UTERLake trout fishing in Lake Michigan
In Lake Michigan, lake trout peak February and April–August and October and are around year-round, spawning in October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. February: Grand Traverse Bay lakers through the ice.
Tail of the run; browns and steelhead follow; Green Bay muskie. Steelhead behind the salmon; big browns in the harbors; Green Bay's trophy muskie season.
Lake trout in Lake Michigan, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryPeakGrand Traverse Bay lakers through the ice.
- MarchAround
- AprilPeakCoho and browns nearshore; peak steelhead run. Troll shallow along the Illinois and Indiana shore; drift spawn in the Michigan rivers.
- MayPeakMid-lake reefs and the southern lake.
- JunePeakSmallmouth on the beds; perch on the piers; salmon go offshore. Door County and Grand Traverse Bay smallies; perch from the southern piers; follow the temperature breaks for salmon.
- JulyPeakOffshore kings and Skamania steelhead. Spoons and flasher-flies on downriggers over the thermocline; Skamania summer steelhead in Trail Creek.
- AugustPeakKings staging off the pier heads. Ludington, Manistee, Frankfort — glow spoons at first light near the mouths.
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberSpawningTail of the run; browns and steelhead follow; Green Bay muskie. Steelhead behind the salmon; big browns in the harbors; Green Bay's trophy muskie season.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish lake trout near Chicago, Michigan City, St. Joseph
The salmon lake: open water to 900 feet with kings and coho over the thermocline, the river mouths and pier heads of Michigan's west coast where the runs stage, the shallow southern end where the spring coho come in, and Green Bay — a walleye, pike, muskie, perch and whitefish fishery all its own.
Fish Scouter charts 434 lake, 75 reservoir spots in the Lake Michigan map area — the kinds lake trout hold on.
What to use for lake trout
- 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 34–60°F water, best at 44–54°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch lake trout in Lake Michigan?
Peak season is February and April–August and October, with fish spawning in October (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Lake trout are here year-round. February: Grand Traverse Bay lakers through the ice.
Where do lake trout hold in Lake Michigan?
Look on lake — around Chicago, Michigan City, St. Joseph, Ludington, Manistee, Milwaukee.
What is the best bait for lake trout in Lake Michigan?
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 lake trout · Lake Michigan, the whole year