan's Great Lakes fisheries represents one of the year's cleaner seasonal pivots: spring steelhead runs have largely wound down, post-spawn walleye are dispersing from tributaries back into main-lake structure, and smallmouth bass have moved through spawning and entered an active early-summer feeding phase. King salmon charter bookings accelerate through June as Chinook stage in offshore water ahead of the peak summer run — the pattern of anglers seeking Ludington charter recommendations on the Michigan Sportsman Forum is entirely typical for this point on the calendar.

The Grand River historically runs high through March and April, then moderates into May. The current 4,630 cfs reading sits within a normal late-spring range for this system — workable for walleye, smallmouth, and any late-run steelhead still lingering in the lower river. By mid-June, flows typically drop toward summer lows, which concentrate fish in deeper holes and channel edges and often improve sight-fishing opportunities for bass.

Michigan Sea Grant's new research initiative tracking smallmouth bass seasonal movements in Saginaw Bay adds useful long-term context for anglers targeting that fishery. Saginaw Bay has historically been one of the Great Lakes basin's premier walleye and smallmouth destinations, and late May is when it typically begins fishing at its best as water temperatures climb through the 50s.

Michigan Sea Grant also flagged a relevant public health note this season: a study found that Great Lakes anglers broadly lack awareness of PFAS (forever chemical) contamination risks from eating locally caught fish. While mercury and PCBs are widely recognized concerns, PFAS in fish tissue is less understood by most anglers. Those eating their catch from Great Lakes waters are encouraged to consult current MI DNR consumption advisories for the specific waterbody they're fishing — particularly near historically impaired sites. This is not a reason to stay off the water; it is simply good information to carry on the boat.