Fall Fishing Tips to Catch Big Bluegill in Michigan

A lot of people overlook fishing for big bluegill in the fall. Here are a few tips for catching some big fish before the ice covers the water.

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Fall Bluegill in Michigan

Many fishermen put their gear away when the fall hits waiting for the ice to hit before they get back after those tasty Michigan bluegills.

As the water begins to cool in the fall the weeds start to die off which opens things up a bit for finding big bluegills and them being able to find your bait.

Where to Find Fall Bluegills in Michigan

Bluegill will move to deeper water in the fall but if you catch them on the right day they will return to their beds briefly before heading to deeper water.

The fall fishing is done in about 8 to 10 feet of water and you are gonna want to use live bait. I find using a slip bobber, a small sinker, and a small hook with a redworm works best. You can try using small minnows because big gills will hit those too and so will perch and crappie.

Do be afraid to fish in deeper water for fall bluegills. It helps to know the lake you are fishing on, have a fish finder or at least some sort of depth finder and you can usually find the gills suspended.

As the weather gets colder, I will switch from redworms to waxworms and fish deeper. The colder it gets the deeper the bluegills will go. Sometimes my son and I will fish with waxworms with no bobber over the side of the boat just off the bottom in 17 to 23 feet of water just like you would during ice fishing season and bang some big gills in the fall.

If you are willing to move around the lake you are on and the weather is right, you will find them and bluegills make the best fish fry's ever.