Houghton Lake Memorial Weekend 2012 Fishing Report

Sunfish at Reedsburg Dam

There's good news and bad news.

Good news first.

The Walleye and Bluegill are biting on Houghton and Higgins Lakes. I'm not positive but I've heard the Bluegill are biting on St Helen lake also.

In Houghton Lake: Best places are near the weed beds along the south shore, west shore and the middle weed bed. Also fishing should be good in the East Bay near Harveys Marine. The North Bay holds some nice sized Northern Pike and Walleye.

In Higgins Lake: Rock Bass, Perch and Bluegills are being reported along the west/south shoreline in 15-20 ft of water.

Nice size Crappie at Reedsburg Dam

In St Helen: Some of the best Bluegill fishing in the state is near the weed bed off Artesia beach (near the west end.

Bad news.

The fish were biting at the Cut River but have slowed considerably. Best times for fishing would be late morning/early evening.

Reedsburg Dam flooding side

Reedsburg Dam also had great fishing on the low side but the water level has dropped considerably in the past week. Fishing has dropped off BUT fishing on the flooding side of the dam has started to pick up for Bass and Bluegill. So Reedsburg is a toss up for this weekend.

Backus Lake no report due to high winds but Bluegills and Perch plus some Northern Pike and Bass are always possible. Try near weed beds along shore or in the middle.

Backus Dam off M-18 fishing has been poor due to high fast moving water but could improve over the weekend.

Rock Bass at Reedsburg Dam

Weather forecast is for plenty of sunshine and high temperatures in the 80's. Great for sunbathing not so much for fishing. Also wind predictions are between 10-15 mph. So mornings and evenings should be optimal with lower temps and less wind. Fishing should be good all day.

Best Bait I have been getting hits on both live bait and plastics. Check with your local bait shop for which is working best for what your after.

Houghton Lake Area Fishing Report: May 27, 2011

Backus Creek Flooding
by
Ken Stephenson

Weather this Memorial Day weekend is looking good with temps in the high 70's and occasional showers. The Walleye are biting at Houghton Lake, on leeches and nightcrawlers trolling in about 8-9 feet of water along the edge of the weed bed, south side. There's good fishing all day with peaks after sunrise and before sunset. Large Walleye are being taken during the night. Mostly due to their light sensitive eyes. When the weed beds grow up you can find them there.

Reedsburg Dam Spring 2011
by
K. Stephenson

The water levels are still high at Reedsburg causing the Muskegon River to run fast south of the dam. Also the fishing area is still flooded and inaccessible. This makes fishing by the dam poor. But many anglers are dropping boats and fishing not far off the boat launch. With underwater tree stumps and debris, it's a great area for Bass fishing. There are also Northern Pike, Bluegill and Perch. I haven't heard how the fishing has been but there are plenty of people dropping their boats in and wetting a line. Worth a try.  I have been told the cove south off the boat launch is a great place for Crappie. You can't go wrong with crawlers or leeches.

Backus Lake Spring 2011
by
K Stephenson

Bass Raider at Backus Lake
by
K. Stephenson

The Bluegills are biting at Backus Lake. The key is small hooks and worms or small pieces of nightcrawler. A couple of weeks ago I was catching Big and small Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill and Perch. All within 2 hours before sunset. Never had a night like that before or since. If you have never caught Bluegill before, you will be surprised so much fight can come in such a small package. And when they jump you'll swear you have a Bass on the hook. Great eating, too.

The last I heard the Bluegill fishing was good on Lake St Helen, with the best being off Artesia beach. Check in at Malcomb's Tackle Box on your way into town. They'll let you know what you'll need for a fun day of Bluegill fishing.

This saturday is the beginning of Largemouth and Smallmouth season (saturday before Memorial Day).

If your going out remember to bring mosquito repellent because the fish aren't the only thing biting right now.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend and remember those who died for this great nation, so that we might enjoy the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

Ken S

Houghton Lake Fishing Report-Backus Lake-Fish On-May 2011

It was Friday afternoon and the weather was sunny then overcast then sunny again. I had been out two track riding with my brother, checking on a new fishing spot I had heard of on the Denton Creek Flooding. It didn't pan out but I will have another look. Always looking for another secluded spot to catch a few fish.

I was sitting at home again and trying to decide if the wind was too high to keep a bobber in place long enough to attract some fish. I decided to at least go out so I didn't watch anymore TV. It turned out to be one of my best fishing experiences.

Since the ice-out this spring, I haven't had much luck in any of my favorite fishing holes. The high waterline have kept the fish in the deeper water unreachable from the shore. The DNR put the docks in at the boat launches last weekend, but the high winds prevented most anglers from attempting a day on the lake.

So far I've been on both Backus Lake and the Dead Stream Flooding in my Bass Tracker (no dock required). I didn't even get a bite. It was those times when I would rather have them steal my bait just so I know they are there. The water is receding toward normal and over the past few days the fish have started biting. Finally.

I just returned home from Backus Lake. Of course I didn't bring my camera but my catch was; 1 Northern Pike, 2 Largemouth Bass, 1 Perch, and 9 Bluegill, in about 2 hours of fishing. Thursday I caught 12+ Bluegills in about 1 hour fishing from the shore. All were released. Primarily I used pieces of nightcrawler and a couple were caught on Gulp 3"minnows. I'm still not sold on the Gulp and I only thought to try them when I ran out of crawlers.

I only use a piece of a nightcrawler because I expect to catch Bluegills and they have small mouths and probably won't attempt to swallow a whole crawler. But the two Largemouth Bass (both were legal size) were also caught with a small piece of worm on a 1/16th oz orange/yellow jighead. Again a small hook for Bluegill. And the Northern Pike was on the Gulp minnow on the 1/8th oz black jighead. I switched to the larger hook because of the Bass. Also, I was using an orange, round weighted bobber for extra distance on my cast with the light weight jighead.

All in all a very enjoyable evening of fishing.

Best fishing times are 1/2 hour after sunrise to midmorning and after 6pm in the evening until sundown.

Until next time,

Ken S

Houghton Lake Fishing Report: February 8,2011

February Snowday in Houghton Lake
by
K. Stephenson

Houghton Lake fishing has slowed due to severe cold weather. Some Perch and Pike are still being caught in the East Bay off Harveys Marina and Korbinskis Marina, also off the north shore. Perch and Bluegill are still being reeled in near Lymans On The Lake and the west DNR boat launch. They're biting on minnows and wax worms when they're biting.

There's 8-12 inches of snow on the lake and higher drifts in some spots. Great for snowmobiles but anything less than a 4 wheel drive is not recommended. The temperature is supposed to reach the 30's this weekend and the warmer temperatures can cause ice to crack and shift. Caution is advised at all times on the lake but even more vigilance is required when the temperatures rise. A shift in the ice can cause an ice wall up to two feet high that you won't see until you are on top of it.

Winterfest in Higgins Lake and Roscommon is February 18 & 19.

 I've been away due to my health. I was hoping to have some pictures of TUT for you but I couldn't make it this year.

Until next time Stay safe, Stay warm and keep the tread side down.

Ken S.