Michigan Walleye Fishing Report

Late-season Lake Superior country: cold water, slow fish

Walleye: small crankbaits along rocky shorelines

Cold water is the story in the western UP this week. USGS gauge 04059000 reads 39°F with flow at 446 cfs, and gauge 04059500 shows 106 cfs. Water in the high 30s slows fish metabolism, so expect short, lethargic feeding windows rather than aggressive chases.

The MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report notes that its weekly update will be temporarily suspended after Nov. 4, so official week-to-week bite details are done for now. For fresh-water context, Tactical Bassin points to late-fall jerkbait and swimbait work as water temps drop. Fishing the Midwest highlights crankbaits along rocky shorelines for walleyes in late fall.

Water temp in this report

39°F

Flow in this report

Moderate stream flow at 446 cfs on gauge 04059000, steady rather than surging

Late-fall bass and walleye window on the Grand River mouth

Walleye: crankbaits along rocky shorelines, or bottom bouncer with nightcrawler

Gauge readings across the Grand River watershed this morning put water at 45 to 49°F (USGS gauges 04108862, 04118564 and 04108660), squarely in the cold-water phase of late fall. Tactical Bassin's recent November posts describe covering water with jerkbaits and swimbaits as temperatures drop, picking up both largemouth and smallmouth on the same patterns. Fishing the Midwest points to crankbaits worked along rocky shorelines for walleye at this time of year.

Water temp in this report

47°F

Flow in this report

Freshwater flow: 1,780 cfs and 1,200 cfs on the larger river gauges, so expect noticeable current.

Late-season bass and walleye bites slow as Michigan water cools

Walleye: crankbaits cast to rocky shorelines, or a plain bottom-bouncer rig with a nightcrawler

Cold water is setting the tone across the Grand River and southwest Michigan this week. USGS gauge 04108862 reads 45°F, gauge 04118564 reads 47°F, and gauge 04108660 reads 49°F, all as of the early morning on Nov. 13. Gauge 04108660 is running 1,200 cfs and gauge 04119000 shows 1,790 cfs, so moving water is carrying plenty of volume. The MI DNR Weekly Fishing Report has now put out its last issue of the season, the Nov. 4 edition, and the creel clerks are done until ice fishing picks up. For bass, Tactical Bassin (blog) describes the late-fall pattern as a jerkbait and swimbait one-two punch, and notes an Alabama Rig is a good tool for big, lethargic fish in cold water. Fishing the Midwest points to crankbaits cast to rocky shorelines as productive for walleyes in November. Most of that testimony comes from other parts of the Midwest, so treat it as a pattern guide and adjust to what you see on the water.

Water temp in this report

47°F

Flow in this report

Gauge 04108660 is running 1,200 cfs and gauge 04119000 shows 1,790 cfs; gauge 04108862 is low at 5.58 cfs.

Saginaw Bay region heads into a slow, cold-water walleye and bass window

Walleye: small crankbaits along rocky shorelines or a bottom-bouncer plain rig with a nightcrawler

A USGS gauge 04157005 reads 50°F water temperature this week, a clear sign the fall bite is shifting into its cold-water phase. At that temperature, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass tend to hold tight to bottom structure and feed less often, while Walleye are still catchable with slow, deliberate presentations. Tactical Bassin's November coverage points to covering water to find active fish as temperatures drop, and Fishing the Midwest notes that late fall walleyes respond to crankbaits worked along rocky shorelines and to a plain bottom-bouncer rig with a nightcrawler.

Water temp in this report

50°F

Flow in this report

Freshwater gauge shows very low, stable flow at 1.97 cfs