Now until tonight 1 amWalleye
The bite peaks at 68.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now · best window
Walleye range 50–72°
From the north
Sunrise 8:19 am
12% chance of rain
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Michigan regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Walleye bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Lower Peninsula Great Lakes: 15" minimum, 5 a day, open all year.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Michigan
Season here: Apr–Jul, Sep–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on walleye
No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Michigan Great Lakes: largemouth and smallmouth combined, 14" minimum, 5 a day. Possession season opens the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 29 in 2027) and runs to Dec 31; catch and immediate release is open the rest of the year.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Michigan
Season here: May–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass
No water reading here right now. Yellow perch bite in 45–70° water, best near 58°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Michigan: no size limit, 25 a day, open all year.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Michigan
Season here: Apr–Jun, Oct–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on yellow perch
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Michigan: "All others", carp included, have no size limit, no possession limit and are open all year. Live carp may not be used as bait. Bighead, silver, black and grass carp may not be possessed alive.
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Michigan
Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Jun–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Michigan DNR publishes a report for the state.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory
The walleye-rich arms of northern Lake Michigan at Escanaba in Michigan's Upper Peninsula — Big and Little Bay de Noc are nationally known for walleye, with smallmouth bass on the reefs and jumbo yellow perch. Fished from boats and the shore, and hard through the ice.
Little Bay de Noc: walleye 15" minimum, 5 a day, kept May 15–Mar 15, and only 1 of the 5 may be 23" or longer.
The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Bay de Noc (Escanaba) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Bay de Noc (Escanaba) is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Common Carp. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Bay de Noc (Escanaba) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Bay de Noc (Escanaba) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Little Bay de Noc: walleye 15" minimum, 5 a day, kept May 15–Mar 15, and only 1 of the 5 may be 23" or longer.
state agency regulations apply at Bay de Noc (Escanaba). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Bay de Noc (Escanaba) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
