# Any Good fishing around Ann Arbor???



## mschmidt

I just moved here last week and was looking for some good places to fish offshore. I live on Ford Lake and work right by the chain-of-lakes... Thats all I really know of around here. I usually fish for bass/crappie/catfish... and walleye when I can get to them. Any suggestions?


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## kroppe

mschmidt, 

Welcome to the site! To make a long story short, there are tons of fishing opportunities in the Ann Arbor-Ypsi area. 

To start with, you can certainly try Ford and Belleville Lakes for bass, walleye, and panfish. There are probably some pike in there too, however I'm not an expert on these lakes. 

The Huron River gives up some good smallmouth. Gallup Park is a good place to start on shore, also the metroparks near Dexter are good fishing spots. Gallup Park (Geddes Road) has a boat launch on Geddes Pond. 

The lakes northwest of Dexter (Portage, Silver, North, South) are where I do most of my local fishing. Great bass, pike, crappie and bluegill action. Silver Lake has a nice pier and good shoreline access, but you really need a boat for the other lakes to get to the good spots. There are several more lakes which have good fishing action, too many to list here. 

If you stretch it out a bit, and have a boat, Lake Erie is only 45 minutes (Sterling State Park) and the Detroit River is only 35 minutes (Ecorse). Lake St. Clair is a little bit of a pain to get to due to traffic through Detroit, it's over an hour on most days.


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## mschmidt

I tried Lake Ford tonight and only managed a few smallmouth in a few hours... didn't seem that good. Any other suggestions???


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## SALMONATOR

I'd shoot YPSIEFLY a pm about the Huron River. I've never met him, but I've enjoyed his posts on that river for a while now, and that cat catches EVERYTHING!! Smalies, carp, muskie, steelies........Flies or spinning. That's the dude to talk to in that area IMO. Good luck and welcome to the site!!

Al


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## Buckmaster Flash

Hey Kroppe, question for yah if you don't mind. I fished Gallup Park once a couple weeks ago and got a couple small bass in the area I guess they call Geddes Pond, since it has a boat launch like you described and is off of Geddes Rd. and is in Gallup Park. I was throwing a rubber worm in all of that slop that surrounds a lot of the shore of the pond area. 

I noticed what I guess was east and south of the pond area it formed back into more of a river. Is this the area that has the better fishing, or is Geddes Pond the area to target. I am guessing the smallies would prefer the areas with a little more current. Fishing that pond is kind of a pain cause the one time I was there the park was crowded and that bike trail is awful close to the shore in a lot of spots. Didn't fish there long because of the crowds. Boy, does that park get crowded. Won't bother going there when its busy again. Thanks for any info.


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## kroppe

Buckmaster, 

The better fishing is downstream above Geddes Dam, where US-23 and Dixboro Road cross the river. You really need a canoe or boat to fish it well, since on the right shore (facing upstream) is Concordia College and I don't think you can gain access. Plus the shore on that side is a high bluff. This is still technically Geddes Pond since anything impounded by the dam is the pond. Downstream of the dam, I have seen a big smallmouth taken but it is very snaggy and I don't fish it much. 

Yes the park is extremely crowded with picnicers, bikers and roller bladers. I only fish there when it is cold and rainy!  Fishing is better then, anyway.


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## deerhunter08

definately hit up ypsifly. he knows that area pretty well and i am sure he would love to help you out. he is one good fisherman, and can probably get you into so me good fishing.


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## mschmidt

Well, I tried Silver Lake today from about 8:00 to 9:30... I had only a few bites on grubs and rooster tails but managed one small bass. I tried just about everything. I had another pole that I set up a jig tipped with a night crawler, I pulled 4 Bullheads out from under the dock. Each was about 10-12" So all and all it wasn't a good day fishing. BUT let me tell you that had to be one of the nicest inland lakes I have ever seen. It was absolutely beautiful... the water was very clear and everything was well taken care of, I just wish the fishing was better for me.


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## Mantas

I've caught a MONSTER off of that floating dock about 8 years ago, 23 inch LM. Most of the lakes in that area are SUPER deep. There is a great book of maps that has all the Pickney-Waterloo lake maps in it, most have deep holes that go 50,60,....even 80 feet deep; staggering for lakes that small. I don't like the 'park' lakes because of the jet skis and such but without a boat times are tough.


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## YPSIFLY

Did I hear my name? lol

My computer was busted for the last several days and I haven't been able to get online until tonight.

Living on Ford Lake puts you within minutes of all my favorite spots to fish on the Huron. 

I responded to your PM.

You might also want to search the forums using the search feature on this site.

Welcome aboard!


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## mschmidt

Here is an update... I tried the huron river on Saturday for a few hours in the evening... I managed about 6 or 7 Smallies and 3 Rock Bass. Most were small except for 2 or them (10" Rock Bass, 15" Smallmouth). Pictures are available at the link below. The question is... I saw a bunch of 5 pounders jumping... What was I doing wrong? What do I need to do to get some of those monsters to bite. I tried a small Rebel Crawdad, 1/16 oz. Rooster Tail and some 2" grubs on 1/16 oz. jigs. Where my baits too small? I tried a few different approaches with the baits and nothing seemed to stand out. All advise will be welcome. How about live bait?

Tonight I walked down to Ford Lake again and had much better success. I was using pretty much the same baits above but worked everything a little faster and managed about 8 or 9 smallies in about 2 hours. I also landed a small Walleye. The smallmouth were on average about 12". It was fun, those bastards really put up a fight and know how to jump and shake a bait. I probably lost just as many as I caught... I put some more pics below along with my new fishing buddy that joined me as the sun was going down. 

Take a look...

ftp://68.42.129.123/

Mike


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## SALMONATOR

> Most were small except for 2 or them (10" Rock Bass, 15" Smallmouth). Pictures are available at the link below. The question is... I saw a bunch of 5 pounders jumping...


 A bunch of 5lb smallies jumping? Whooooo I'm in for some of that. Sure they weren't carp? They like to break the surface this time of year. 

Al


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## wickedcarpenter

Get some Wartermellon colored Sencos @ South Street Tackel in Belleville on Sumpter Rd(going South), on the left just as your leaving town in a small strip mall. i could catch fish in a mud puddle with them!Forget Ford Lake unless you have a boat, and the lower Dam is a waste of time to, unless you want carp. This time of the year not much will be up near the Dam. Any of the bridges in Belleville crossing over the lake are a great spot to shore fish for Walleye,Crappie and big Cats.(26ft depth under the bridges)i'd use worms and minnows for there, fishing near bottom.


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## mschmidt

Yes, I know the difference between a carp and a smallmouth... 

Thanks for the info wickedcarpenter, I will give it a try.


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## mschmidt

Well, I tried Belleville last night from 7:00 to 8:30 and only had a few bites while landing one dink smallmouth. I was also fishing night crawlers on the bottom and not a bite. I thought thier where catfish in there? I was fishing under the Belleville rd. bridge. I got fed up and went over to Ford Lake by my place and fished for almost an hour. I managed to land 2 nice smallmouth, with one being about 16". I added a picture of them both above. Next time I go fishing I'm going to take the girlfriend and she likes to fish for Catfish... Any ideas on where a good spot is offshore?


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## YPSIFLY

Best time for cats in that area is around 3am. Try near Sandy's Marina.


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## schwanboss

I just joined the site and just wanted to say HI......anyone ever fish Hughens creek (pond) on Beamis rd ???


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## AntiHuntersLoveMe

schwanboss said:


> I just joined the site and just wanted to say HI......anyone ever fish Hughens creek (pond) on Beamis rd ???


Welcome to the site! Are you talking about the pond at Bemis and Bunton?


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## sapples

schwanboss said:


> I just joined the site and just wanted to say HI......anyone ever fish Hughens creek (pond) on Beamis rd ???


Hewens creek is a township park with a lot of mountain bikes trails through it as well. I used to work for the township before I moved to China and would fish there during lunch when I was in the area. There are lots of very small gills there, and a few bass as well. Some of the old timers used to tell me that there was some monster largemouth in there, but it has been fished out like a lot of the other ponds in the area. I have still caught a few decent ones there 2-3 lbs. Try a small spinner or senkos. 

The pond is a little bit of a walk from the parking lot, and the only accessible fishing area is on an earthen dam. I feel like there would be much better spots to fish besides the dam, but you are not allowed to launch watercraft on the pond, and if you walk the shore, most places are so thick and muddy they are nearly unfishable.

You can also catch some crayfish to use as bait in the small stream below the dam.

There are better fishing options in the area though.


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## ArtemisTheGatekeeper

Just caught my first walleye today up river a bit from frog island park. Also caught the usual sunfish/bluegills.

Boy, was that walleye TASTY! So tender. I might try my luck a little more trying to get them. Was worth it.


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## engineer20

I've been wondering the same. What are some good huron river spots near ann arbor. Is olson park worth fishing or this park near the intersection of 94 and 23 any good as I reas about these spots in this aa news article.


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## LowerPeninsulaSportsmen23

Saw the post about the Bemis and button pond, anybody try the one on textile/Tuttle hill. It's back in the subdivision off Tuttle hill or the condos off textile. Tried it a few times not much luck


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## LowerPeninsulaSportsmen23

Hewens is Bemis and hitchingham, I didn't see a name for the Bemis&button pond


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## engineer20

how's fishing in lillie park? i was there last thursday and saw it was frozen over but it's a long walk and I heard about it from this article
and they also mentioned this park on nixon near pontiac trail in northeast ann arbor, in a semi-rural but developing part of ann arbor
there's like 2 ponds in lillie, the north entrance has the main one with fishing decks and it's across the street from this recycling center off ellsworth and platt just south of ann arbor but in the ann arbor area.


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