Brown, Rainbow and Lake Trout, Whitefish, Coho & Chinook Salmon, Perch and Smallmouth Bass are native to the coast of Lake Michigan.  Lake Trout and Salmon are the most commonly fished with Lake Trout being caught from mid May to mid July and salmon from the 1st of July into October.  A fish graph is almost a necessity if you plan to successfully catch lake trout, whitefish and salmon.

Lake trout are bottom fish and are typically found in 80 to 120 feet of water, depending on the bottom water temperatures.  Their average weight is 6 to 8 pounds, with some going over 20 pounds.

Salmon range from 6 to 15 pounds at the beginning of the season and finishing with weights ranging from 10 to 24 pounds.  The chinook, or king salmon, is the largest salmon in Lake Michigan and last year 35 pound chinook were not uncommon.  Salmon prefer certain water temperatures, rather than cruising on the bottom, so they normally are found suspended at various depths in deeper water.

Favorite spots to fish lake trout and salmon are off Frankfort Harbor, Platte Bay, Good Harbor Bay, Leland, West and East Grand Traverse Bays and off Elk Rapids.  Brown and rainbow trout are normally found in shallower water in the same areas.  Brown's weigh up to 30 pounds and rainbows up to 20 pounds.

Trout and salmon baits vary almost weekly, with weather and water conditions and time of year.  However, favorite lake trout baits fished off downrigger and chrome or brass cowbells, or dodgers with spoons, plugs or flies in blue, chrome, green and chartreuse.  Salmon can be taken on these same combinations, plus more, varying in color.  Browns and rainbows will also hit these combinations but the preferred methods and bait is to troll with long lines weighted, or off downriggers with singular fish imitating baits in color patterns of blue/silver, black/silver and orange/gold.

Smallmouth bass and perch are caught all over these coastal waters with bass averaging 2 to 3 pounds and perch running 9 inches to jumbo's.  Fish for bass over rocky shoals in 3 to 15 feet of water.  Perch like flat bottom areas in 10 to 40 feet of water.  Casting or trolling imitating baits or spinners work well on smallmouths.  Perch prefer live minnow or wigglers, still fished 8 to 18 inches off bottom.

Whitefish are normally fished for in winter and spring and cught by jigging Swedish Pimples just off the bottom.  A favorite spot for whitefish is in East Grand Traverse Bay, approximately a mile off the east shoreline near Acme.

Christine Stalsonburg, Realtor

"A Tradition Of Sound Advice"

231-944-0854

www.Stalsonburg.com

www.NorthernMichiganRealEstatecs.com

Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors

402 E. Front St.  Traverse City, MI   49686