UTERLake trout fishing in Lake Superior
In Lake Superior, lake trout peak January–March and May–August and October and are around year-round, spawning in October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Lakers through the ice off Bayfield and Keweenaw Bay.
Spawning on the reefs; some zones close through the spawn.
Lake trout in Lake Superior, month by month
- JanuaryPeakLakers through the ice off Bayfield and Keweenaw Bay.
- FebruaryPeakDeep winter — the bays' ice is the fishery. Lakers through the ice off Madeline Island and Keweenaw Bay when it's safe; check the ice reports.
- MarchPeakLast 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.
- AprilAround
- MayPeakPeak spring steelhead; St. Louis River walleye. Wild steelhead are catch-and-release in Minnesota. Jig the St. Louis River for walleye after the opener.
- JunePeakShallow lakers on the near-shore reefs — cast spoons from shore at Duluth.
- JulyPeakLakers drop deep; coho and kings on the warm-water breaks. Downriggers at the thermocline off the Apostle Islands and Grand Marais.
- AugustPeakSummer trolling and the first kings staging. Lakers on the reefs, salmon on the warm southwest-wind days off Duluth and the Wisconsin shore.
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberSpawningSpawning on the reefs; some zones close through the spawn.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish lake trout 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, 29 reservoir spots in the Lake Superior 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 Superior?
Peak season is January–March and May–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. January: Lakers through the ice off Bayfield and Keweenaw Bay.
Where do lake trout hold in Lake Superior?
Look on lake — around Duluth, Grand Marais, Bayfield, Ashland, Marquette, Munising.
What is the best bait for lake trout in Lake Superior?
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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