Door County Salmon Fishing
The salmon fishing in Door County is some of the finest you will find in all of Lake Michigan, especially in the Sturgeon Bay area. There are numerous ports on the Lake Michigan side of Door County that offer some excellent salmon fishing each summer through fall. Some of the popular towns to launch out of are Sturgeon Bay, Baileys Harbor, Ellison Bay, Gills Rock, Washington Island and Rowleys Bay.
Salmon fishing tends to pick up at the end of June and it hits its peak during the summer months of July and August. In September, fishing is still really good for salmon, but anglers have some more options for catching these fish. The very big 4 year old King Salmon make their move into the harbors to spawn and they can be caught from shore or from boats. Boaters will be seen trolling inside the shipping canal of Sturgeon Bay and just outside the harbors throughout Door County for these big 4 year old King Salmon. Some boaters choose to fish deeper water offshore for some of the younger King Salmon. While these fish offshore tend to be much smaller, they also taste better because the spawning 4 year old Kings tend to lose their flavor as they change colors for the spawn. There’s nothing like catching a 20 pound salmon on spinning gear from shore. September is an exciting time for salmon anglers in Door County.
One of the most popular areas to fish in all of Door County is the Bank Reef just outside of Sturgeon Bay. If you are planning a trip to Sturgeon Bay for salmon, you might want to troll the Bank Reef. It is a major piece of offshore structure and it holds thousands of salmon all summer.
Door County Trout Fishing
The trout fishing can be very good in Door County. The trollers that target trout will do so in the early spring and late fall. During the months of April, May, September and October, the brown trout fishing hits its peak. While many of the brown trout are caught by the trollers, this is one fish that produces some excellent action for shore anglers. The shorelines on both sides of Door County provide good brown trout fishing. Steelhead can also be very productive in Door County. Most steelhead are caught by anglers trolling for salmon and if you take a look at the fishing reports from the area fishing charters, you will realize that salmon are much more prevalent than the steelhead. Many shore anglers and smallmouth bass anglers will report catches of steelhead during the fall months on crankbaits. While you may not catch a limit of steelhead, if you know how to fish for them and you target them during their peak months, you should be able to boat quite a few of these fish.
Best Baits for Salmon
Salmon will eat a variety of baits. Many anglers use artificial lures while they troll for salmon. Anglers do use live baits as well, but artificial lures such as soft plastics, hard baits and flies are more popular.
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Best Rigs for Salmon
There aren’t as many rigs that you will need to learn about salmon compared to bass fishing. However, if you are new to salmon fishing, some of these rigs may be completely new to you. Anglers may be using a dodger & fly, downriggers, planer boards, dipsey divers and more. Learn more about the best rigs for salmon fishing.
Best Techniques for Salmon
Casting and trolling are definitely the most popular techniques for salmon. However, fly fishing is pretty popular too once they move into the rivers to spawn.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for salmon page.
Learn More About Salmon
Our salmon fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our salmon fishing website to learn more.
