TOPIC:

I'll be trailering my Wellcraft this summer and storing at a surface lot. After the South Shore bite slows, I am debating moving up the east or west side of the lake. I have read about the west bite on Chitown Angler and it seems the WI-Ill state line area is the minimum distance for consistent silver fishing. What's the bite like to the east? Is New Buffalo productive in July-August, or further north?

Grateful for any insights. Thanks!!

Dearing the summer I tow my boat to Wisconsin water. But that really varies on the weather. I fished alot of times out of baileys harbor and caught nothing. Then hit north point the next day on my way home and do great. Then again. I have dropped in on the south end mid summer and do better then fishing ports I have zero clue about.

My suggestion is if your trailering your boat. Pick 3 launches and stick with them until u learn the water at thoughs locations. U will figure out when it's worth fishing different areas thsy way

I switch over to panfish after they leave 50’ fow n then come back for the fall run lol

It’s just about playing the conditions and keeping your ear to the ground. You can follow the coho up through Kenosha most years or follow the kings up the MI side. If things shape up right you can have good fishing for steelhead down here all summer. Waukegan and Northpoint seem to really hold the coho, but coming from down here that drive us BRUTAL and EXPENSIVE trailering a boat on the toll roads. My pattern is get out early and have fun with the coho casting. Start trolling when the water hits mid 40’s. Fill the freezer with your coho. Then head East and chase kings til they move north. Fish smallmouth into June. Then start looking for perch or skams til late August. Ditch the boat for a month or two and put all your effort into being on the right pier to catch a few kings casting. In October switch to the river and really concentrate on steelhead. In November start fishing perch again. If your desperate jig lakers. Perch and steelhead can keep you busy until the coho show up again.

I fish out of New Buffalo mostly and St. Joe a little and the last couple years any silver fish are pretty hard to come by from about the middle of July on for me. You can go out and catch all the lake trout you want though if you are into that.

Thanks to everyone for their input! I am in Munster and it sounds like a couple hours to summer salmon, whether I go east or west. I'll likely head toward Kenosha, as the family wants to hit Sturgeon Bay for a couple long weekends. I hear there is a surface lot near the state line for boat storage.

Again, many thanks!

Grady 1007

My boat is in st joe. Each year is a little different but a general summary is as follows:

April-early may = coho from beach to 250 fow (yes they are way off shore in big numbers then) most people wont do it and instead scrape by in close but its real good offshore for them.

Early may till mid june is all about the kings. The past 2 years have been epic king fishing during this time around 80 fow. That is nearshore in st joe.

Mid june till mid july skamania steelhead come in pretty thick. They are planted heavily in the river so that is usually a good time plus circus out front. You can also get lakers and some silver offshore.

Mid july till mid sept is usually hit or miss. Ive had years were ive intercepted incoming kings and cohos in august then other years where its been lakers and some steel.

Mid sept till end of oct is all about the 2yr old kings and fall steelies coming in. Fishing can be pretty good at that time if the weather allows you to get out.

I've fished all these areas and each has good points and bad and it all doesn't have to do with the number of fish in the box. Northpoint/Kenosha is great fishing and it's hard to beat Northpoint Marina. Sturgeon Bay is a great area but it takes over an hour in good weather to get from the dock to the fish. Washington Island has so-so fishin most years but is super fun, adventurous. I love Ludington and am going back for a week this year, even if the fishing is only a shadow of days gone by. One thing you'll find is the farther north you go, the more dicks you will run into.

Ask a stranger here at the south end what and where and you'll probably get the straight scoop and they might just loan you their hot lure. Ask a stranger in Kewaunee or Manistee and you will be lucky if all you get is flipped off.

By and large, better fishing conditions will prevail on the Wisconsin side, especially for trailerable boats.

All the input is awesome. I'm just like Grady1007, a salmon newb . I just started last year with the spring coho run, I'm out of Highland so its only 12 minutes to Pastrick. My question is, after the coho at Pastrick I plan to launch out of Portage for awhile , try to catch a king which would be a first for me,but say after the end of May could i still catch anything around Cal park, Pastrick or Portage? I don't mind catching Lakers just never have as this is all new to me. I don't want to leave that area if I could still catch something. Kicking myself for not getting on the big pond sooner absolutely loved the coho fishing out of Pastrick this last year.

You could still go out to the "gong" area and beyond for lakers all yr. The gong area is about 50 -55 fow or so. Lakers will be there and as the water warms out follow the fish farther offshore. They are a cold water fish, temps in low 60s will push fish down and out. Later on in the year it is all about the temp at depth not the surface temp. That is why so many people run temp probes or use weather bouy temp chain charts to figure out where the right conditions will be in the water column.

Also I'll add if your taking the family, the michigan ports have amazing beaches, and family friendly centric downtowns. That is a big plus too.