By Mark Romanack
![]() |
Weather dictates open water trolling opportunities in December. In some years the fishing at places like Saginaw Bay and Lake Erie can be red hot and on others icy cold. |
Twice
as many days in April would allow me the opportunity to get my fill of walleye
action on the Detroit River, spring run browns at Manistee, coho salmon in St.
Joe and even a few strokes on Great Lakes pike.
If
October were 60 days long, I’d be catching more steelhead off the pier at
Frankfort, pounding the jumbo perch in Lake Erie, putting a personal best Lake
St. Clair muskie in the boat and patterning those trophy Saginaw Bay walleye.
I
know in my angling heart the marginal months of December and March wouldn’t
even be missed. For those like me who live to fish, I just about guarantee I’d
have support for such a ridiculous idea. Perhaps we can get our state
government to consider my proposal?
THE SILVER LINING
The
fishing opportunities in December may not compare to other months, but the
action doesn’t grind to a complete stop. The Great Lakes State can conjure up
some exceptional fishing days even in the month of December when conditions
cooperate.
Much
of what December has to offer anglers boils down to weather conditions. If the
weather goes cold across the northern part of the state, safe ice in December
can spell some amazing opportunities for bluegill, perch, crappie, walleye and
pike.
![]() |
One of the fishing bright spots for December anglers is the Manistee River steelhead fishery. Big fish like this one caught by Bryan Darland of Jay’s Sporting Goods in Clare are a daily deal. |
WORST CASE SCENARIO
That’s
the good news. The worst thing that can happen to December is for the weather
to get cold enough to make shelf ice, but not cold enough to lock in local
lakes with a safe platform of ice. Cold nights and days that warm above
freezing can make December fishing opportunities a scarce commodity.
Ice
forming at boat launches and on Great Lakes piers shuts down fishing
opportunities almost as quickly as if the season closed. In general, the
southern part of the state provides the most consistent December fishing
opportunities because the weather is usually on the mild side. December fishing
opportunities in the Northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula can be very
hard to predict.
BEING PRODUCTIVE
![]() |
If the weather turns cold in December, Michigan and upper Great Lakes anglers can expect to enjoy some fast action for slab crappie. |
If
the weather goes sour, anglers can still find ways to be productive. How about
replacing that burned out taillight on your boat trailer? Now would also be a
good time to fix or replace worn gear you’ll need when the weather breaks.
Check and see if your flare kit and fire extinguisher are within their working
operational dates. Chances are you haven’t thought about these details lately.
Take
an evening and put fresh line on your ice fishing rods and while you’re at it,
get a jump on spring and put fresh line on your other reels as well. If you run
short on line, isn’t December the best time to add a needed item or two on that
X-Mas wish list? You don’t have to be a kid to write a letter to Santa.
December
might also be a good time to organize those fishing pictures that have been in
your camera all summer. Who knows, maybe those fish from that Saginaw Bay trip
got bigger?
SUMMING IT UP
December
may not be the best fishing month for Great Lakes anglers, but it has its
moments. The best advice I can give is watch the weather closely and be
prepared to go fishing at a moments notice. Since no one can predict December
weather, who knows when that dog will finally have its day?