Michigan Sept. 16 weekly: Erie walleye/perch slow; SW Lake Michigan salmon still chewing

Michigan DNR’s Sept. 16, 2026 weekly fishing report has the Michigan side of Lake Erie still stained after wind, surface water above 70°F, and both walleye and yellow perch slow. Perch that did show were mostly small, not keepers. Bass were the better bet — underspin jigs around submerged cover produced smallmouth and largemouth. Stony Point, the River Raisin, and Luna Pier all fished about the same.

Southwest Lake Michigan still had salmon chewing. Muskegon boats scored from the breakwalls out to 80 feet on glow spoons and plugs. Grand Haven mixed Chinook and coho from the pierheads to 90 feet on glow hardware and green flies, with pier anglers in the mix. St. Joseph boats did well around 100 feet and around the pierheads; pier pressure was high at first and last light. Oceana County boats were near limits of Chinook in 100–140 feet, but warm water has slowed river entry, including on the White River.

The bulletin’s fall steelhead tip: a centerpin reel for long, drag-free float drifts if you know the tool; otherwise a level-wind and drop the float behind the boat. Confirm live DNR Great Lakes bags before you keep fish.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Michigan DNR — Weekly Fishing Report: September 16, 2026.