UTERSteelhead fishing in Lake Huron
In Lake Huron, steelhead peak February–April and October–November and are around year-round, spawning in March–April, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. March: Au Sable and the Rifle River spring runs.
Fall perch, steelhead, and St. Clair's big muskie. Perch rigs on the bay; spawn in the rivers; big muskie on St. Clair.
Steelhead in Lake Huron, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryPeakPeak ice walleye on the bay. Walleye possession is open year-round on Saginaw Bay now; Les Cheneaux whitefish and pike through the ice.
- MarchSpawningAu Sable and the Rifle River spring runs.
- AprilSpawningSpring run peaks on the rivers; St. Clair smallmouth pre-spawn. River walleye and steelhead; catch-and-release smallmouth on Lake St. Clair.
- MayLeaving
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArriving
- OctoberPeakFall perch, steelhead, and St. Clair's big muskie. Perch rigs on the bay; spawn in the rivers; big muskie on St. Clair.
- NovemberPeak
- DecemberAround
Where to fish steelhead near Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Port Austin
Saginaw Bay — one of the great walleye and perch fisheries in the country — the rocky Thunder Bay and Drummond Island shoals for lake trout and smallmouth, the Au Sable and Rifle river runs, and Lake St. Clair, the shallow weedy world-class water for muskie and smallmouth between Huron and Erie.
Fish Scouter charts 324 lake spots in the Lake Huron & Lake St. Clair map area — the kinds steelhead hold on.
What to use for steelhead
- Salmon eggs (roe)A dime-sized spawn sac tied in mesh, or single eggs on a #10 to #6 egg hook, drifted along the bottom for steelhead, trout and salmon. Check the state's rule — bait is banned on many trout and salmon waters.
- NightcrawlersWhole on a #6 to #2 hook under a bobber or on a bottom rig; threaded on a spinner harness drifted for walleye. The bait that catches everything in fresh water.
- Ghost shrimpThreaded on a #4 to 1/0 baitholder hook on a Carolina rig in the surf or the bay — the surfperch, corbina and sturgeon bait.
- Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–4/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 38–62°F water, best at 44–56°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch steelhead in Lake Huron?
Peak season is February–April and October–November, with fish spawning in March–April (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Steelhead are here year-round. March: Au Sable and the Rifle River spring runs.
Where do steelhead hold in Lake Huron?
Look on river, lake — around Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Port Austin, Oscoda, Alpena, Rogers City.
What is the best bait for steelhead in Lake Huron?
Live bait: salmon eggs (roe), nightcrawlers, ghost shrimp. Salmon eggs (roe): A dime-sized spawn sac tied in mesh, or single eggs on a #10 to #6 egg hook, drifted along the bottom for steelhead, trout and salmon. Check the state's rule — bait is banned on many trout and salmon waters. Tackle: leader 20–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–4/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
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All about steelhead · Lake Huron & Lake St. Clair, the whole year