Lower Shore: Duluth to Two Harbors
Surface water temps of 70 °F were common as far up the shore as McQuade. Knife River had reports of cooler water around 60-65 °F and Two Harbors was much cooler around 50 °F. Construction continues on Highway 61 at the McQuade intersection, and on Lighthouse Point Road in Two Harbors. Anglers reported a steady bite for 18-28 inch Lake Trout, 16-21 inch Cohos, and 18-23 inch Walleye. Anglers near Duluth found success trolling spoons, flasher flies, and stick baits in the top 10-50 feet down in 70-120 feet of water. Further north, anglers found success trolling similar presentations in 150-250 feet of water with fish being fairly spread out throughout the water column. Jigging on structure was also productive for Lake Trout at times. No reports of Chinook were received from anglers this week. On the St. Louis River Estuary anglers reported catching decent numbers of 12-22 Walleye and a few Northern Pike 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 43-53 °F from all stations. Southwest winds led to cooler water near shore and warmer, more stable temps several miles offshore. Grand Marais anglers reported slow fishing for Coho and Lake Trout as they were scattered and difficult to pattern in an effective way. Anglers near Silver Bay reported slower Coho fishing this week. Taconite Harbor anglers reported good fishing for Cohos in the top 50 feet of the water column, with most fish being around 17-20 inches. Planer boards, flatlines, and leadcore line with green, white, or purple flasher fly combinations and spoons were the most productive. No Chinook Salmon were reported from any station this week. Brook Trout fishing was slow in Silver Bay and decent in Grand Marais Harbor. Shore anglers reported seeing good numbers of Brook Trout in the shallows, but they have been difficult to catch at times.
Management Update: Releasing Your Catch
Many anglers choose practice catch-and-release rather than keeping their catch. This allows fish to continue growing and gives other anglers a chance to potentially catch them. If you decide to release your fish, follow these tips and consider your bait's depth to help ensure fish keep swimming after release.
- Wet your hands before handling the fish.
- Keep it out of the water for a short period of time.
- Unhook it, snap a quick photo, and let it go.
- If you hold the fish by its mouth, you should also support it horizontally underneath its body.
- Avoid touching its gills when handling.
- Have pliers or forceps ready to get a tough hook out quickly and gently.
- Release the fish gently back into the water, don’t toss it.
Learn more about proper fish handling techniques here!
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
Visit us online at mndnr.gov
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