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Lower Shore: Duluth to Two Harbors
The water continued to warm this week reaching 52 °F but was held closer to Duluth by East and Northeast winds that also reduced fishing pressure. The wind subsided on the 21st, allowing the warm water layer to move as far north as Knife River by the 22nd. From McQuade to Two Harbors Lake Trout fishing was decent jigging and trolling spoons 110-170 feet down near deep structure. The surface bite for Salmon and Lake Trout moved as far north as Stony Point as the fish followed the edge of the warmer water. Trolling orange, pink, and green spoons or stickbaits in the top 30 feet of the water was the most effective method for hooking up. Anglers trolling closer to Duluth fished a little deeper, 50-60 feet down. Fish were caught both near shore and miles offshore as the warm water moved north. Coho Salmon size has increased, with most fish caught measuring 19-22 inches and weighing up to 3 pounds. No Chinook Salmon were measured by the clerk but 8-10 pound fish are being reported by anglers. The Lake Trout reported are still primarily in the 18-22 inch range with a few 5-8 pound fish reported. St. Louis River Estuary anglers reported catching Walleye in the 16-21 inch range in the harbor trolling stickbaits and crawler harnesses but no large fish have been reported yet.
Upper Shore: Twin Points to Hovland
Anglers reported surface water temps in the 36-39 °F range at all Upper Shore stations over the last week. Fishing pressure has been light at all stations as many anglers are waiting for warmer water temps and the improved fishing that tends to follow. Smaller Lake Trout, 16-20 inches, were caught in 120-200 feet of water near the bottom. A few anglers reported catching some larger, 24-30 inch, fish in the Twin Points area, but these larger fish were difficult to pattern and reported to be scattered throughout the water column. High end electronics are very helpful to locate and target these fish. Spoons are the standard for catching deep Lake Trout and bright colors such as chartreuse, orange, and white have all been productive. Cold water has kept shore angling success to a minimum and anglers fishing in the warmer river mouths did not report catching any Lake Trout yet. No Brook Trout have been reported by shore anglers either and very few have been spotted in the usual areas such as in the Silver Bay and Grand Marais Harbors. The water levels of Upper Shore streams continued to drop and warm.
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