Traverse City Fishing Report – Mixed Bag Action on the Bay

Traverse City fishing continues to provide steady action on Lake Michigan as we spent the morning working the southern end of the bay in 40–60 feet of water. Most of the lake trout came on downriggers pulling Hammerhead cowbells tight to bottom throughout the trip. The shallow lead core program also produced action higher in the water column. Our 2 and 5 color setups took both salmon on bright UV spoons, while a 3 color lead core with a Yeck Fireball on a copper blank picked up one of the lake trout.  

We landed 4 lake trout along with a pink salmon and a smaller king salmon, while losing several additional trout throughout the morning. Overall it was a fun mixed-bag trip with steady action and excellent conditions on Lake Michigan near Traverse City. With water temperatures continuing to warm, the summer salmon bite should continue improving over the next several weeks. If you’re looking to experience Lake Michigan fishing this season, be sure to check out our Traverse City fishing charters for available trip information and upcoming openings.

Traverse City Fishing Report – Boat Is Back In The Water

The Storm Hawk is officially back in the water and running trips for the 2026 season. Early fishing around Traverse City has been off to a strong start, with solid lake trout action throughout West Grand Traverse Bay.

Recent trips have been producing steady bites while trolling on the bay here in Traverse City. We’ve also seen a few steelhead mixed in as water temperatures continue to improve. We are anticipating a stellar “bonus” catch spring fishery here in West Grand Traverse Bay. I have a feeling we will be seeing more steelhead, brown trout, salmon, maybe even a few walleyes in the 2026 spring season.

Spring is one of our favorite times to fish because conditions are often calm and the lake trout fishing can be very consistent for anglers of all experience levels.

As the season progresses, we’ll continue following fish movement and adjusting daily based on conditions around Traverse City and Lake Michigan.

If you’re planning a fishing trip this season, now is a great time to get on the water.

📞 Call 231-590-4866 to reserve your trip. Or for more information check out our Traverse City Fishing Charters homepage!