The Great Lakes Salmon and Trout Fishery

Salmon were first introduced into the Great Lakes in the early 1900s.These fish did not survive, and the stocking program was abandoned.In 1966, salmon were once again stocked into the Lake Michigan and later in the other Great Lakes soon after.These fish did survive and grew to large sizes in the Lakes due to their high prey and forage fish content.

The following New York State record fish have been caught from the Great Lakes:

• Rainbow Trout – 31 pounds 3 ounces
• Brown Trout – 33 pounds 2 ounces
• Chinook Salmon – 47 pounds 13 ounces
• Coho Salmon – 33 pounds 7 ounces

The Two Seasons

There are two seasons when anglers focus on Great Lakes salmon and trout fishing – the Fall Run and the Rest of the Year.  This article will focus on the Fall Run and a future one will cover the Rest of the Year.

The Fall Run

Each year in the August/September timeframe, the mature Great Lakes salmon begin their spawning runs up the rivers, tributaries, creeks of the Lakes.The salmon spawn once in their lifetimes and then die.This season usually extends until mid-October.

The various trout species follow the Salmon up the rivers in pursuit of easy meals as they fatten up in preparation for their spawning cycle.Trout do not die after spawning.They stay in the rivers for the Winter and return to the lakes in the Spring.For most anglers, this is THE time to catch trophy sizes salmon and trout that are concentrated and more available than during other times of the year.

While major rivers are publicly known and can be found via web searching, there are smaller creeks and tributaries that offer outstanding fishing, if you can find them.Fishing related social media groups explicitly restrict members from mentioning the names of tributaries or creeks to keep them “secret”.You can use the methods in our article – Finding “Secret” Fishing Spots, to locate the hidden fishing areas that others don’t want you to know about.

Michigan

Michigan was where salmon were first successfully introduced into the Great Lakes.There are rivers in Michigan that offer great salmon and trout fishing.Three of the main ones include: Lower Manistee River (Tippy Dam) River, Pere Marquette River and the St. Joseph River.Michigan.org offers some information about salmon fishing in rivers here.

New York

New York has a vibrant salmon and trout fishing scene from Lake Ontario.Anglers travel from northeastern states to the Salmon and Oswego rivers during the fall run to catch trophy fish.

Niagara River information

Oswego River information

Salmon River information

Fishing Gear for Salmon and Trout

Great Lakes salmon tend to be 2 times as large as the trout in the rivers although there certainly can be outliers as some trophy trout can get quite large.  A typical salmon would weight 15 to 20 pounds, and the typical trout would run between 5 and 12 pounds. it is important to scale your fishing gear to match the target species. 

Here is our article on selecting fishing line.

Here is our article on selecting fish hooks.

Below are some general recommendations for spinning tackle.  You can choose gear that can be used for both species, but it is recommended that you change line and hook sizes to accommodate the specific targets.

Salmon

• Rod – 8 to 9 foot rod that is medium action and can manage 12-20 pound line. Here is a fishing rod Lamiglass.
• Reel – a reel that can hold at least 200+ yards of 20 pound line. It is best to use a reel that is light enough to cast for hours without fatigue.  Here is a fishing reel from Penn.
• Line – 12 to 20 pound monofilament line. Here is fishing line from Trilene.
• Hooks – Salmon/Trout or octopus hooks (short shank) size 2 or smaller depending upon the bait type. Here are size 2 hooks from Gamakatsu.

Trout

• Rod – 10 foot rod with medium/light action that can manage 4-8 pound line. Here is one from Lamiglass.
• Reel – a reel that can hold at least 200+ yards of 8 pound line. It is best to use a reel that is light enough to cast for hours without fatigue.  Here is a fishing reel from Penn.
• Line – 4 to 8 pound line depending upon conditions. Use lighter line in clear and obstruction free water.   Here is 6 pound fishing line from Trilene.
• Hooks – Salmon/Trout or octopus hooks (short shank) size 6 or smaller depending upon the bait type. Here are size 6 hooks from Gamakatsu.

Tactics for Salmon and Trout Success

Drift Fishing

The most common method of fishing for salmon/trout is drift fishing.  With this tactic, you cast across and up the stream, and let the line drift “naturally” downstream.   For the most natural drift, it is important to balance the weight and the depth/current in the river.  The angler should feel periodic slight bumps/ticks as the weight touches the bottom, but not drag the bottom.  If you are not feeling the bottom at all, add weight and if the bait is dragging reduce weight.  The bait should be presented at or just above the bottom as a natural bait would drift downstream.

Float Fishing

Another common tactic for salmon and trout is to use a float on the line above the hook.  This works well in the deeper pools.  As mentioned above it is important to balance the weight to the conditions.   It is best to keep a minimum amount of slack line but still maintain the bait at or near the bottom.

Jig Fishing

Fishing with plastic swim jigs in the Great Lakes rivers and tributaries is a very effective method for Trout and Salmon.  It requires some finesse in your presentation as state regulations prohibit heavier and larger jigs.  For NY waters the jig is limited to 1/8 ounce and 1/2 inch hook gap.  That is still a workable combination if the water flow is not excessive or deep provided that you use light line or braid and are careful in your presentation.  Jigs.  Jigs should be casted slightly upstream and allowed to drift down such that they have some contact with the bottom on the retrieve.  Fish typically will not strike if the bait is too far up in the water column, so it is best to experiment with casting angle and retrieve so you can get the jig to the bottom.  Swim baits from Keitech, Zoom/Fluke and others all work well.  It is best to target sizes in the 3-4 inch range.

New York Special Fishing Regulations

Regulations for All Great Lakes & Tributaries

Regulations for all Great Lakes waters, including Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Upper and Lower Niagara River, St. Lawrence River and tributaries to these waters:

• Snatching and attempting to snatch is prohibited.
• All foul-hooked fish must be immediately released without unnecessary injury.
• Use or possession of gaff hooks is prohibited except when ice fishing.
• Any action to frighten fish and move them from concealment, including herding, driving, kicking or stoning, is prohibited.
• The use of eggs for chumming is prohibited.

Tight lines …  Captain P.