Lake Superior Duluth Fishing Report Today

Artificial Lure here with your Duluth and western Lake Superior fishing report.

We’re sitting under a cool, early-summer pattern around the Head of the Lakes. Overnight temps dipped into the low 50s with daytime highs riding the low 70s, light west to northwest breeze, and mostly clear to partly cloudy skies. A weak high pressure ridge has settled in, giving us stable conditions and decent water clarity along the Minnesota shoreline.

Sunrise over the lake is right around 5:15 a.m. local, with sunset close to 9:05 p.m., so you’ve got a long, fishable day. The big lake doesn’t have real tides, but we are seeing subtle seiche action and light current shifts with the breeze; watch your surface chop and wind direction more than any tide chart.

Surface temps on the nearshore stretch from the Canal out past Lester River are running in the upper 40s to low 50s, warming a bit in the protected bays. That’s kept the **lake trout**, **coho**, and a few lingering **steelhead** cruising relatively shallow early and late, then sliding deeper as the sun gets higher. Inside the harbor and up the St. Louis River, water is warmer and slightly stained, and the **walleyes**, **smallmouth**, and **northern pike** have been much more active in the low-light windows.

Recent catches reported by area bait shops and charter captains around Duluth and Knife River have been solid: mixed bags of eater-sized **lake trout** with some coho and the occasional brown trout on longlines and downriggers, plus decent numbers of walleyes in the 14–20 inch class in the river and inner harbor. Anglers working the rock piles and docks are finding good **smallmouth** action with some bonus pike.

For the big lake, the best producers have been:

- Silver/blue and green/silver spoons run 20–60 feet down off planer boards and riggers.

- White or chartreuse flasher–fly combos for lakers a bit deeper off the breaks.

- Small stickbaits in natural smelt patterns right at first light.

Inside the harbor and river, you’ll want:

- Jig-and-minnow or jig-and-half-crawler for walleyes, 8–15 feet on current edges and channel bends.

- Ned rigs, tubes, and small craw-pattern crankbaits for smallmouth on riprap and bridge pilings.

- Spinnerbaits, spoons, or big paddletail swimbaits for pike around weed edges and river mouths.

Live bait wise, shiners, fatheads, and leeches are the top ticket for walleyes right now. Crawlers dragged slowly on live-bait rigs are also pulling fish when the wind lays down. For smallmouth, you can’t beat a lively sucker or nightcrawler under a slip bobber when the bite gets finicky.

A couple of local hot spots to key on:

First, the **Duluth shipping canal and inner harbor**. Troll stickbaits and spoons just outside the piers at dawn for trout and coho, then slide inside and work jigs or live bait along the shipping channel edges for walleyes and the odd bonus pike as the sun gets higher.

Second, the stretch from **Lester River east toward Knife River**. Work just off the river plumes where the stained water meets clearer lake water; that color line has been holding trout and coho. Run a simple spread: a couple of shallow flat lines with small crankbaits and a pair of deeper-running spoons on downriggers or dipsies.

If the wind kicks up, tuck into the **St. Louis River** side channels and flats. Pull jigs or slow-death rigs along the breaks and you’ll usually find a few cooperative walleyes and smallmouth out of the worst of the chop.

That’s the bite around Duluth and western Lake Superior. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

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Morning from the Big Lake—this is **Artificial Lure** with your Duluth fishing report for today. The water by the North Shore is coming into that early-summer rhythm: light breeze, cool dawn air, and a surface bite that can turn on fast once the sun gets up over the harbor. I don’t have live tide data for Lake Superior because it’s a **non-tidal** freshwater lake, so the real driver today is wind, wave action, and that nearshore temperature break.

For **weather**, plan on a classic Superior start: chilly at daybreak, brighter by midmorning, and best fishing when the wind stays manageable. The most important thing on this lake is paying attention to the nearshore chop; a little ripple helps the bite, but a hard west or northeast blow can shut down some shoreline spots quickly.

**Sunrise** is early this time of year, and the first light is the best window to be moving. **Sunset** comes late, so the evening bite can run long if the wind lays down and the water clears up. Check local conditions before launching, because Superior can change from friendly to ugly fast.

As for **fish activity**, the word around Duluth is that **lake trout** are the steadiest target offshore, with **smallmouth bass** active along rocky shorelines, and **coho salmon, steelhead, and brown trout** showing up in the mix near the river mouths and harbor edges when the water temperature and current line up. Recent angler reports from the Duluth-Superior area have also pointed to mixed catches of trout and salmon around the breakwalls and deeper structure, especially when baitfish are stacked. If you’re after numbers, smallmouth tend to be the most reliable for steady action; if you’re after size, lakers are the heavy hitters.

For **bait and lures**, keep it simple and local:

- **Spoons** in silver, blue, and orange for trout and salmon

- **Stickbaits** and small minnows for shoreline casting at dawn

- **Tube jigs** and **soft plastics** for smallmouth around rock and boulder fields

- **Cut bait** or **spawn sacs** where legal and practical near moving water

- **Shoreline crankbaits** with a tight wobble when baitfish are shallow

If you want the best all-around bait, live **minnows** and fresh **cut bait** are hard to beat near current seams, while a spoon is still the cleanest search tool when you’re covering water.

A couple of **hot spots** to keep on the map:

- **Duluth Harbor and the breakwalls** for mixed salmon, trout, and shoreline bass

- **Park Point / Minnesota Point shoreline** for early casting and cruising fish

- **The mouths of the Lester and St. Louis River system** when current, stain, and bait line up

- **Rocky North Shore access points just outside Duluth** for smallmouth and lake trout structure fishing

If I had one local tip for today, it’s this: start **early**, fish **rock and current**, and don’t be afraid to move until you find bait. On Superior, the fish usually tell you where they want to be—if you’re willing to keep looking.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Superior Duluth fishing report.

We’re sitting on cool water and stable late‑June weather along the North Shore. Light northwest breeze this morning, building a bit by afternoon, with air temps riding from the low 50s into the upper 60s near the lake. Skies run partly cloudy, with a chance of a light shower inland later, but the big lake should stay fishable. Sunrise is right around 5:15 a.m., sunset close to 9:05 p.m., giving you a nice long window to work those low‑light bites.

Superior doesn’t really have tides like the ocean, just minor seiche swings, so focus more on wind direction and barometer than any true tidal push. A light north or northwest wind like today keeps nearshore water a touch clearer and cooler, which has been good for trout and salmon just off Duluth.

Recent chatter at the ramps and shops around Duluth and Two Harbors has been solid. Anglers trolling out from McQuade, the Lester mouth, and up toward Knife River are putting decent numbers of lake trout in the box, with a few coho and the odd king showing up. Most lakers are running 3–8 pounds, with occasional teens for folks working deeper structure. Near the river mouths, smallmouth bass action has picked up on rocky shorelines and harbor edges, and a few eater walleyes are still coming from the St. Louis River and outer harbor breaks.

Best bite windows have been early and late. Morning boats are finding trout suspended 40–80 feet down over 120–200 feet of water. Run spoons and flashers behind downriggers or dive‑bombers. Productive colors have been silver, UV green, and blue‑silver, with a bit of glow tape down deep. Flasher‑fly combos in green crush or white with a green fly have taken nicer fish when the sun gets higher.

If you’re shore‑bound or running smaller craft, focus on structure. In the Duluth‑Superior harbor, bass and the occasional walleye are chewing on jig‑and‑plastic combos, small crankbaits, and live minnows. Along the rock points up the shore, casting small spoons, 3–4 inch swimbaits, and tube jigs has produced smallmouth and the odd brown trout. Nightcrawlers and leeches under a slip float still catch plenty around the St. Louis River flats and channel edges.

Artificial Lure’s hot spots for today:

1. Outer edge of the Duluth‑Superior harbor out to 80–150 feet: troll from just outside the shipping canal east toward the Lester mouth. Watch your graph for bait pods and stay on that 40–80‑foot band for lake trout.

2. McQuade Small Craft Harbor to just past the French River: work slightly offshore contour lines and any temp breaks you can find. Tuna‑can spoons, standard sized salmon spoons, and green‑white flasher‑fly rigs are the ticket.

If you just want some action, the St. Louis River and harbor docks are a good bet for mixed‑bag fun: smallmouth, pike, and the occasional walleye on jigs tipped with fatheads or plastics in natural shiner, goby, or green pumpkin patterns.

Keep leaders a bit longer and run fluorocarbon in that clear Superior water. Slow your troll to let those spoons work, and don’t be afraid to zig‑zag to change speed and depth.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Duluth-area Lake Superior fishing report.

We don’t have true tides on Superior, just minor seiches, so you can ignore any big tide swings and focus on wind and light changes. With stable early-summer weather, that first light to mid‑morning window is your money time.

Weather around Duluth today is classic June shoreline stuff: cool start in the low 50s near the lake, light northwest to north breeze, building to the low 60s by midday with partly cloudy skies and a small chop. Sunrise is right around 5:15 a.m., sunset near 9:05 p.m., giving you a long low‑light bookend for prime feeding.

Surface temps on the big lake are still cool, sitting mid‑40s to low‑50s near Duluth depending on wind, but nearshore and harbor pockets are warming into the 50s. That has fish sliding shallow at dawn and dusk, then dropping a bit deeper once the sun’s up.

Recent reports from local charters and pier regulars around Duluth and Two Harbors say lake trout action has been steady in 70–140 feet, with some boats boxing 6–12 lakers on morning runs. Coho salmon are still around but starting to thin; a handful of boats are picking 2–5 silvery coho mixed in with lakers when they work higher in the water column. Near the shipping canal and inner harbor, shore anglers have been finding a few bonus browns and coho along with plenty of smaller smallmouth and the odd northern pike. St. Louis River and harbor guys are still putting decent numbers of walleyes in the boat on the edges and current breaks.

For hardware, think bright and tight. Trollers are doing well running orange, chartreuse, and watermelon spoons behind dipsies and downriggers, plus thin trolling sticks in natural smelt or blue/silver patterns. Spin‑n‑glos or small flies behind flashers are taking deeper lakers. Shore and pier anglers are catching on 3–4 inch minnow‑style cranks, white or smelt‑pattern paddletails, and small silver or gold spoons.

If you’re set on bait, frozen smelt strips and herring on bottom rigs or three‑way setups will still tempt lakers. In the river and harbor, crawlers on sliding sinker rigs, leeches on jigs, and fatheads on plain hooks are getting walleyes and bonus pike.

Hot spots to key on:

• The Duluth shipping canal and both piers out toward the lighthouse for early and late casting with spoons and stickbaits, especially on a light chop.

• The 60–120 foot breaks off Park Point and out toward McQuade and Knife River for trolled lakers and coho; follow the bait pods and temp bands.

If you want a mixed bag and some warmer water, slide up the St. Louis River, hit current seams, and drag jigs and crawlers; you’ll see walleyes, smallmouth, and pike.

That’s your Lake Superior Duluth report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next bite update. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Duluth and Lake Superior fishing report.

We’ll start with the basics. According to the National Weather Service Duluth office, we’re looking at a cool North Shore day: morning temps in the low 50s, climbing into the 60s lakeside with a light northeast breeze. Skies are partly to mostly cloudy, with a small chance of a light sprinkle, but no real washouts expected. Sunrise today came a little after 5 a.m., with sunset a bit after 9 p.m., giving you a long, bright window to work the low-light bites.

Lake Superior doesn’t have real tides like the ocean, but the Lake Superior Maritime folks note minor seiche and water-level swings with wind. With today’s lighter winds, you can expect fairly stable levels and manageable chop close to shore, though that northeast breeze can still stack a bit of water and cool surface temps along the Duluth side.

On to the fish. Local reports from Duluth bait shops and charter captains out of the harbor say the **lake trout** bite has been solid in 80–150 feet off the Wisconsin side and out past the Aerial Lift Bridge. Spoons in green/silver, blue/silver, and UV patterns run off downriggers at 40–90 feet have been putting nice eaters and a few big marks in the net. A couple of boats this week reported 6–10 lakers per trip, with the better action when the sun is low and the boat can run a gentle zig-zag to cover contour edges.

**Coho salmon** are still hanging around in scattered pods. Charters and serious trollers are picking 2–5 per outing, mixed with lakers, on smaller orange or red/orange spoons and thin trolling crankbaits. Long leads and higher in the column – 15–40 feet down – are getting the more aggressive fish, especially during the first two hours after sunrise.

Closer to town, St. Louis River regulars report a decent **walleye** bite from the Clyde Avenue area downstream toward Spirit Lake and the flats. Jig-and-minnow or jig-and-plastic combos in chartreuse, gold, and parrot colors are producing; a lot of folks are dragging live-bait rigs with leeches or crawlers on the channel edges and inside turns. The bite has been better toward evening, with some boats seeing 5–12 fish, mostly eaters with the odd 20-plus inch walleye in the mix.

Shore anglers along the Lakewalk, Canal Park, and the shipping canal have been picking off a few **coho, steelhead, and incidental smallmouth**. Casting medium spoons, 3–4 inch paddletails, or twitching minnow baits has been best. Water’s still cool enough that mid-morning can fish okay if clouds hang around.

For panfish and bass, inland lakes just up the hill – places like Island Lake and Fish Lake – have produced steady **bluegill, crappie, and largemouth/smallmouth bass** according to local resort and bait shop chatter. Slip bobbers with small leeches or waxies around reeds and emerging cabbage are getting panfish, while 3–4 inch plastics and topwaters toward evening are taking bass.

Best lures and baits right now around Duluth and Superior:

- For lake trout and coho: metallic and UV spoons, magnum stickbaits, and flasher-fly combos in green, blue, and orange patterns.

- For walleye: 1/8–1/4 oz jigs with fatheads, leeches, or paddle-tail plastics; live-bait rigs with leeches or crawlers.

- For shore fishing: casting spoons, white or smelt-colored swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits.

- For panfish: small tube jigs, tiny twisters, and plain hooks under a float tipped with leeches or waxies.

A couple of hot spots to circle:

- The **Duluth shipping canal and outer harbor** for mixed trout and salmon early and late, especially on calm or lightly breezy days.

- The **St. Louis River channel edges from Spirit Lake up toward the Bong Bridge**, where current and structure come together for consistent walleye and occasional pike.

That’s the latest from the big lake and its backyard waters.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Duluth–Lake Superior fishing report.

We’re sitting under a cool, early‑summer pattern on the big lake. Overnight temps slid into the low 50s, climbing into the 60s by afternoon with a light northwest breeze. Skies are partly cloudy, and the barometer is steady to slightly rising—usually a good sign for consistent bites. Shoreline water temps are running in the upper 40s to low 50s, still chilly but just right for salmonids cruising the breaks.

Superior doesn’t have true tides, but you will see seiche swings and wind‑driven water level changes, especially with that northwest wind. Expect a little push of water and a bit more chop on exposed points this afternoon; that can flip the switch on feeding trout and salmon along the breaks.

Sunrise is right around the mid‑4 a.m. hour, with sunset close to 9 p.m., so you’ve got long windows. Best action has been classic low‑light: first light until about 8 a.m., then again from 7 p.m. to dark. Midday has been slower unless there’s wind and cloud cover.

Reports from local anglers around the Duluth entry and up the North Shore have been solid. Nearshore trollers and casters have been picking up a mixed bag: lake trout in the 2–6 lb range, coho salmon, a few browns, plus bonus pinks and steelhead. Inside the harbor and along the St. Louis River side, folks are still getting walleyes, smallmouth, and the odd pike.

Trollers running 20–80 feet down off the North Shore have been doing well on small spoons—silvers, greens, and blues—behind dipsy divers and downriggers. Stickbaits in natural smelt and rainbow‑trout patterns are taking fish early and late. Around the harbor and shorelines, casting heavy spoons and 3–4 inch swimbaits in white, smelt, or goby colors has been productive when fish push bait shallow.

If you’re soaking bait from shore, pack salted or frozen smelt, spawn sacks, and crawlers. Smelt on bottom rigs after dark is still a sleeper for lakers cruising the breaks. Inside the river and harbor, a jig and minnow or jig and crawler will put walleyes and smallmouth in the net.

A couple of local hot spots to try:

• Canal Park and the shipping canal walls: When boat traffic is light, casting spoons and crankbaits along the current seams can turn up coho, steelhead, and the occasional brown or laker, especially at first light.

• The 21‑foot hole and shipping channel edges in the Duluth–Superior Harbor: Troll crankbaits or run live‑bait rigs for walleyes and the odd big pike; smallmouth stack on the rock and riprap edges—tube jigs and ned rigs do work here.

If you’re running out deeper off McQuade or Burlington Bay, watch your graph for suspended schools. Run small flashy spoons a few feet above the marks. Don’t be afraid to speed up to 2.4–2.7 mph on the troll; Superior fish like a chase.

That’s the word from the big lake. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Superior Duluth fishing report.

We’re sitting on a cool, stable early‑summer pattern around the Head of the Lakes. Air temps today ride the mid‑50s near dawn, pushing into the mid‑60s by afternoon, with light northwest breeze on the lake and a bit more puff out of the harbor. Clouds are in and out, with a few light showers possible later, but no serious storms in the mix. Sunrise hits right around 5:15 a.m., sunset near 9 p.m., so you’ve got a long window to work prime light.

Superior doesn’t have true tides, but we do see seiche‑driven level changes. Nothing dramatic on tap today, but pay attention if the wind swings; a stiff east or northeast can bump water levels and push bait around the Duluth Entry and up along Park Point.

Water temps in the western arm are still cool, generally mid‑40s to low‑50s, warming a bit in the harbor and St. Louis River. That’s kept the nearshore bite decent. Anglers out recently have been doing well on **lake trout** and a few **coho** trolling along the North Shore breaks, with the better action inside of 80 feet. Mixed reports of **walleyes** and a few **pike** in the St. Louis River, plus **smallmouth bass** waking up on rock and rubble shorelines.

Recent catches around Duluth include steady numbers of smaller lakers with occasional bigger fish sliding into the teens. A few scattered coho and steelhead are still being picked off by the more dedicated trollers, especially early and late in the day. In the river, folks are putting a handful of eater‑sized walleyes in the box on dragging rigs and jigs, while bass anglers are reporting decent numbers but lots of short strikes in that cool water.

Best bite windows: dawn through mid‑morning and again from about 7 p.m. to dark. Midday is tougher unless you’re working deeper structure or running long, stealthy trolling passes.

On **lures and bait**:

- For lake trout and coho on the big lake, run **silver/blue and orange‑bellied spoons**, plus smaller **flasher‑fly combos** in green or chartreuse. A white or glow dodger with a green fly has been a quiet producer.

- Inside 60 feet, long‑line or lead‑core spoons and shallow divers will get it done. Out deeper, downriggers and dipsy divers are still the tools.

- In the St. Louis River, **jig and minnow**, **jig and half‑crawler**, or a **live‑bait rig with leeches** are putting walleyes in the net. Bright chartreuse, gold, or parrot‑style jig heads have been solid in the stained water.

- For smallmouth, work **3–4 inch paddle‑tails**, **tubes**, and **Ned rigs** in natural goby or green pumpkin colors along riprap, bridge pilings, and rock points. A simple slip‑bobber and leech will still out‑fish plastic on tougher days.

Couple of **hot spots** to put on your list:

- **Duluth Entry and shipping channel edges**: troll spoons just outside the traffic lanes at first light, then slide deeper as the sun climbs. Watch your electronics for bait pods stacking on breaks.

- **St. Louis River – around Barker’s Island and up toward the Oliver Bridge**: drift jigs or pull slow‑death rigs along channel edges and current seams for walleyes, then slide shallower and pitch plastics for smallmouth once the sun warms things up.

Water’s still cold enough to be dangerous, so wear the life jacket and keep an eye on that Superior wind shift. She turns on you fast.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Superior fishing report for the Duluth shoreline and nearshore waters.

We’re sitting on cool water and a stable pattern. Around Duluth this morning, temps are starting in the low 50s, working into the 60s lakeside with a light northwest to north breeze keeping the big lake chilled. Skies are partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of a light shower later, but no big blows expected. The lake is running cold as usual, mid‑40s surface just offshore, a touch warmer in the inner harbor and along the Park Point shallows.

Sunrise is right around a quarter after five, with sunset just after nine in the evening, giving a long low‑light window. Lake Superior doesn’t have a real tide, but you will see a slight seiche and water level bounce with the wind. Treat first light, last light, and any wind shift as your “tides.”

Cold water fish are active. Charter chatter out of Duluth and Two Harbors has been steady: mixed bags of lake trout with a few bonus coho and the odd brown trout suspended over 80–150 feet. Nearshore, smallmouth bass and walleyes have been picking up in the St. Louis River estuary and along the Wisconsin side of the bay as that water creeps warmer.

For the big lake, think classic Superior program:

- Lake trout: long‑line or downriggers pulling spoons and stickbaits. Silver/blue, green/glow, and watermelon patterns have been producing. Medium spoons and deep‑diving crankbaits run 40–80 feet down over deeper water are the ticket.

- Coho and browns: smaller spoons and bright orange or firetiger sticks up higher in the column during low light.

Best “bait” out here is all artificial:

- Spoons like NK‑style and similar in mixed metallic and glow.

- Deep cranks in natural smelt, cisco, and perch patterns.

Run them off downriggers, dipsies, or leadcore, and don’t be afraid to cover water until you mark a pod of fish.

Inside the harbor and river, live bait comes into play:

- Walleyes: jig and a fathead or shiner, or a live‑bait rig with leeches along channel edges and current seams.

- Smallmouth: tube jigs, Ned rigs, and small paddle‑tails in green pumpkin or smelt colors around rock piles, pilings, and riprap.

Couple of local hot spots to circle on your mental map:

- The North Shore troll out of McQuade Safe Harbor toward Knife River: work 60–150 feet, zig‑zagging to follow bait schools.

- The St. Louis River estuary and around the Superior entry: evenings and low light, pitching jigs for walleyes and smallmouth along breaks and current edges. When the wind lays down, slip bobbers with leeches can quietly mop up.

Fish activity should be best at dawn and dusk with that long daylight, and on any overcast stretch midday. Watch your graph, stay on the bait, and adjust your depth often—Superior rewards the tinkerers.

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This is **Artificial Lure** with your Lake Superior Duluth fishing report.

We’re sitting on a cool Northland morning along the big lake. The National Weather Service in Duluth is calling for light winds out of the west around 5–10 knots, small chop on the open lake, and cool temps hugging the 50s near the water, creeping into the 60s inland as the day goes on. Skies are partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of a light sprinkle later, but nothing that should push folks off the water. Sunrise over the lake is right around 5:15 a.m., with sunset close to 9 p.m., giving you a long, fishable day with that classic soft evening light on the harbor.

Lake Superior isn’t a tidal water, but the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab notes small seiche and water-level fluctuations driven by wind; nothing today that should affect boat access or nearshore structure—just keep an eye on wind shifts that can stack bait along windward shorelines.

Water temps from recent Minnesota DNR and USGS nearshore readings have been in the upper 40s to low 50s right outside the shipping canal, warming into the mid‑50s in the inner harbor and the St. Louis River. That’s kept fish active but still a bit scattered, with cooler nearshore pockets holding trout and salmon, and warmer stained water pushing walleye and smallmouth into a solid early-summer pattern.

Recent reports from local charter captains out of the Duluth-Superior harbor have been good: mixed bags of **lake trout** and **coho salmon**, with a few **chinook** and bonus **steelhead** coming on long-lines and downriggers. Most boats are reporting 5–15 fish per trip when conditions line up, with lakers making up the bulk. Productive depths have been 60–140 feet off the Park Point sandbar and out toward the Wisconsin side, running baits just off bottom for trout and higher in the column for coho.

Best lures on the big water have been:

- Silver/green and silver/blue **spoons** in smaller sizes for coho and steelhead.

- Larger white or glow **flutter spoons** and simple white **tube flies** behind flashers for lakers.

- For chinook, run bright **orange or UV spoons** and meat rigs deeper during mid‑day.

Inside the harbor and up the St. Louis River, local bait shops are reporting steady **walleye**, with mixed **smallmouth bass** and a few **northern pike**. Typical evening walleye numbers are 3–10 fish per boat, with some keepers in the 15–19 inch range and the occasional bigger fish. Best bets are slip bobbers and jig‑and‑minnow combos along channel edges, current seams, and the first breaks off rip‑rap.

Best baits and presentations right now:

- **Live fathead minnows** or half a **nightcrawler** on a 1/8 oz jig, slowly dragged or popped along bottom.

- **Slip bobbers** with leeches set 1–3 feet off bottom around rock piles and bridge pilings.

- For smallmouth, throw **green pumpkin tubes**, **Ned rigs**, and small **white swimbaits** along rocky shorelines and pilings.

If you’re shore fishing, cast spoons, spinners, or small crankbaits from the Minnesota and Wisconsin Points shipping canal piers at first light and last light; coho, steelhead, and bonus lakers will cruise through, especially when there’s a little chop and cloud cover.

A couple of hot spots to circle for today:

- **Minnesota Point / Park Point outside the canal**: Troll spoons and flasher‑flies in 60–120 feet, focusing on subtle temperature breaks and bait marks on your graph. Great area for mixed trout and salmon when the wind cooperates.

- **St. Louis River channel edges from the Bong Bridge up toward Spirit Lake**: Anchor or drift jigs and slip bobbers along 10–18 feet of water. Walleyes are relating to current breaks, and smallmouth are tight to rock and wood.

For an easy win with the kids or anybody new to the lake, slip bobbers and leeches near structure in the inner harbor will usually put something in the net, even during mid‑day.

That’s your Duluth–Superior fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Duluth-area Lake Superior fishing report.

We’re riding a cool early-summer pattern on the big lake. Air temps around Duluth sit in the upper 40s at first light, pushing into the low 60s this afternoon under mostly clear to partly cloudy skies. Light northwest wind this morning, 5–10 knots, building a touch mid‑day, then laying down again toward evening. Waves on the open lake are running 1–2 feet, a little less tucked in by the breakwalls.

Sunrise is right around 5:15 a.m., with sunset just after 9 p.m., so you’ve got a long, fishable window. The best bite windows lately have been the first two hours after sunrise and the last couple before dark, especially when that surface chop picks up just a bit.

Lake Superior doesn’t have a true tide, but you’ll see minor seiche swings with the wind. When that northwest breeze stacks a little water up on the Wisconsin side and then relaxes, watch for a short burst of current around the canal and river mouths — that’s been enough to kick the bite into gear.

Recent action has been solid for **lake trout**, **coho**, and a few bonus **king salmon** out deeper, with **walleyes** and **smallmouth** doing well in the St. Louis River and near‑harbor structure. Charter captains out of Duluth and Knife River have been reporting mixed bags of 3–8 lake trout a trip, with a couple of coho and an occasional king when they work 80–160 feet of water off the edges of the shipping lanes. Average lakers are running 3–6 pounds, but there’ve been some low‑teens fish in the mix.

Best big‑lake program has been a classic spread: downriggers and dipsy divers pulling spoons and flashers. Glow green, orange, and hammered silver spoons in the 3–4 inch range have been hot. White or green flasher with a matching fly is still putting fish in the box. If you’re a caster instead of a troller, work heavier jigging spoons or 1–1½ ounce white tube jigs vertically over 80–120 feet on any marks you see.

Inside the harbor and up the St. Louis River, walleye anglers are doing well on jig‑and‑minnow combos and slip bobbers with leeches. Chartreuse, gold, and firetiger have been the go‑to jig colors. Most folks are reporting enough eaters for a fish fry, with the occasional 20‑plus‑inch fish. Smallmouth have been hanging around rock piles and riprap; 3–4 inch paddle‑tails, Ned rigs, and small crankbaits in natural shiner or perch patterns are producing steady action.

A few **hot spots** to circle:

- The **Duluth entry to just outside the lift bridge**: early‑morning coho and the occasional king cruising bait pods just off the surface. Run small orange or red‑dot spoons high in the column.

- The **21‑ to 27‑line off Two Harbors and Knife River**: good laker numbers working the breaks. Watch your sonar for bait and run your spread 5–15 feet above marks.

- Inshore, the **St. Louis River channel edges and flats near Boy Scout Landing and Spirit Lake**: solid walleye and smallmouth action, especially toward sunset.

Live bait: for the river, bring fathead minnows and leeches. For the lake, you’re mostly running artificial — just make sure your hooks are sharp and your leaders are fresh. Fluorocarbon in the 12–20 pound range has been the sweet spot for most trolling rigs.

That’s the rundown from the North Shore. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

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