Salmon Fishing Lake Michigan: FULL ARTICLE

Lake Michigan is one of the best Great Lakes for Salmon fishing. It has large numbers of king salmon, plenty of coho salmon, some Atlantic salmon, and even pink salmon.

There are no anglers better at catching salmon on Lake Michigan than the local salmon charters and local shore anglers. I use the same methods, baits, lures, and my understanding of the feeding patterns of the salmon to catch a lot of salmon.

Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing

But there are multiple species, so timing and locations depend on the species.

What Species Of Salmon Are In Lake Michigan?

Their ideal water temperature ranges from 40°F-65°F, with 50°F the optimal temperature. Their depth ranges from the surface to about 200 feet deep.

In early May and into late July, the kings are usually deep.

Starting in late August, the kings begin to stage around river mouths and shorelines getting ready to head upstream to spawn. Fish them in shallower water or near shore from August to September and in April.

They begin their spawning runs in late summer, with peak runs in late September and October.

Species	LOWER	OPTIMAL	UPPER
Chinook Salmon	42	50	60
Coho Salmon	44	54	60
Kokanee	45	55	60
Atlantic Salmon	43	54	61
Pink Salmon	42	50	58

The best water temperatures for silvers are in the 40°F-65°F range. The best fishing for silvers is in early spring near shore and river mouths, late summer as they start to stage near river mouths for spawning, and summer out in the mid-lake. Trolling is one of the best ways to target silver salmon in offshore waters in the spring and late summer.

You can also fish from shore with flies, bait, or lures.

The best location for silver salmon fishing is the Anna River, which drains into Lake Superior, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Pink Salmon – are not stocked in the lakes though they are present in small numbers. Pink salmon have grown in population.

The best time to target them is in the early fall months. Their ideal water temperature ranges from 40°F-65°F. The northern section of the lake is where you may find pinks.

These are the smallest of the Pacific Salmon averaging 4 to 5 pounds, and most are caught as they leave the lakes and head upriver.

How To Fish Lake Michigan Salmon

Hot Spots To Fish Lake Michigan Salmon

When Is the Best Time For Salmon Fishing On Lake Michigan

Salmon Fishing Times in Michigan

Salmon Species	Near Shore	Deep Water	Near Shore And Deep Water	In River
Chinook Salmon	Late August to October	November to March, May to August	Late March to April	September to October
Coho Salmon	September to October	November to March, May to August	March to May	September to November
Atlantic Salmon	July to October	December to May	May to August	July to November
Pink Salmon	September	November to August	–	September to November

Some salmon will still be in the rivers in November and mixed in with steelhead and big migratory browns. Click the link to learn more.

Boat Fishing Lake Michigan

Anglers will use Downriggers, Dispy divers, and lead core lines to get deep. Wire lines and flat line methods are also used.

Planner boards are utilized to spread out multiple lines.

See my article Trolling For Salmon for details on these methods.

Best Lures For Lake Michigan’s Salmon

• Cut-baits – Cutbaits like herring strips are one of the top trolling setups used by the charter boats.
• Spoons – Shiny spoons cast off the shore can be good but trolling anglers will use flutter spoons and at times these are hard to beat.
• Crankbaits – multi-joint Rapela in bright colors for coho and minnow mimics for chinook.
• Spinners – Near-shore fishing bright greens and silver for coho and silvers, blue and mixed colors for chinook.
• Plugs – Yellows, oranges, and mixed warm tones are a good bet.

DIY Trip To Catch Salmon On Lake Michigan

The Size Of The Boat Required?

Gear Needed To Fish Salmon From A Boat

Sonar Units

You will need a sonar unit, also known as a fish finder or depth finder. You can go inexpensive at around $200 for a Humminbird Helix 5 Sonar G2 Fish Finder or get into advanced ones for over $1000. For safety and to catch more fish, I prefer a sonar and GPS unit like the Lowrance HDS LIVE 12 Fish Finder.

Salmon Rods

Fishing rods and reels should be suitable for the methods and for the size and strength of the salmon. Rods are a must-have item. Other guides and I prefer longer rods in the eight to 9’6″ range.

You could fish with a regular spinning rod and reel setup. However, you will likely risk losing more than you catch.

Instead, go with a decent trolling rod that is within your budget, We did the research for you and recommend that you consider these three rods:

1. FishUSA Flagship Trolling Rod $79 – $109
2. Shimano Talora A Trolling Rod $139 -$179
3. Okuma Great Lakes Trolling Combo – $89 – $104

Trolling Reels

Normally, trolling reels with line counters are best; however, it is not required.

• Shimano Tekota A Levelwind Line Counter Reel
• Okuma Magda Pro DXT Line Counter Reel
• Okuma Magda Pro DXT Line Counter Prespooled Lead Core Reel

Heavy lines of 25 to 30 pounds are what most guys are using.

• Stealthcore Lead Core
• Maxima Ultragreen 25 to 40 pounds.

Downriggers and Divers

One or both of these methods are often required to adjust the depth of your lure or bait.

When the salmon are in shallower, lead-core lines, deep diving lures, and Dipsy divers are all you need.

If you are in the market for a downrigger, consider these:

• Scotty 1050 Depthmaster Manual Downrigger – Around $200.00
• Cannon Uni-Troll 10 Manual Downrigger – $340.00
• Scotty 2116 High-Performance ProPack Electric Downrigger – Around $830.00
• Cannon Optimum 10 BT Electric Downrigger – $1650.00

Planer Boards

Planer boards are a great way to spread out your lines. Check out FishUSA Premium Self-Righting Mini Planer Boards.

Flashers

Guys also use flashers to attract the salmon. Check out Dreamer and Michigan Stinger 360 Flashers

Salmon Nets

A large landing net with a long handle is best. I use my Frabil musky net for landing salmon.

Salmon Trolling Lures

It is a good idea to have a variety of lures available so that you can adjust to the fishing situation – deep water, near-shore, trolling, floating, etc.

Most guys troll with trolling spoons cut bait rigs, or trolling flies.

• Michigan Stinger Magnum Spoon
• Dreamweaver DW Spoon
• A-TOM-MIK Live Tournament Series Trolling Fly
• GRC Trolling Flies Tournament Series Fly
• GRC Trolling Flies Tournament Series Meat Rigs
• Rapture Trolling Flies Coho Trolling Fly

Snubbers

Trolling snubbers attach between your downrigger cable and your downrigger weight. A trolling snubber will absorb shock, provide electrical insulation, and help prevent snags.

Depth Temperature Gauge

Unfortunately, your fish finder only tells you the water temperature on the surface. That’s why an item like the Fish Hawk X2 Trolling System is a really good tool to help you catch a lot more salmon, especially when they are deep.

Waves and High Water Issues

The lake can be dangerous to boats during a wind event or storm. The wind can pick up quickly and cause 3-foot waves in a short time.

You can expect large waves and choppy water that will toss little boats around and potentially cause them to capsize. Pay attention to wind direction and wind speed. Pay close attention to the weather report and any reports issued by the harbors.

How To Find The Salmon, Locations, and Depths

The salmon are spread out in the area, so there is no need to be side by side, behind, or in front of a charter boat.

A fish finder or depth finder with temperatures is going to be handy. The fish swim in a range from 40-65°F, and that is where you will target chinook salmon and slightly higher for coho – depending on the time of year.

Shallow water fishing is much easier, but you are more prone to waves, so you will have to watch the fishing but also the water too.

Chinook ranges from shallow water to 200 feet deep, so downriggers are often required in the summer months.

Coho salmon are less light-sensitive than chinook and will swim in shallower water.

Watch The Charter Boats To Help Locate Salmon

To successfully catch salmon on Lake Michigan, you need to know where the salmon are and what depth they are swimming.

Each species of salmon will most likely be in a different position on the lake – North, East, South, and West.

Because the water temperature is not static throughout the lake, the fish will move based on temperatures and baitfish locations.

Salmon will also concentrate in different locations when it nears their time for their annual salmon run.

Charter boats are one of the best bets for finding salmon without doing all the hard work. They likely already know where the fish are and at what depth.

If you see the charter boats in close you know the salmon are there. But, if the charter boats are 20 miles out, the salmon are out there.

What Methods Are Best For DIY

Charter Boat Salmon Fishing

A big plus of charter boat fishing trips is that they supply the gear. All you need to do is show up with your license.

They are going to help you rig and manage the fishing gear, provide the bait, etc.

A charter boat might seem expensive, but in the wider view of what you are doing, they save you a lot of time and often put you right where the fish are.

• Fire Plug Charters is our preferred and recommended charter service, but book your charter early as they are award-winning, and get booked up fast.

Other Charter Services:

• Windy City Salmon Fishing Charters – Waukegan, IL – Chinook Salmon and trout fishing trips.
• Coldwater Charters – Joseph, MI -Salmon, Trout, and Perch
• Silver King Charter – Milwaukee, WI – Chinook, Coho, and Trout
• Action Charters – Muskegon, MI – Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout
• Deep V Sportfishing Charter – Holland, MI – Salmon, Lake Trout, Steelhead.

Fishing Lake Michigan Salmon From Shore: Baits and Methods

That may include the entire bay or shallow waters. Look for holes near the shore where the fish will rest.

The best methods will vary depending on what the fish are doing.

Plunking: Plunking is a still fishing method used on the West Coast and on the Great Lakes. It can be used in the rivers or in the lake. Live bait like a minnow and organic baits like spawn bags and skein are go-to baits. See Plunking Method For Salmon.

Float Fishing: Float Fishing is also good when you want to keep the bait or lure off the bottom. In deeper water use a slip float and just enough weight to get the bait close to the bottom. Normally you want to be 3 to 10 feet off the bottom. Baits like spawn bags, minnows, beads, flies, and skein are go-to baits. See Float Fishing For Salmon.

Drift Fishing: Drifting Fishing is good at the river mouths, especially ones with significant current is a good option when you want to move your bait through the current and cover a lot of water. Salmon are aggressive feeders and drifting your bait along a current is a good way to antagonize them to strike. Live baits like roe bags, minnows, beads, flies, and skein are go-to baits. See: Drift Fishing For Salmon and Steelhead

Fly Fishing: Fly fishing is good also in these current areas. Wet flies, spey flies, and streamer flies are options and a way to target fish throughout the water column. Egg pattern flies and leeches are good for flies as are bright and flashy streamers. See Fly Fishing For Salmon.

Salmon will rise out of a hole to strike a fly or bait near the surface especially early and late in the day. It’s not uncommon to see big kings rolling on the surface at dusk.

Lure Fishing – Leave the light tackle at home and break out the heavier and longer rods. A long casting rod will improve distance and be able to handle these massive salmon. spend time fishing spoons, spinners, and plugs. Aim for brighter colors and silver tones. See Lure Fishing For Salmon

Guide Tip: In some areas, multiple lines are permitted but check the fishing regulations for each state first.

Is There A Salmon Fishing Season?

You can catch salmon legally all year long on Lake Michigan in the state of Michigan. The surrounding rivers may have an open and close date based on the river and fish.

Lake Michigan is part of the State of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Depending on where you fish, there may or may not be an official salmon season. It is best to always check the regulations issued by the state in which you are fishing.

Licenses and/or Salmon Stamps?

Michigan does not require a salmon stamp, but the States of Wisconsin and Illinois have salmon stamps.

Every angler must possess a fishing licence from the state they’re fishing from. Check the fishing regulations to be sure you are following the correct rules for you.

Incidental Catches: Steelhead, Brown Trout, Lake Trout.

Trout and salmon are related and there is a natural cycle that revolves around the salmon lifecycle. Trout will follow salmon to feed on roe and it’s not uncommon to find them close together in early September and early spring.

But in Lake Michigan, salmon and trout compete for resources, and in the summer months, the steelhead will often be higher in the water column than the salmon. If you want to catch a steelhead or two, run one line higher.

The southern section of the lake is home to pristine brown trout fisheries, making targeting big browns an option while salmon fishing.

Special thanks to Alex from FirePlug Charters and John from Get Bent Guide Service.

Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing Seasons

This is a breakdown of what you can expect in each season on Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing In Spring

Early spring is generally a slower time for salmon fishing in the lake. You can still be successful if you can locate the fish and their depth in the water. In some areas, the king salmon will be concentrated

May is generally the time the king salmon are in deep water on the lake. May and June are prime coho salmon months on the lake. While the Kings are deep, the cohos are shallow, and they begin to stage in last summer for their annual spawning.

For big kings, May and June are a perfect time for charter boats and deep water fishing – 100-200 feet of water. The season lasts through June.

For Coho fishing, head to the eastern side of the lake near the ports of St. Joseph and New Buffalo and other lake access to coho rivers. Near-shore trolling is a good tactic for coho.

Crankbaits and artificial minnows are good as are spoons with a target higher in the water. Shore fishing for Coho is good in May and June and early summer in bays and near the river entrances. in-shore charters are a good indication of cohos in the bays.

• Early summer Lake Michigan fishing is all about trolling in deep water for Chinook. Spoons are a good bet with a setup to get you into the 100-200 foot depths (downriggers and planer boards.) Towards July, the king salmon begin to segregate and move towards their spawning rivers. This can be an excellent opportunity to target salmon staging and feeding near the mouth or rivers and in the lake’s bays. In August, the coho salmon also begin to move into the bays and waters around their home rivers to prepare to spawn. July and August are two of the most active months to target salmon on Lake Michigan, and for coho salmon, that season can extend into September and October.
• Fall – Most of the action is in the rivers, but the lake is still well stocked with second and third-year fish. The fall spawning season for Coho begins around August, though it can also stretch later into the fall. That means surface fishing in the shallower parts of the lake is a good bet. Target areas near the coho rivers as these aggressive fish stage to head upstream to spawn. Fishing techniques include fly fishing, plunking, sight fishing, drifting, and floats. Trolling is also active for both coho and chinook salmon. By fall, the chinook salmon runs are in the river, and the yearly pressure for river fishing is high. That’s an excellent opportunity to target second-year and older fish in the lake. Charters are the best bet for fall fishing coho salmon, though you can fish from shore in the fall for coho.
• Winter – There are salmon in Lake Michigan all year long. The deal with targeting them in winter is to know the depth of water where they swim. That is a moving target, and the water temperature changes seasonally. In winter, the lake is all about ice fishing. You can catch anything in winter that you can in summer, even salmon. Where they are will change based on the water temperature.

Tight Lines

Graham