Houghton Lake
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Houghton Lake Fishing Reports
Stay up to date with the latest fishing reports from Houghton Lake. Reports are submitted by local anglers, fishing guides, and our team of fishing experts.
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Omnia Community MemberBronze AmbassadorSpecies
WalleyeTechniqueIce Fishing SpoonsSeasonIceStructureHumpsIce is iffy in spots. Spud your way out. 10-12 fow.
- Omnia Community MemberBronze AmbassadorSpeciesWalleyeTechniqueTrolling Shallow (0-9')SeasonFallStructureHumps
Lake is going through fall turnover . Nothing was biting.
Species
Largemouth BassTechniqueHover/Mid-StrollingSeasonSpring (Pre-Spawn)StructureSubmerged VegetationHigh winds, scattered rain and overcast with temps in the 40°s. The bass were holding the bottom roaming the drop offs. Hover strolling the guppy head near the bottom lead to almost all of my bites with a few on the jerk bait and swim bait.
- Species
Smallmouth BassTechniqueDrop ShotSeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureLaydownsFish were spawning around shallow wood and cover on bottom. The water was off colored so using perspective mode and covering water was key. Locate flats with isolated cover and you could find the beds
- SpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueShallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6')SeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureSubmerged Vegetation
Crankbait in the sand and rock bottom around vegetation in 2 to 4 feet of water.
- SpeciesLargemouth BassTechniqueBladed JigsSeasonSpring (Spawn)StructureSubmerged Vegetation
The bass are feeding on top water early in the morning. After you stop seeing boils in mid morning, a bladed jig is still a great big bass finder, even in the warmer water. Look for tall vegetation that breaks the surface in 3 to 5 FOW.
Andrew SproullBronze AmbassadorSpeciesSmallmouth BassTechniqueSpinnerbaitsSeasonSummerStructureSubmerged VegetationSuper tough lake, don't go out expecting a lot of big fish. I got this one during a fairly windy day, fishing the edges of submerged vegetation. Since houghton lake is a fairly dirty lake, the conditions lined up perfectly for this. Just slow roll it along with occasional pauses, and there's a good chance of a bronzeback biting!
- SpeciesLargemouth BassTechniqueSwim JigsSeasonSpring (Post-Spawn)StructureDocks
Houghton Lake in late May/Early June will have a mixture of spawning and post-spawn fish depending on moon phase and water temperatures. Typically when I'm fishing around fish in multiple stages of the spawn, I like to target the areas that fish will be moving towards. One of my favorite patterns post spawn on Houghton Lake is targeting docks with deeper water access or back in protected cuts/pockets. Docks offer a variety of benefits for fish: - Docks offer shade in the warmer weather - Staging areas where fish can setup after they've spawn - Ambush feeding spots - A place to spawn (if there are still late spawning fish) Docks also provide fish protection from some of the boat traffic on the lake which makes them ideal areas where fish can hang out. Fishing docks with a swim jig on Houghton Lake is an effective technique because you can hang a jig up in the water column and trick fish into biting even when they're in a neutral mood. It also is a great way to imitate bluegill and crawfish, both of which are main forage types on Houghton
