One of the greatest envies of shore fishermen are the large fish they see boats hauling in after a fishing trip miles off shore in Lake Superior. Not everyone has the finances to afford a boat capable of taking on the waters of a Great Lake, and they can feel like large trout and salmon are only an autumn fish when the fish swim up the rivers. However, there are ways to pull in monster salmon and trout from shore in the Copper Country before the temperatures cool and the leaves begin to change. It just comes down to location and bait.

During the summer, most salmon and trout of significant sizes do in fact move into the deeper waters of Lake Superior. This does further limit shore fishermen’s access to them and it is not as simple as casting a spoon or jig from shore, with exception to the smaller trout and salmon are unlikely of legal harvest size. Trout and salmon prefer cold water, and temperatures drop along with the depth. There are a few locations across Keweenaw shores in which such depths are only a stone throw’s distance from shore.

While naming each and every location would be quite extensive, I will instead share locations which are already accessible to the public and thus make travel and setup easy for the hungry fishermen. Such locations include the shores of Copper Harbor, the Eagle Harbor marina, both Traverse Bays, the Portage Lower Entry Light Station outside White City and southern portions of Keweenaw Bay (particularly the marinas and beaches of both Baraga and L’Anse). I have heard anglers also having luck catching larger trout and salmon from the shores of Bete Grise Bay and Misery Bay, but have not been able to confirm those locations.

All these locations have depths which fish such as lake trout, splake, steelhead, coho and king salmon, will linger and enjoy feeding from the bottom of the lakebed. The fish I have pulled in from shore locations have mostly been over 20 inches long, and I have seen fish pulled out that have been around three feet long. Fish this large are not typically looking for a tiny spawn sack or a little minnow. What fishermen need to bring is cut bait made of whitefish or suckerfish (carps), or whole Canadian Crawlers (worms).

Before the angler baits his or her hook, they need to be sure they are using the right equipment. Try to look for a pole and reel combo which can handle a ten to twenty pound fish (while this may sound excessive, you never know what will bite). Next I would recommend at minimum 14 pound fishing line for the fishing pole, and tie an at least size 4 hook. Once the hook is tied, add snap weights anywhere from six inches to a foot above the hook. As to the amount of weight, that will be up to the angler’s discretion but remember it has to drag the hook all the way down to the lakebed.

Once the gear is set up, add the cut bait or the Candadian Crawler. Whitefish can be purchased at local fish markets and sucker fish can be caught with small worms at river beds or the Portage Canal. The cut bait should be anywhere from one to two inches wide, but do not cut the length of the fillets any shorter. Canadian Crawlers can be found at gas stations or outdoor shops.

Now that the setup is complete, cast the bait as far out into the lake as possible, and let it sink. After about a minute, reel in the line enough to get rid of the slack and be sure you are not snagged on anything. Once the slack is gone, set the pole into a pole holder, stick the bottom of the rod into the sand or place it somewhere where the pole will not be dragged into Lake Superior by the fish. And now the waiting game begins. Fishermen who will not be watching their poles every minute should tie a bell to the end of their poles, but the fisherman who stays by his or her fishing setup need to make sure he or she can see the rod twitching.

Once the fish is on, be sure take several steps back if the fisherman is on the beach so it can be pulled onto shore without breaking the line. If a fisherman is on a marina or concrete platform, have the net ready and be sure it is large enough to pull in anywhere from a five to 20 pound fish.

While a boat might be a fantasy to some, the fish caught on those vessels does not have to be. Get out there and make some fishing tales you will no longer need to stretch!