Lake
Michigan Fishing
Information by Port
Sheboygan
- Sheboygan offers a great fishing from early ice out right on through
October. Early most anglers will head out after Brown Trout. There are
two popular spots for early season brown trout the power plant and the
stretch from the Pigeon River to the Whistling Straits golf course. The
power plant offers a warm water discharge that can congregate early season
brown trout and lake trout. Since the entrance of the round goby into
Lake Michigan the stretch from the Pigeon River to the golf course has
been the more popular spot. This stretch has lots of rock structure and
lots of round gobies for the brown trout to feed on. After the alewives
flood the shoreline for their spawning process this fishing will die and
most anglers will head out after suspended Lake Trout and Rainbow Trout
high in the water column. Depending on the weather the King Salmon can
already be found in mid to late May. In June Sheboygan offers one of the
best Rainbow Trout fisheries on all of Lake Michigan. Anglers will head
out to 150-300 feet of water to target these fish. In June anglers can
catch King Salmon in with the Rainbow Trout high in the water column.
Targeting these Kings deep in the water column is the most consistent
pattern for Kings this time of year. Once the water warms up in July and
August King Salmon will become the targeted species. They can be found
anywhere from 10 feet of water to 200 feet of water depending on the water
temp and wind. In fall many anglers will travel to Sheboygan for the Salmon
run. You can catch Kings from the piers, in the rivers and in the boat
outside and inside the harbor mouth. This is a great time of year for
all anglers to enjoy Sheboygan.
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Milwaukee
- December through April
Brown
and Lake Trout will make up the bulk of the catch through the winter and
early spring. Focus your efforts on warm water discharges found at MMSD
in Milwaukee harbor and the Oak Creek Power Plant. Fish can also be found
throughout Milwaukee's expansive harbor, deep harbor gaps and near shore
structures both north and south of town. As near shore waters warm in
spring, focus more of your efforts on the near shore structures out to
80' of water.
May
May
is a month of transition. As waters continue to warm, near-shore fish
continue to scatter. Browns, coho's and kings can be taken near-shore
by keying on the shallow structure and the harbor as alewives move in
to begin spawning. A mix bag of kings, lake trout, coho's and steelhead
can be found offshore throughout May as surface temperatures begin to
warm.
June
Near-shore
structures holding spawning alewives is the key to success in June. Waters
typically remain cool at the beginning of June allowing for good mixed
bag action near shore. By mid-June, the lakes thermocline begins to set-up;
key in on 40' to 70' of water during this period. By the end of June,
Kings will make up the bulk of you catch.
July
and August
As
the water continues warm throughout the summer, salmon and trout location
is dependant on wind patterns. Locating either bait or cool water is the
key to success. During west wind period, look for king to be in the deep
harbor gaps and on the same near-shore structures as you found them in
June. Otherwise, search off-shore from 80' to 150' water depending on
water temperatures. Lake trout and steelhead can also be found suspended
off-shore in 200' + of water. By mid-August, water temperatures become
less critical for mature salmon and trout as they begin to spawn. Start
looking for them on structure and bait adjacent to harbor and rivers they
will enter to spawn. West wind periods can draw this fish in to river
mouths and harbors if near-shore waters cool below 65 degrees.
September
and October
Mature
salmon and trout will be found in harbor and river mouths throughout the
fall. Focus your efforts at the mouth of the Milwaukee River and Oak Creek
or around the North Gap and McKinley Marina. Immature salmon and trout
action continues off-shore throughout these months. Kings, Coho's and
Lake Trout will make up the bulk of your catch. Focus on finding cool
water, 50 to 55 degrees, for these fish. As water cools, focus on the
same near-shore structures as you fished in the spring. Browns will become
more abundant as October progress and water cools.
November
Some
of the fastest action of the year can be found near-shore, inside of 100'
of water, as salmon and trout put on the feedbag before winter. Kings,
brown and lake trout will make up your bag. As the month progresses, browns
will migrate towards their wintering grounds in the various harbors and
warm water discharges, lake trout continue to spawn on near-shore structures
and kings move off-shore to winter.
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Manistee
- Manistee is truly one of the great destinations of Lake Michigan and
fishing season begins early APRIL THROUGH EARLY MAY. Brown Trout are the
main species targeted this time of year. The state record came from the
Manistee area and there is the possibility of a fish over 30# taken every
year although most of these scrappy Browns range from 2#-8#. From this
point we move into LATE MAY THROUGH MID JUNE and this is the time when
you don't know what may tug on your line while the Brown Trout may be
slowing down the Steelhead are just starting and Lake Trout season opens.
Also during this time King Salmon will start showing up in very good numbers
and pound for pound will be the hardest fighting they will be all year.
The Memorial day weekend has traditionally been a good producer for large
numbers of fish. From this point in the season we move to MID JUNE THROUGH
MID JULY and chasing trophy Steelhead in Manistee with offshore action
for skyrocketing silver bullets that is unsurpassed. Lake Trout and Kings
can also be picked up as temperature breaks set up from 5 to 25 miles
offshore. When there is a hard temperature break the action can be non-stop,
but putting these acrobats in the boat can be quite a challenge even for
the seasoned angler. After the Steelhead peak we move to MID JULY THROUGH
MID SEPTEMBER the time of year that Manistee is famous for with more master
angler Chinook (King) Salmon taken than any other port in Michigan. These
monsters can reach over #30 with the average adult ranging from 13#-17#.
These fish fight very hard and generally pull out a bunch of line before
you can get them turned around and headed for the net. After tangling
with one of these brutes you may want to rest for a while before tackling
another. After mid August you can also run into schools of Coho Salmon
which put up a great fight despite their smaller size. Good fishing will
continue after the adult King Salmon have headed up the river with MID
AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER offering a mixed bag once again of juvenile Kings
along with Steelhead and Lake Trout with a few Coho still to be found.
Manistee is truly a multi season destination for all of your Great Lakes
fishing.
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Sturgeon
Bay - Lake Michigan fishing out of Sturgeon Bay in Door County Wisconsin
begins in early April as the Brown Trout feed on baitfish in the shallows
outside the pier heads, around the docks in the marinas and canal and
on the ledges and shelves in the Bay of Green Bay. Stony Point south of
Sturgeon Bay and Rowley's Bay north of Sturgeon Bay are hot locations
for early spring Brown Trout. Stony Point features a small inlet to Lake
Michigan that creates a warm water discharge that hold baitfish for spring
browns. Rowley's Bay features large boulders that provide cover for Browns
and helps water warm faster in the. Egg Harbor and Sister Bay are both
on the Green Bay side of Door County and are hot spots for early season
browns as well. The bays offer shallow water which warm faster and hold
baitfish for brown trout.
Brown
Trout fishing remains strong throughout April and May in Door County.
The hottest fishing of the year comes in June, July, August and September
when the Salmon Bonanza begins. Sturgeon Bay is home to one of the most
unique structures on Lake Michigan called the "Bank Reef." The "Bank"
is a piece of structure which is four to five miles offshore and several
miles long where the bottom drops dramatically in a short distance. Some
of the steepest spots on the bank see the depth drop from 80 to 120 feet
in a matter of seconds. This long, steep drop-off is a King Salmon magnet.
Currents from around the lake deflect off of the bank reef and create
upwelling of nutrients that attract baitfish which attract King Salmon.
Fishing on the structure can offer limit catches anytime from June through
September. Flasher and fly setups dominate the spreads of the local boats
in the areas. Green and white Pro-Troll flashers trailed by green and
white flies dominate the catches.
Rainbow
Trout are also abundant in Sturgeon Bay throughout the summer and the
fall. June through October offers great Steelhead fishing further offshore
than the bank reef. As boats move further offshore beyond five miles,
the bottom continues to get deep fast. Three hundred and even four hundred
feet of water are close enough to shore and offer phenomenal steelhead
fishing in the top 50 feet of water. Slight changes in water temperature
and debris fields on top of the water signal good places to search for
steelhead offshore. Orange and red spoons such as the Stinger Steelie
Stomper and Jawbreaker are key baits for fishing steelhead in these locations.
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Manitowoc/Kewaunee - Land mark reference points:
The
Domes: Immediately south of the pier heads.
The
High School: Tower just south of the domes.
Red
Arrow Park: Immediately south of the High School.
The
College: Immediately south of the park and north of Silver Creek Point.
The
Hospital: Half way between Manitowoc and Two Rivers.
Little Manitowoc: Just north of the rock containment.
Silver
Creek Point: The point south of the college before the Cut
in the Clay Banks.
Cut
in the Clay Banks: On the north end of the Clay Banks with a definitive
green "V" in the clay banks.
Dome
House: A house near the middle of the clay banks. Easily seen from
the water and a popular land mark.
The
Steeple: The Northeim Church Steeple that can be seen sticking above
the trees.
Square
Woods: South of the steeple and an obvious large square shaped group
of trees. This woods has the appearance of being higher than the land
on either side.
Cleveland
Water Tower: Can be seen when off of the square woods. It is the water
tower in the town of Cleveland.
Mid
March through mid May: Browns, Lake trout and occasional Rainbow. Fishing
the pier heads, containment and harbor area working 25' of water and shallower.
Troll south to the dome house working 4' to 15' of water. Zero in on the
stretch from Silver Creek to the Calvin Creek. Calvin Creek is more commonly
known as the "Cut" in the Clay Banks. When on the water, the "Clay Banks"
is an obvious and a common fishing related land reference. Also during
this time, working north of the harbor in front of the Little Manitowoc
River along the lakes shore to the hospital is another good stretch to
fish. Often overlooked by many anglers as south of Manitowoc is more popular
and often holds fish more consistently. When working south of Manitowoc,
keep in mind of rock hazards that are often just below the surface of
the water. These WILL do damage to boats and motors. Keep and eye on the
lake surface for any indication of change in water movement that the rocks
make. Some of these rocks are located in waters as deep as 15'-20' of
water with most of the hazards inside 15' of water.
Mid
May to the end of May: Taking a southeasterly heading from the pier heads
out to 150' of water and setting in target the top 50' of the water column
working for rainbows and early season kings. Troll out to about 275' of
water and you will find pockets of rainbows usually working the surface.
Suspended early season kings will also be found in these waters at this
time as well.
Beginning
of June through beginning to mid July: Work again from Silver Creek Point
south. This time, work further south past the south end of the Clay Banks.
There is a land mark known as the "Square Woods" south of the south end
of the Clay Banks, or just south of the Northern Church Steeple. Zero
in on water depths from 35' to 120'. The catches will be made up of a
mix bag of primarily rainbows and kings with the occasional lake trout,
brown trout and coho thrown in. The weather conditions for the year will
dictate how long the mixed bags are caught. Rainbows are the first to
move out, but the kings will often stay close to this area for the duration
of the summer. The Dome House is also a land mark used by many. The lake
bottom make up starts to become rockier in this area and often is the
start of some great fishing. Keep track of land marks and mark them in
the GPS for easy navigation back to fish.
Mid
July to Late August: Continue to work that same area south of Manitowoc
as June through mid July, but stay in waters usually outside of 60' with
75' to 150' being prime waters. This will bring in primarily kings with
some mixed bags from other species. For those that are adventurous, head
straight out of the harbor to 150' and troll out from there working the
top 75' for some dynamite rainbow action and deep water kings. There will
be some commercial nets out deep that can be worked around and can produce
some fantastic fishing. Don't hesitate to work out to 300'+ of water either.
Large schools of rainbows can be found and water temps will dictate where
in the water column they are located. Starting in beginning to mid August
staging mature kings can be found by plying the waters from 60' to 120'.
When concentrations are located, action can be fast and furious for these
large fish.
Late
August through mid September: Working the harbor, pier heads containment
area and out to the red and green marker buoys will produce amazing action
of river running mature kings and brown trout. The occasional rainbow
will also be taken at this time as well. Reading the mud lines from the
river water will produce great numbers of kings. Continue to work various
depth of water until specific areas that are holding fish are found. Some
days the concentrations of active fish are in the harbor or right between
the pier heads. Other days the active fish will be outside the pier heads.
Take note of where the hits are coming and work those areas hard. For
those looking for rainbows and immature 2 and 3 year old kings, concentrate
on the 75' to 125' water depths. The occasional mature king will also
be taken out deep as well.
Mid
September through October: Working the 75' to 175' depths of water from
the hospital to the Square Woods will produce a mixed bag of immature
kings, rainbows and lake trout. When schools are found, the action can
be fast and furious. Often times, the rainbows will run on the larger
side. This time of the season usually finds few boats on the water, so
traffic is kept to a bare minimum. This lack of pressure keeps the fish
more concentrated and usually with longer active feeding windows.
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Grand
Haven/Muskegon - Starting in early May, anglers are concentrating
their fishing on Kings and Steelhead. With surface temperatures usually
45-48 degrees, the fish can be found in the top 20 feet of the water column,
between the shoreline and 150 feet of water. The
Grand Haven / Muskegon area has very little structure, so finding subtle
temperature breaks are the key.
As
June comes in, the water is now warming a bit to 46-52 degrees. At this
time, anglers are trying to find surface temperatures around 48 degrees
to capitalize on the very aggressive Skamania Steelhead that are staging
from the pier heads to 120 feet of water. Salmon through the month of
June are somewhat scattered from the shoreline out to 300 feet of water.
July
and August are two of the best months for catching large numbers of big
salmon. Fish are usually found a short distance from the pier heads in
120 - 250 feet of water. This time of year we are looking for where the
warm surface temperatures meet 42 - 48 degree water. This can sometimes
mean fishing near or on the bottom even in 250 feet of water.
September is an exciting month for most anglers as the salmon start to
make their annual run upstream to spawn. This allows anglers in the smallest
of boats to get out and catch some larger salmon, as we are concentrating
our efforts in and around the pier heads.
October
is my favorite month to fish with large numbers of Steelhead, 2 and3 year
old salmon taken in and around large scum lines that set up in 80-120
feet of water. These scum lines are usually very distinct with large pieces
of debris and often, gulls are found working the water surface. Bright
spoons on planer boards running high in the water column will be the most
productive.
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Racine
- Lake Michigan, Wisconsin: The Port of Racine is blessed with a plethora
of diverse structure affording the weekend angler the best opportunities
to get on fish without having to depend on up to date fishing information.
Fish can be found on the structure depending on the seasonal timing outlined
below. While wind and water currents can move concentrations of fish off
the Port of Racine, these variables are not as drastic as in other ports
around the lake.
Most
of Racine's structure consists of a clay bottom so anglers do not need
to be concerned about loosing gear by bouncing rigger or pound balls occasionally
off the bottom. However, as with the rest of the lake the bottom is covered
with zebra mussels so dragging or consistent bottom-bouncing as done in
the past has become difficult as mussels will foul up baits.
Winter
(January-March) ice fishing takes place in the Racine Harbor and lower
stretches of the Root River. Anglers catch northern pike, rainbow trout
(steelhead) and brown trout through the ice. Live bait is the best approach
with golden shiners on tip ups and spawn sacs on jigging rods.
Come
spring ice-out (March-April) steelhead and brown trout are caught in the
Root River and at the mouth of the Root River/Racine Harbor. Anglers can
concentrate on brown trout by locating warm water discharges south of
Racine off the case plant and north of Racine off the Power Plant. As
the water temperatures warm, brown trout will gradually move off the discharges
and spread out along the shoreline in waters less than 40 feet. Body baits
and small stinger spoons are favorite baits for catching these fish.
As
May arrives cohos begin moving northward from the southern basin of Lake
Michigan. Following internet report boards to track their migration can
help predict their arrival. Since the fish are moving up from the south,
early coho action has sport trolling fisherman powering south from Racine
Harbor. In May there are usually a near shore and offshore group of cohos.
Anglers should try a mixed brown trout/coho salmon spread in early May
in waters 25-40 feet of water and by mid to late May one can expect to
find a Chinook/coho bite off the third hill in 90-140 feet of water. Typical
coho set-ups are orange B&B flashers or 00 dodgers with Rapture coho flies.
Kings come off deep riggers with regular sized stinger spoons.
June
through August presents a mixed bag of species off Racine's structure.
From south to north, halfway between Kenosha and Racine, Kenosha's "hill"
begins to turn into three hills which eventually dissipate into a large
flat and a single hill north of Wind Point. The hills are closer together
south of Racine and further apart to the north of the port. The "third
hill" is similar to Kenosha's "hill" as it drops quickly from 90-120 feet
of water. Straight east of Racine is the Racine reef or "stone", which
goes from zero to 50 feet of water very quickly. To the north are two
buoys east of wind point marking structure known as the "cans". This structure
goes from 25 to 60 feet of water. Browns, cohos and kings are found off
all these structures, with browns being found generally less than 60 feet
of water. Lake Trout predominantly are found off the third hill in 80-140
feet of water until later in the summer when they are found offshore in
200-350 feet of water. Rainbows are seldom a target off Racine as most
of the time they are further offshore than anglers need to travel to find
fish. Yet, when the steelhead move onto the Racine structure, fantastic
fishing is sure to follow. In June anglers often do best by mixing spoons
and flasher/fly combinations into the spread. By July and August most
of the action is on protroll flashers tipped with Rapture trolling flies
with Silver Horde plugs mixed in.
September
brings the fish near the harbor mouth as fish begin to stage for their
fall migration. Anglers have the most luck by trolling slow with a variety
of Silver Horde Plugs. By October mature fish have moved into the Root
River and quality fishing similar to the summer months can be found as
young salmon and browns are relating to the structure. November and December
can present quality near shore opportunities when the lake is nice or
when casting from shore or drift fishing the in the River. Browns and
steelhead move into the river systems and are located within the vicinity
until the following spring.
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The
Ludington/Pentwater area has an abundance of structure which provides
excellent opportunities from April through November. The season starts
out in April targeting Brown Trout in the nearshore waters. Body baits
fished behind planer boards are the most successful offering in the cold
water. As the water warms, lightweight spoons often have their times too.
Fishing between the sandbars in the troughs is where the main action is,
especially on overcast days or when there is a chop on the water. A sustained
south or west wind provides the best fishing conditions along the shoreline.
Areas with especially deep troughs or different bottom types hold fish.
Also, the many creek and river mouths from Little Point Sable to Big Point
Sable are great places to target. Popular areas are just north of the
Ludington pierheads near the Lincoln River north to the Sable River at
Big Point Sable and also near the Project to the south of the Ludington
Harbor.
Depending on the winds and water temps the first part of May can be a
continuation of the brown trout fishing opportunities from April along
with some bonus lake trout that can be caught in the same areas. It's
not unusual to start seeing the first king salmon of the season caught
at this time and by mid to late May it can be excellent fishing for spring
kings. Bands of fish often set up in 100-200 feet of water from the Project
south past Pentwater to the Juniper Beach area. Good action can also be
found along the banks at Big and Little Point Sable. Although kings may
be suspended throughout the water column there is often good action found
near the surface. Spoons behind short segments of leadcore are good producers.
June
is a transition time and can bring tough fishing as the water warms. Depending
on how the water sets up and how far you are willing the drive there can
still be great fishing found in the offshore areas. Finding temperature
breaks and scum lines is the ticket to a mixed bag of steelhead, lake
trout and kings. A sharp dropoff known as the Ledge is located 8-12 miles
offshore of both the Ludington and Pentwater harbors and often concentrates
fish. Fishing near the surface with leadcore and planer boards and covering
lots of water is the best bet.
July
is the start of the outstanding king fishing this area has to offer. The
steep dropping banks along both Big and Little Sable Points hold schools
of big kings through July and August and are the most popular areas to
target. Fish can be found up on the bank in 50-100 feet of water in the
early mornings and then in the 100-200 foot depths off the structure as
the day goes on. Flashers/flys and plugs take many big kings from these
areas. Currents can often be very strong along the two points which can
change water temps in a hurry depending on their direction. Other locations
that can hold fish are off the Project in 80-140 feet of water and south
of the Pentwater harbor to Juniper Beech in similar depths.
Depending
on the water temperatures staging kings can be caught in August and September
as they enter the harbors heading towards the rivers. The Ludington Harbor
mouth as well as Pere Marquette Lake can have fast action at times. Plugs
and flashers/flys are the best baits fished behind downriggers and divers.
Kings will often stage in 60-100 feet of water in front of the Project
just prior to hitting the pierheads.
Some
mature kings can still be caught in September but a strong bite returns
in the offshore waters targeted earlier in the year. Spoons are very effective
at this time for immature kings and often large numbers of steelhead.
Similar results can also be had in October and November depending on weather
conditions.
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