Fishing for walleye in Southeast Michigan? Here’s what to know for the 2022 season

2022 fishing guide has been released

BRAINERD, MN - JANUARY 26: A volunteer prepares to release a walleye caught at the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza fishing tournament on Gull Lake January 26, 2008 in Brainerd, Minnesota. All of the fish caught in the tournament are released back into the lake once they are weighed and recorded. The tournament, billed as the world's largest ice fishing competition, attracted over 10,000 participants who competed for $150,000 in prizes. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (Scott Olson, 2008 Getty Images)

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich.The Michigan Department of Natural Resources released its weekly fishing report on Wednesday and it included some updates for people who fish in Southeast Michigan.

The new fishing rules apply from April 1 until March 31, 2023. The 2022 license year goes into effect on April 1. All anglers 17 years old and older are required to have a fishing license.

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You can check out this year’s fishing guide below for updates on regulations.

Some changes the DNR said were worth noting, are the new underwater spearfishing opportunities in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. They also said the walleye minimum size limit has been set for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.

The Lake St. Clair and St. Clair River walleye minimum size limit is still 15 inches. The daily possession limit is six walleye through April 30. The daily possession limit for walleye after that will be set on May 1 and announced on the DRN website or by calling 888-367-7060.

Where are fish being caught?

Every week, the DNR shares where fish are being caught across Michigan. Below is the information they shared for areas in Southeast Michigan.

Saginaw Bay: Walleye were caught 6 miles out from Thomas Road. Anglers were also going to the south end of the slot. Yellow perch were caught in 8 to 10 feet of water. On the west side of the bay, there was open water from the Bay City State Park all the way up to Cody Esty Road. Fishing activity on the east side of Saginaw Bay was limited with high winds and snow. Anglers fishing for yellow perch reported mostly small fish with a few keepers in Wildfowl Bay. There were some bad ice spots from Sebewaing up to Wildfowl Bay. Anglers should use caution.

Saginaw River: The launch at Saginaw Marina was open over the weekend and anglers were fishing upstream near the confluence, but fishing was difficult with a lot of ice coming down. All access points downstream to the mouth had a combination of ice or ice jams and open water making access difficult to nonexistent. However, conditions were changing daily so anglers will want to use caution and watch for flowing ice.

Tittabawassee: Caldwell Boat Launch near Midland was open Saturday. A few boats launched and fished upstream. A couple of walleye were caught while jigging with a jig and twister tail combination. A lot of ice came downstream and there was a pile up at Gordonville Bridge, making launching and retrieving boats very difficult. There was a lot of ice in the Tittabawassee above Dow Dam, so anglers will want to be careful. Areas downstream of Caldwell had a combination of ice and open water making access and fishing difficult.


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About the Author:

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.