Lake Michigan Fishing - Lake Michigan Fishing Charters

Lake Michigan Fishing

Lake Michigan, the second largest Great Lake by volume with just under 1,180 cubic miles of water, is the only Great Lake entirely within the United States. Approximately 118 miles wide and 307 miles long, Lake Michigan has more than 1,600 miles of shoreline. Averaging 279 feet in depth, the lake reaches 925 feet at its deepest point. The northern tier of Lake Michigan is in the colder, less developed upper Great Lakes region, while its more temperate southern basin contains the Milwaukee and Chicago metropolitan
areas. Lake Michigan is the 5th largest lake in the world.

Almost 100 species of fish have been recorded in Lake Michigan, besides its world-class trout and salmon fisheries, the lake also supports substantial commercial whitefish, walleye, large and smallmouth bass, steelhead and yellow perch fisheries. Lake Michigan Fishing Charters are your best and safest bet to enjoy an incredible Lake Michigan Fishing experience.

Lake Michigan Fishing Report

Green Bay - The walleye bite has been excellent in lower Green Bay.

Kenosha - Kenosha trollers have been catching chinooks and lake trout, but fishing has been inconsistent. Most fish have been caught from more than 100 feet of water, but some chinooks have also been caught off the mouth of the Pike River.

Kewaunee - Chinook salmon were in near the Kewaunee pier this past week and some shore anglers had luck getting them to bite. As for trolling on Lake Michigan, anglers fishing for salmon found success in 80-100 feet, and possibly later in the day to depths of 200 ft. Fish have been mostly near the bottom. A smaller number of steelhead were also found in the same range as the salmon.

Milwaukee - Milwaukee trollers have been catching chinooks and coho in 40 to 100 feet of water. Flasher and fly combinations and glow spoons have been most productive in the early morning hours.

Racine County - Racine trollers have been catching chinooks and lake trout in 100 to 200 feet of water, and mature chinooks have been taken inshore near the mouth of the Root River.

Sheboygan - Trollers have been catching fair numbers of browns, coho, and chinooks. Fish have been taken both near the Sheboygan harbor as well as 40 to 80 feet down in 70 to 130 feet of water.

Ozaukee - Trollers in Port Washington have had the most success fishing 45 to 80 feet down in 100 to 150 feet of water. Chinooks and coho have been taken on J-plugs and flasher and fly combinations.

Lake Michigan Chinook Salmon Fishing Tips

Chinook salmon in the twelve to seventeen pound class are a regular part of most trips. The big hogs over twenty five pounds are not as common as they used to be. It requires a special attitude on your part to target a wall hanger.

Big Chinook Salmon are a cold water species so look for them in temperatures below 45 degrees. The exception is when they come into spawn. At this point in their life temperature is not important. Keep your baits in 45-degree temperature and you will increase your odds on big fish.

Several methods are used for salmon trolling. Downriggers are a popular method to run tackle with many variations possible. In sunny conditions increase your downrigger leads to 100 feet or more. By running long leads you work water undisturbed by noise and turbulence of the boat.

Leadcore is another good choice. A weighted line with a fluorocarbon leader is attached to a planer board. The planer board is run well off to the side of the boat out of the travel path. Leadcore is graduated to allow five feet of depth for every color. Five colors will run lures approximately 25 feet down 10 colors fifty feet and so on. This allows you to fish any depth you want and is a killer for huge kings.

Chinook live four and a half years and it makes sense that they will be the biggest at the end of their life cycle. These monsters will be the most aggressive and easiest to get in the months of July thru September. I have produced Kings over twenty pounds in April, although this is the exception to the rule.

Lake Michigan Fishing Species

Lake Michigan Chinook Salmon
Lake Michigan Chinook Salmon Fishing