IRON MOUNTAIN — Walleye fishing is improving for river anglers, with catches in the range of 20 inches.

“They’re mainly using minnows and leeches in six to eight feet of water,” said Doug Whisler at Whisler Outdoors in Florence, Wis.

At Whispering Pines Outpost in Breitung Township, John Grier had a report of a 21-inch largemouth bass, along with good results on bluegills and crappies.

Northern pike action has been mixed, both Whisler and Grier said. “Big enough to be legal, nothing huge,” Grier noted, while Whisler suggested targeting weed edges with spinners and spoons.

Bass fishing remains strong, Whisler added, biting on “what you throw at them.”

Michigan hunters are reminded the deadline for antlerless deer permit applications is Aug. 15.

In Wisconsin, bonus harvest authorizations will be available for purchase starting Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. through the Go Wild website and license sales locations.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reported this Upper Peninsula activity:

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers did well bobbing and trolling for lake trout. A few Chinook and coho were caught trolling spoons and flies, but most fish were lake trout.

Marquette: Fishing picked up with some boats doing well bringing in four or more fish. Many were fishing for lake trout in anywhere from 140 to 200 feet of water with many fish taken from right off the bottom.

Little Bay De Noc: Walleye anglers reported fair catches from the Gladstone area north, but a lot of the fish were undersize. The better fishing was in the evening when trolling a crawler harness in 14 to 30 feet. Fish were found near the “Black Bottom” and the east bank when trolling stick baits in 22 to 35 feet. Fair to good smallmouth bass catches around the Garth Point when casting plastics around the rocks and weedy areas in three to six feet. Several large bass were caught near the mouth of the Escanaba River with spinners and plastics along the weeds. Northern pike were active, but many were undersize. Perch fishing slowed some however fish were caught near Kipling in five to 10 feet with crawlers.

Manistique: Although salmon catches were down bigger fish have been caught including many over 20 pounds. Most were 10 to 16 miles out past the buoy and just south of Point De Tour and fishing 60 to 80 feet down in 80 to 150 feet. Lake trout were caught just off the bottom in 110 to 130 feet.

Manistique River: Reported fair to good catches of walleye with the best area up by the “spill over” and where the fast water meets the slower water. Some were casting jigs with plastics or crawlers and some used a crawler harness. Shore anglers caught walleye and smallmouth bass up in the “Bass Hole” when casting or drifting crawlers in the current.

Munising: Some lake trout were caught out towards Wood Island Reef and the White Rocks area when fishing along the breaks in 120 to 150 feet. Shore anglers caught a few splake however most were undersize.

Grand Marais: Boat anglers did well for lake trout near Five Mile Reed and Au Sable Point.