UTERLandlocked Atlantic salmon fishing in Lake Huron
In Lake Huron, landlocked Atlantic salmon peak June–July and October and are around May–October, spawning in October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Tubes on the gravel for smallmouth; big bucktails on the St. Clair weed edges.
Fall perch, steelhead, and St. Clair's big muskie. Perch rigs on the bay; spawn in the rivers; big muskie on St. Clair.
Landlocked Atlantic salmon in Lake Huron, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayAround
- JunePeakSmallmouth beds on Drummond and Les Cheneaux; St. Clair muskie opens. Tubes on the gravel for smallmouth; big bucktails on the St. Clair weed edges.
- JulyPeakSummer walleye and St. Clair muskie. Troll Saginaw Bay's outer reefs; Atlantic salmon and pinks at the St. Marys Rapids.
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberSpawningFall perch, steelhead, and St. Clair's big muskie. Perch rigs on the bay; spawn in the rivers; big muskie on St. Clair.
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish landlocked Atlantic salmon 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 landlocked Atlantic salmon hold on.
What to use for landlocked Atlantic salmon
- Minnows (fatheads, shiners)Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers.
- Leader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#2–3/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 36–64°F water, best at 46–58°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch landlocked Atlantic salmon in Lake Huron?
Peak season is June–July and October, with fish spawning in October (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Landlocked Atlantic salmon are in Lake Huron May–October.
Where do landlocked Atlantic salmon hold in Lake Huron?
Look on lake, river — around Saginaw Bay, Bay City, Port Austin, Oscoda, Alpena, Rogers City.
What is the best bait for landlocked Atlantic salmon in Lake Huron?
Live bait: minnows (fatheads, shiners). Minnows (fatheads, shiners): Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers. Tackle: leader 10–20 lb fluorocarbon, hook #2–3/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
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All about landlocked Atlantic salmon · Lake Huron & Lake St. Clair, the whole year