Sall-Mar Resort
and
Bay De Noc Charters
7989 US Highway 2
Rapid River, MI 49878
906-474-9334
Welcome to Sall-Mar Resort and Bay de Noc Charters
Our neck of the woods offers some of the most diverse fishing you will find in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Both Little Bay de Noc and Big Bay de Noc have good populations of yellow perch, walleye, northen pike, small-mouth bass, whitefish, and burbot plus salmon and steelhead trout.
The best salmon fishing takes place just off the scenic port of Fairport at the tip of the Garden Peninsula. From Fairport, it's a short 5 minute ride to "the bank" where most of the trolling for salmon takes place. The population of Fairport increases several times over when word gets out that salmon are being caught.
Most activity for Steelhead Trout takes place in the areas streams and rivers during their spawning runs. The Whitefish River hosts one of the areas largest runs of steelhead and is a good place to start.
Burbot are a species that is vastly overlooked due to their appearance. They very much resemble an eel and will wrap around your arm at times just like a snake! But this freshwater version of Cod is some of the best eating you will ever find and highly recommended by Captain Ken Lee of Bay de Noc Charters. Burbot prefer very cold water and spawn under the ice and most fishing for them takes place in winter.
Historically, both Big and Little Bay de Noc were famous for their spring perch runs, which occur shortly after ice-out. Perch numbers dwindled throughout the late 90's and early 2000's, but they are making a pretty good comeback. With cormorant control now taking place and Alewive numbers at all time lows, more juvenile perch are able to survive to adulthood. The last few years has seen the perch fishery rebound, and now there are many perch in the 8 to 12 inch range...just perfect for the deep fryer! It is not just a spring bite either, some of the best perch fishing the past few years has been in the fall from September through November.
May 15th has always marked the opening day of pike and walleye season in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but now many anglers look forward to this day for another reason. This day is also opening day of the U.P. catch and release bass season. Once thought of as a southern fish, the bass is moving up the ladder of sought after fish in the Bays de Noc area. The highly successful B.A.S.S. Federation Northern Divisional Tournament that was held here in 2010 has focused national attention on the incredible bass fishery we have. The fishery is comprised mostly of smallmouth bass, but there are a few largemouth's too...if one knows where to look. The early season fishery is mostly for pre-spawn fish and can be quite good as these fish first move to shallow gravelly areas or up rivers. Once spawning is complete (which can be as late as mid-June depending on weather) the fishing remains pretty consistent throughout the summer months. Every drop-off, rock pile, reef, or underwater point will hold bronzebacks. Once the waters cool in the fall, the fish school up at the base of sharp breaks and the fishing can be phenomenal for fish that some days can average 4 lbs., and that's a good avg. fish anywhere in smallie country.
May 15th has always marked the opening day of pike and walleye season in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but now many anglers look forward to this day for another reason. This day is also opening day of the U.P. catch and release bass season. Once thought of as a southern fish, the bass is moving up the ladder of sought after fish in the Bays de Noc area. The highly successful B.A.S.S. Federation Northern Divisional Tournament that was held here in 2010 has focused national attention on the incredible bass fishery we have. The fishery is comprised mostly of smallmouth bass, but there are a few largemouth's too...if one knows where to look. The early season fishery is mostly for pre-spawn fish and can be quite good as these fish first move to shallow gravelly areas or up rivers. Once spawning is complete (which can be as late as mid-June depending on weather) the fishing remains pretty consistent throughout the summer months. Every drop-off, rock pile, reef, or underwater point will hold bronzebacks. Once the waters cool in the fall, the fish school up at the base of sharp breaks and the fishing can be phenomenal for fish that some days can average 4 lbs., and that's a good avg. fish anywhere in smallie country.
The fish that made the Bays de Nocs famous. Once overharvested, almost to the brink of extinction, the Bay de Noc walleye population was brought back to record levels in the 1990's and early 2000's. Through intensive stocking efforts by the Michigan D.N.R., in cooperation with groups such as the Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen, and the hard work of individuals like retired D.N.R. fisheries biologist Jerry Peterson, the Bay de Noc walleye population continues to thrive. Mother Nature provided an excellent walleye hatch in 2007, and these fish are providing a fantastic fishery in Little Bay de Noc right now. This past winter also saw more "trophy" fish being caught throughout the bay. A local group called "walleye restoration" has also been planting both Big and Little Bay de Noc with advanced fingerling fish the past two years. With overwhelming support, the slot limit has also returned to Little Bay de Noc, allowing only one fish over 23 inches in an anglers 5 fish daily creel limit. Due to the much smaller population of Alewives in Lake Michigan the past few years, there is really no "tough bite" anymore like we used to see when the Alewives would come into the bay to spawn. The walleye fishing is good now from the May 15th opener and all summer long until it ices up in December. The future is bright for Bay de Noc walleyes!!!
Tackle-busting, toothy, slimy, ferocious, powerful; these are all words used to describe one of the most fun fish to catch in the Bays...the northern pike! Not many anglers actually target pike, and that's one reason there's a healthy population of pike in the bays. Every year there are many trophies over 40 inches caught throughout both bays. Casting spinner-baits over or near weeds is one of the best presentations, however, if one truly wants a giant of a toothy critter...then trolling in the open water near schools of baitfish like alewives and smelt is the place to go. One of the nice things about fishing the Bays is that there are so many ways to catch fish. If you just want to anchor and toss out bobbers and suckers...you can do that too. Summertime sees mostly smaller fish dominating the catch, but as the water cools in early fall, big fish return to the shallower weeds and drop-offs providing some great pike fishing.
