Bays de Noc
The Bays de Noc area covers over 200 miles of shoreline in the southwestern part of the Upper Peninsula. There are beautiful sand beaches to go along with many places to stay, good food and excellent fishing. The area is comprised of three cities and towns, all situated on the shores of Little Bay de Noc – Escanaba, Gladstone and Rapid River.
It is a very good multi-species fishery, however, walleye are king up here. This is one of the best walleye fisheries in the midwest. Depending on where you fish, you can get numbers, size or both. Little Bay de Noc is known for better numbers of walleye with plenty of quality fish too, while the Big Bay de Noc is known for smaller numbers, but much bigger walleye. Smallmouth bass are found in good numbers in both bays with lots of quality fish in the 3 to 5 pound range. Northern pike are here in solid numbers with plenty of big fish too. The spring / early summer and fall are the best times to target pike in the bay.
Green Bay
Green Bay is a large bay of Lake Michigan. The bay features some of the best fishing destinations in Wisconsin. Door County is a major fishing vacation destination and good numbers of people come to fish the bay side for smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike and more instead of the Lake Michigan side where salmon and trout are more common.
As you go around the bay, there are several more good destinations to launch a boat from to experience some excellent fishing in the bay. Walleye are king here for most anglers, but the smallmouth bass, northern pike and perch are available as well. Towards the town of Green Bay, Wisconsin, some anglers come out to the bay to target huge muskie. There are so many options for a fishing trip in Green Bay.
Sturgeon Bay, WI
When most people think of Door County, they think of Sturgeon Bay. In the bay, visitors enjoy fishing & boating, charming restaurants, a variety of accommodations, shops, galleries, nearby state parks and more.
Sturgeon Bay is one of the best places to plan a fishing vacation to in the midwest. Known as a top 10 smallmouth bass fishing destination, anglers regularly catch 3 to 4 pounders and bass up to 7 pounds are not unheard of. Smallmouth bass aren’t the only reason why people fish here. The bay is good for walleye, salmon, trout, perch and northern pike. Because the waters in Sturgeon Bay are often calm, anglers with smaller boats get a chance to target big fish on a big water (Lake Michigan), but they don’t have to deal with the big waves that usually go hand in hand with fishing big water. At times, the bay can get rough, but for the most part, fishing conditions are usually good for smaller boats. For those of you planning a trip to the bay, you will have plenty of lodging options to go along with camping available at Potawatomi State Park.
Grand Traverse Bay
Grand Traverse Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan that is located on the Lower Peninsula of Michigan near Traverse City. The bay covers more than 30 miles long and 7 to 10 miles wide with water that extends down more than 600 feet deep. This is a huge piece of water that offers anglers and boaters a fantastic area to enjoy Lake Michigan’s waters while having some protection in the bay. There is a west arm and an east arm as well. The fishing is very good for many species of fish, but the smallmouth bass and lake trout are here in large numbers with many big fish possible too.