Little Bay de Noc is home to some awesome fishing. The waters warm up quicker in Little Bay de Noc compared to nearby Big Bay de Noc. This means that the good bite gets going a little bit earlier on Little Bay de Noc as thousands of fish move into the bay to find warmer water temperatures in the spring. For the walleye anglers, Little Bay de Noc is known for better numbers of walleye, although, they run smaller on average than in the big bay. Take a look below to learn more about fishing the bay.
The North End of the Bay From Gladstone to Rapid River
You can catch fish in this part of the bay year-round. Early in the year as walleye move out of the rivers, anglers can catch a lot of walleye closer to shore in shallower water. As the waters warm, more walleye will move out to deeper water and you can usually do well around the offshore structure. Center Reef is a popular spot on the north end of the bay as well as multiple reefs out from Kipling. The east shoreline has some deep water that holds a lot of walleye as well. Anglers also catch perch, smallmouth bass and northern pike, however, walleye is what most anglers are targeting here. In the fall, good numbers of bigger walleye will migrate back into the bay and closer to the river mouths. Anglers report good success with bigger walleye by trolling crankbaits. This is also the time of year that many anglers report big smallmouth bass and an occasional big pike too.
The Outer Bay From Gladstone to the Escanaba Area
The outer bay, or south bay, of Little Bay De Noc is also home to excellent fishing. Fishing near the river mouths is popular early in the year. Once water temperatures warm up a nice weed line forms just out from the Gladstone public beach. This weed line is close to deeper water which is great for holding large numbers walleye through the summer. The Escanaba River is also a popular place to fish. Anglers catch walleye, smallmouth bass and pike in the river. As water temperatures warm though, the better quality fish tend to be found offshore in the bay. The weed lines will hold perch throughout the summer as well.
Fish the River Mouths in the Spring & Fall
In the spring and early summer, you can find a lot of walleye and other fish around the river mouths up in the bays. Fish the flats and humps close to the river mouths and you will find a lot of fish.
In the fall, a lot of fish will move back towards the rivers, so you get another shot at catching walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike in shallow water. Towards the end of fall though, you are usually going to find large schools a smallmouth, walleye and some big pike mixed in out in the deeper water offshore.
Fish Deeper in the Summer
You can catch a lot of fish in the bays the entire summer, however, you will have to start fishing deeper water as the warmer weather of mid-summer arrives. While you can still catch some nice smallmouth bass in the rivers during the summer, most of the pike and walleye will end up being smaller at this time has the bigger fish love to head out to deeper water. Fish the deeper weed lines and offshore rock humps in the bays or go completely out of the bay to fish the shoals that are known for producing huge walleye every summer. Some of the biggest pike and smallmouth bass will be roaming the offshore structure out on the main lake as well.
Little Bay De Noc Boat Access
Rapid River Boat Launch
The Rapid River Boat Launch allows you to access the very north end of the bay. This part of the bay is very popular early in the year as walleye finish up their spawning and move out of the rivers.
Gladstone Harbor Boat Launch
The marina is a nice place to launch a boat. You can visit the beach and park if you want to spend some time enjoying the outdoors. Anglers like this launch because they can head either way out of the marina to fish the north bay or south bay. Good fishing spots are just a short boat ride away.
Kipling Boat Ramp
This boat ramp has a good amount of parking space, a public restroom, and a bait shop nearby. This ramp gives you access to the north bay, however, it isn’t too far of a boat ride to get into the north end of the southern bay.
Little Bay De Noc Campground (Hunters Point) Boat Launch
If you’re staying at the campground, this launch works great for anglers looking to fish the north bay and the south bay. It’s a good location for launching a boat since you are just a short boat ride from a bunch of good fishing spots, however, if you were staying in town, this boat ramp is a far drive away. If you’re looking to camp and fish this part of the bay, it is can be a good launch for you.
Ludington Park Boat Launch
This boat launch sits in a nice, protected harbor with good parking and a public beach. The location is very good for anglers looking to target walleye and other fish offshore. From mid-summer through fall, this is a good location to launch a boat to go fish for walleye.
North Shore Boat Launch
Some anglers use this launch to fish the Escanaba River while most will venture out onto the bay. It’s a good launch with tons of parking and it is close to some very good fishing spots.
Ford River Boat Launch
This launch is popular among anglers who want to fish this shoreline around the Ford River mouth early in the year. Good numbers of walleye will move out of the river as they finish up spawning and they can be caught all along this shoreline until water temperatures warm up too much. You can also use this launch to go fish the offshore waters in the bay or out onto Lake Michigan for summer and fall fishing.
