- 1). Get a fishing license. Every state bordering Lake Michigan sells fishing licenses. Pay attention to the area of water you wish to fish in, and what state "owns" it. Maps show the line of demarcation where state boundaries exist even on the water. Have the appropriate licensing. Most states offer online fishing license applications at their local DNR (Department of Natural Resources) websites. Along with your general license, you need a salmon stamp. Get it at the same time as your fishing license.
- 2). Know what type of salmon exists in Lake Michigan, and when and where you will find them. Along with natural reproduction, all of the states bordering the Great Lakes stock them with sports fish, including all species of salmon. Each of the four varieties of salmon exists in generous numbers, but they all have areas of heavier concentration based on their individual type.
Chinook, or King salmon, spawns in the rivers and streams of Lake Michigan in the fall. The best time to catch them from a boat in Lake Michigan itself is in the earlier part of the year in spring and summer.
Coho, also called Silver salmon, is an interesting fish in that it migrates in the Lake from north in the summer to south in the cooler winter months. On the big water of Lake Michigan, the best time for Coho trolling on a boat is late winter to early fall, February through October.
The delicious Pink salmon is more elusive in Lake Michigan. You may find them on rare occasions, but they are not stocked in Lake Michigan specifically. The Pinks that do arrive in Lake Michigan waters migrate there from the more northern Great Lakes and their tributaries and rivers.
Once stocked in Lake Michigan, the Atlantic salmon now exists only in natural reproduction in Lake Huron. Because Huron is at the same level, and directly connected, Atlantic salmon often migrates into Lake Michigan. - 3). Find the right water temperature for the season. In the cool late winter, early spring, and late fall months search for pockets of warm water where fish likely migrate. In the summer, you are looking for cooler water than the average lake temperatures. The average temperature for the best fishing is around 52 degrees. In the most extreme summer temperatures finding cold water requires a lot of patience, and sometimes very long lines because it is very far deep. A great fish-finder with a water temperature reading is a huge asset.
- 4). Choose your bait. For live bait, salmon love alewives. Bait fishing becomes a sport unto itself, or you can pick live bait up at a local bait shop. Spoons are the lure bait of choice on big water like Lake Michigan. Unlike most inland lakes, the Great Lakes behave more like inland oceans. The types of bait that work on Lake Michigan are the type more often used in ocean open waters than those used in small, calm lakes.
- 5). Charter a boat if you have no access to one. Chartering is a great way to get out on the Great Lakes if you are from out of town or don't own your own boat. Chartering is very helpful if you do not have a great deal of game fish experience, and even if you do, if you do not know the area well.
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