Lake Superior Summer Bite: Coho, Lakers, and Smallmouth Off Duluth and the North Shore

About this episode

The episode discusses fishing conditions and techniques for catching coho salmon, lake trout, and smallmouth bass off Duluth and the North Shore during the summer.

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from the big lake they call Gitche Gumee, right here around Duluth and the North Shore. We don’t get real tides on Superior, just a slow seiche, so water levels are basically steady. What matters today is weather, light, and water temp. Sunrise is right around 5:15 a.m. with sunset near 9 p.m., so you’ve got a long window, but the real action is stacked at first light and the last two hours before dark. The nearshore water off Duluth and up the shore is still cool, mostly in the upper 40s to low 50s, which keeps salmonids tight to structure and current breaks. A light north or northeast breeze will push warmer surface water in close; a colder east wind tends to shut the shallow bite down and move fish a little deeper. Lake trout have been active on the deeper breaks just outside the shipping lanes and off the Wisconsin side. Charter captains out of Duluth and Superior have been reporting mixed bags of eater-sized lakers with the odd big fish. Best program has been downriggers and dipsy divers pulling medium spoons in silver–blue, silver–green, and hammered nickel, 40–120 feet down depending on time of day. If you see solid arcs stacking just…

People in this episode

Host: Name’s Artificial Lure

Topics covered

• fishing
• Lake Superior
• salmon
• lake trout
• Duluth
• outdoor activities

Keywords

• fishing report
• coho salmon
• lake trout
• Duluth fishing
• North Shore
• outdoor fishing tips

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Artificial Lure, medium spoons, thin trolling crankbaits, fire-tiger spoons, pink spoons, small orange spoons

Places: Lake Superior, Duluth, North Shore, Gitche Gumee, Wisconsin

More episodes of Lake Superior Duluth Fishing Report Today

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• Lake Superior Early Summer Mixed Bag: Spoons and Jigs Working in Duluth Harbor · June 11, 2026 · 3 min
• Lake Superior Duluth Fishing Report: Trout and Salmon in Early Summer Wind and Structure · June 10, 2026 · 3 min
• Early Summer Lake Superior: Chop and Opportunity Around Duluth · June 9, 2026 · 3 min
• Duluth & Lake Superior: Coho, Walleye, and Evening Bites in Calm Conditions · June 8, 2026 · 4 min
• Early Summer Coho and Lakers Off Duluth: Light Winds, Prime Dawn and Dusk Bites · June 7, 2026 · 4 min