Lower Shore: Duluth to Two Harbors
Northeast winds reduced fishing pressure this week. The Salmon were still large, with Cohos as large as 6 pounds and Chinooks up to 9 pounds measured by the clerk. Lake Trout were 19-23 inches, with a few as large as 28 inches this week. The thermocline moved as deep as 90 feet, concentrating both Lake Trout and Coho Salmon, but Chinook Salmon were sparse this week. Anglers did best trolling 70 to 90 feet down, near the thermocline, with spoons and flasher/fly rigs. Blue and green were good colors, especially for the trolling flies. Glow-in-the-dark spoons and flashers can also effective at those depths. Adding whole or partial smelt improved success with flasher/fly rigs. North of McQuade, a few fish were caught in 110-180 feet of water on structure, but most of the fish were caught 40-60 feet down. Pink Salmon were active this week, especially from Knife River to Two Harbors. St. Louis River Estuary fishing pressure was still low.
Upper Shore: Twin Points to Hovland
Strong winds lowered surface water temps into the upper 30’s and low 40’s along the Upper Shore at the beginning of the week. Later in the week strong east winds moved warm 59-61 degree water back to shore. During the few days of cold surface water, anglers reported very slow fishing from all stations, but when the surface water warmed, success increased. Lake Trout were scattered throughout the water column at all stations and anglers reported most of the fish caught were suspended. Many of the Lake Trout caught were 3-10 pounds with a few up to 20 pounds. Grand Marais anglers found good numbers of these nice sized fish at a variety of depths and locations, from near shore to far offshore and suspended throughout the top 150 feet of the water column. Pink Salmon were reported from all stations in good numbers mainly in the top 70 feet of the water column. The Pink Salmon are good sized this year with most being 15-18 inches. Some of the male Pinks are beginning to show changes in their appearance as the fall spawn approaches. Angler reports of catching large Chinook Salmon were low in number, but the fish caught were up to twenty pounds. Coho salmon were very scarce this week except for two very large fish over 7 pounds. Shore anglers targeting Brook Trout in Grand Marais Harbor caught a few nice fish but none over twenty inches.
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