Winners of the 2020 Badwater Bass Tourney were Aric Fick, left, and Eric Zoromski of Lena, Wis. They earned a cash prize of $1,687.50, along with a Hummingbird Helix 5 fish finder for catching the largest fish.

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Badwater Bass Tourney returns to Vagabond Park in Spread Eagle, Wis., on Saturday, July 10, with a 50-boat maximum.

Registration information is available at https://www.exploreflorencecounty.com/events/.

The cost is $75 per boat with a minimum prize pot of $2,400. Either a Wisconsin or Michigan fishing license can be used for this tournament, which takes place on the Menominee River’s Twin Falls Flowage.

For more information, call the Wild Rivers Interpretive Center at 715-528-5377.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that the northern zone smallmouth bass season opens today. While the harvest season has been open in the southern zone, anglers in the northern zone have had a catch-and-release season only.

At Whisler Outdoors in Florence, Wis., Doug Whisler said bass have been hitting on top-water lures. “Fishing has been good all-around for all species,” he said.

Although there were no reports of trophy catches, “pretty much everything is biting,” Whisler added.

The Michigan DNR reported this Upper Peninsula activity:

Ontonagon: When anglers were able to get out of Ontonagon, they found lake trout with a few coho and browns mixed in. Water temperatures varied greatly, which spread fish out. Fish were found out to 100 feet of water, but it was difficult to put a pattern together. Spoons were used most often.

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers who were able to get out between storms were able to catch lake trout while trolling in waters below 40 feet. Those targeting salmon in Keweenaw Bay and in Huron Bay did not have the best luck. Activity on the Falls River picked up with more expected in the coming weeks. Anglers in both Keweenaw and Huron Bay found most of their luck in deeper water although depths did vary.

Au Train: Anglers are still bringing in a few nice lake trout. Catches have been mixed between boaters. Jigging still is paying off. However, the fish are in deep water.

Marquette: Some catches of lake trout have been coming in the past few days. Anglers have had to work for the fish they caught.

Munising: A few splake have been caught off the Anna River dock. Most boat traffic is now pleasure boat traffic.

Grand Marais: Surface water temperatures near shore are in low 60’s and offshore upper 50’s to near 60. The whitefish catches have been very low but a few limits came in with the northwest winds that switched.

Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers have been struggling, reporting poor catch rates with lots of undersized fish. Most are going out of Kipling and the mouth of the Whitefish, with the majority trolling with crawler harnesses. Perch anglers are having some success around Gladstone Beach, as well as out of Kipling when using crawlers. Smallmouth fishing has been good throughout most of the bay. Anglers reported good action in the Ford River and around the mouth. People fishing from shore along the Ford are catching smallmouth. Shore anglers in Gladstone have been catching perch, rock bass and pike.

Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth bass fishing has been good. Anglers are catching fish in the shallows along the shore and reed lines. However, a few are finding fish out deeper around vegetation or drop offs when casting soft plastics or reaction baits. Walleye anglers have been trolling around the mouth of the Ogontz and out of Fishdam. Small numbers of large pike catches have been reported.