Lower Shore: Duluth to Two Harbors
High air temps and low wind speeds led to surface water temps as high as 68 °F in Duluth and 55 °F near Two Harbors. However, southwest winds cooled surface temps to the low 50’s near Duluth, 48-50 °F near McQuade and Knife River, and 40 °F near Two Harbors. Air quality advisories are in effect due to recent wildfire smoke, limiting visibility on the lake. Construction continues on Highway 61 at the McQuade intersection, and on Lighthouse Point Road in Two Harbors which may add congestion to access sites this weekend. With the large swing in temperatures fishing was a little slower this week. Successful anglers were using bright spoons, stick baits and flasher flies around the thermocline, 30-60 feet down, in 150-200 feet of water. Anglers still reported catching good numbers 19-30 inch Lake Trout, some 16-19 inch Cohos, and a few 20-24 inch Chinooks. The St. Louis River Estuary yielded a consistent Walleye bite with sizes ranging from 14-20 inches and a couple Black Crappie and Northern Pike as well. Anglers found success trolling stick baits and worm harnesses on the flats and jigging live bait on deeper structure.
Upper Shore: Twin Points to Hovland
Surface water temps were 39-49 °F near Silver Bay and Twin Points and around 38 °F near Taconite Harbor and Grand Marais. Anglers from all stations reported that Lake Trout were difficult to pattern with fish scattered 75- 200 feet down. The most consistent fishing was using bright colored and glow spoons near bottom structure, but purple and green flasher combos and spoons further up in the water column were effective at times too. Most Lake Trout were 16-25 inches with the larger fish typically being the fish higher up in the water column. A few anglers from Silver Bay reported good numbers of 17-20 inch Cohos, but no reports of Chinooks were received. Lake Trout are not in shallow near shore waters yet, making them very difficult to target from shore. However, shore anglers targeting Brook Trout in harbors and marinas reported fair fishing for 12-16 inch fish.
Management Updates: The North Shore is Different
The previous Management Update discussed the water temperature difference between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes, but water temperature also differs considerably across Lake Superior itself. On the Great Lakes Observating System’s (GLOS) Seagull water temperature map above, surface water temperatures for July 15th show 42 degrees near Silver Bay, Minnesota, and only 25 miles away in the Apostle Islands surface water temperature approached 70 degrees!
Anglers fishing for salmon on Minnesota’s North Shore know this all too well. Salmon fishing, especially for Coho, can be really good close to Duluth in early April where it is shallower, warmer and more productive; however, salmon fishing anywhere else along the coast can be tough until warmer water progresses northeasterly throughout the summer. The unusually cold water (compared to the rest of the lake) on Minnesota’s North Shore can be attributed to the over 900-foot-deep mid-shore trench that extends from just north of Two Harbors past Schroeder. Prevailing west winds, especially strong winds, will cause an upwelling effect along this deep trench pushing warm surface water east and bringing cold water from the depths to the surface. On the water, DNR Fisheries staff have seen 30-degree temperature swings in less than 24 hours!
Easterly winds can have a similar effect with warm water, pushing warm surface water westward and “stacking” warm water along the North Shore. In October 2025, water temperatures of over 50 degrees persisted into late October, when lake trout are typically spawning, and extended from the surface to over 100 feet deep. As summer progresses and the warm days continue, anglers are reminded that as surface temperatures approach 50 degrees it is believed that post-release mortality on lake trout increases to approximately 43% based on the most recent science.
These warm days are sure welcome after a long winter and we know colder temperatures are not too far away, so if you need a swim in Lake Superior to cool off from this heat, you may want to check which way the wind is blowing first!
Helpful Links
 Questions?
Email us at Lake Superior fishing report
Give us a call at 218-302-3277
Report suspicious activity at 800-652-9093
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