Lake Michigan fisheries team report 7.13.11
Sheboygan County
In Sheboygan trollers have been concentrating in 90 to 120 feet of water, and most have been averaging about 4 fish per trip. The bait of choice has remained dodgers and flies, although spoons have worked for some. The best colors are still blue, green, sliver, and orange. The surface bite has slowed, and more fish were caught 40 to 50 feet down. Coho, chinook, and rainbow trout have made up the majority of the catch. Fishing on the Sheboygan piers has been slow. Most anglers have been casting spoons or setting alewives off the bottom with little success. As for perch, most anglers have been jigging minnows off the bottom with no luck.
Ozaukee County
Trollers in Port Washington have been having most success in 90 to 150 feet of water. Dodgers and flies continue to produce, although locating fish has been very hard for anglers. The main catch remains coho and chinook. Fishing has picked up for those on the Port Washington pier. Occasional coho have been caught on spoons or alewives fished off the bottom. Perch anglers on the pier have taken some limits, and both minnows and worms have produced. In the Port harbor, fishing pressure has been light, and only a few perch and small browns and rainbows have been caught.
Milwaukee County
The fishing off Milwaukee remains good for boat anglers. Coho are still active, but they are scattered and can be found in a variety of depths from 50 feet of water out to 180 feet of water. Flashers and flies in blue or green continue to produce good numbers of coho. A few chinook were also showing up in the creel but with no frequency or pattern. Boaters fishing for perch off the South Metro boils have been catching a few, and South Shore ramp has had some perch action on the rocks and the center break wall north of the landing, and minnows have been the best perch bait. A few perch have also been taken off the end of McKinley pier, but shore fishing remains slow elsewhere in the Milwaukee area.
Racine County
Coho action remains steady off of Racine, and most trollers have been doing well around 60 to 100 feet of water. A few chinook and lake trout have been taken as well, but coho still outnumber other species. Dodger and fly combinations as well as white spoons have taken fish. Racine shore anglers have been taking a few perch off the south pier and from other shoreline areas.
Kenosha County
In Kenosha trollers continue to catch decent numbers of coho along with some chinook. The most popular bait continues to be orange or red flashers coupled with flies in blues, greens and reds, although spoons have also produced. Most fish have been taken around 100 feet of water. Perch fishing on the Kenosha shore and piers has been slow, but few boat anglers have been getting their limit of 5 fish just off of the rock breakwall. Plastics and minnows have been the best baits.
