Now is a great time to fish for whitefish in various locations throughout Michigan. Are you aware of some of the best methods for doing so during November and December?
Technique and location are critical things to think about when angling for whitefish. People typically use hook-and-line fishing for whitefish in areas such as Thunder Bay, at the AuSable River mouth at Oscoda, and on the pier at Tawas. Anglers use noodle rods with ice jigs under slip bobbers. The ice jigs are typically baited with a wax or meal worm or a single salmon egg. Some people use small minnows.
This is the only time of year when whitefish are available to shore anglers as they are moving shoreward to spawn. The preferred spawning sites are shallow rock reefs; they also use the lower Thunder Bay and AuSable Rivers for spawning. Whitefish are actively spawning right now. As they finish spawning they begin feeding and are easier to catch than earlier in the run. Peak fishing is right now through the first week of December.
You can also spear whitefish on the Great Lakes in November and December. Again, it’s best to do so via the shorelines when they come in shore to spawn. The whitefish will come in very shallow, between two and 10 feet of water. You need a very calm night for this activity where you can boat around the shallow reefs with underwater lights to illuminate the area. A long-handled spear is used to harvest the fish.
This year the whitefish are running heavier than usual, with lots of fish in the six-pound range. Typically, in the last several years, they have been three to four pounds.
In Oscoda and Alpena, those fishing the river for whitefish are rewarded with mixed bags. The same techniques used for whitefish that were mentioned above also produce some steelhead and the occasional brown trout.
This was original published by the Michigan DNR on 11-24-11
