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Little Bay de Noc Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Green Bay’s northern arm: Little Bay de Noc is one of the Great Lakes’ premier walleye fisheries.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
69 / 70 F
Wind
E 9 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Little Bay de Noc offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings cloud cover, wind E around 9 mph, falling pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 70. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Yellow perchGood

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

SteelheadFair

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 76 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp69 F
High / Low70 / 63 F
WindE 9-14 mph
Pressure1013.4 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 65%
Sunrise / Sunset07:13 / 20:21
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 70/63 F, wind 10 mph, rain 65%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Little Bay de Noc: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

When to come: the Little Bay de Noc calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Yellow perch
Smallmouth bass
Steelhead
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Little Bay de Noc today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 84 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Michigan requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Michigan license plus all-species validation where required. Walleye and bass limits per current DNR regulations for Great Lakes waters.

Access

Ramps at Escanaba, Gladstone and along the bay; winter access over the ice when conditions allow.

About this water

A shallow northern arm of Green Bay at Escanaba, Delta County, Michigan: a premier Great Lakes walleye fishery.

Fishing Little Bay de Noc: the full guide

A bay built for walleye

Little Bay de Noc reaches north from Green Bay into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula at Escanaba, a shallow, fertile arm of Lake Michigan that consistently ranks among the best walleye waters in the Great Lakes. Reefs, weed beds, river mouths and drop-offs provide varied structure, and the walleye grow large on an abundant forage base. Smallmouth bass, northern pike, perch and salmon fill out the fishery.

Walleye through the year

Spring brings walleye to the river mouths and shallow reefs: jigs and live bait as fish stage after the spawn. Summer moves them to the deeper flats and reefs where trolling crawler harnesses and crankbaits covers water. Fall produces the biggest fish as they feed heavily. Winter ice fishing over the reefs is a serious tradition drawing anglers from several states.

Smallmouth and pike

Smallmouth bass work the rocky reefs and shoreline structure, providing excellent fishing that most walleye anglers ignore. Northern pike patrol the weed beds and bays. Perch school over the flats, and salmon move through seasonally in the deeper water toward the main bay. The variety makes weather-forced changes of plan easy.

Escanaba logistics

Ramps at Escanaba, Gladstone and along the bay serve anglers, with a strong local guide fleet. The bay is shallow and wind builds chop quickly: check forecasts and use the protected corners. Escanaba and Gladstone provide full services. Winter access depends on ice conditions, which vary substantially year to year.

Common questions

Why is the walleye fishing so good?

Shallow, fertile water with reefs and river mouths plus abundant forage: the bay consistently ranks among the best in the Great Lakes.

Is the smallmouth fishing overlooked?

Yes: the rocky reefs hold excellent smallmouth that most anglers pass over on their way to walleye.

What about ice fishing?

A serious tradition over the reefs when conditions allow, drawing anglers from several states.

Is fishing good at Little Bay de Noc right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Escanaba River6 miFord River10 miManistique River42 miMenominee River44 miOconto River72 miPlatte River86 mi
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