UTERSteelhead fishing in Lake Michigan
In Lake Michigan, steelhead peak October–April and are around year-round, spawning in March–April, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Winter steelhead in the Manistee, the Muskegon and the St. Joe.
Fall fish follow the salmon in.
Steelhead in Lake Michigan, month by month
- JanuaryPeakWinter steelhead in the Manistee, the Muskegon and the St. Joe.
- FebruaryPeakIce fishing peaks on the bays; coho may show off Indiana. Walleye at dusk on Green Bay; shore-cast the Indiana warm-water discharges if the lake is open.
- MarchSpawningSpring run — the year's peak on most rivers.
- AprilSpawningCoho and browns nearshore; peak steelhead run. Troll shallow along the Illinois and Indiana shore; drift spawn in the Michigan rivers.
- MayLeaving
- JuneAround
- JulyAroundSkamania summer steelhead in Indiana's Trail Creek and the St. Joe.
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArriving
- OctoberPeakFall fish follow the salmon in.
- NovemberPeakFall steelhead, browns on the piers, whitefish run. Spawn bags in the river pools; whitefish into the Menominee and the harbors.
- DecemberPeakWinter steelhead and the first bay ice. Manistee and Muskegon steelhead on mild days; wait for safe ice on Green Bay.
Where to fish steelhead 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 spots in the Lake Michigan 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 Michigan?
Peak season is October–April, with fish spawning in March–April (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Steelhead are here year-round. January: Winter steelhead in the Manistee, the Muskegon and the St. Joe.
Where do steelhead hold in Lake Michigan?
Look on river, creek / stream, lake — around Chicago, Michigan City, St. Joseph, Ludington, Manistee, Milwaukee.
What is the best bait for steelhead in Lake Michigan?
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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