UTERSteelhead fishing in Lake Superior
In Lake Superior, steelhead peak April–May and October–November and are around March–December, spawning in April–May, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: North Shore spring run — steelhead wait for 40°F tributary water.
Fall steelhead on the UP and Wisconsin tribs.
Steelhead in Lake Superior, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchArrivingLast ice; coho show off Duluth as the shore opens. Cast spoons from the Duluth piers and the harbor mouths; lakers still on the ice where it holds.
- AprilSpawningNorth Shore spring run — steelhead wait for 40°F tributary water.
- MaySpawningPeak spring run on the Brule and the Knife; wild fish are catch-and-release in MN.
- JuneLeaving
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArrivingFall run: kings, coho and pinks up the rivers. The St. Louis, the Brule and the UP rivers; steelhead start following them in.
- OctoberPeakFall steelhead on the UP and Wisconsin tribs.
- NovemberPeakLate steelhead before the rivers freeze. The UP and Wisconsin tribs on mild days; the North Shore streams lock up first.
- DecemberAround
Where to fish steelhead near Duluth, Grand Marais, Bayfield
The biggest, coldest, clearest of the lakes: rocky shores dropping straight to 600 feet, lake trout on the offshore reefs, steelhead and salmon in the short, steep North Shore and UP tributaries, and the sheltered warm-water bays — Chequamegon, the St. Louis River estuary, Keweenaw Bay — where the smallmouth, walleye, pike and the ice fishing live.
Fish Scouter charts 901 lake spots in the Lake Superior 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 Superior?
Peak season is April–May and October–November, with fish spawning in April–May (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Steelhead are in Lake Superior March–December. April: North Shore spring run — steelhead wait for 40°F tributary water.
Where do steelhead hold in Lake Superior?
Look on river, creek / stream, lake — around Duluth, Grand Marais, Bayfield, Ashland, Marquette, Munising.
What is the best bait for steelhead in Lake Superior?
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 Superior, the whole year