Catch more salmon and trout this summer. Part 2, Adjusting to Water Temperature
Captain Andy Derwinski
JEDI Sportfishing Charters
Kenosha, WI
Lake Michigan fishing is like a puzzle with a few of the pieces missing. At least this is how it feels some days. Just when you think you have it figured out, here comes the twist of the week. After 30 years of fishing Lake Michigan from over 20 different ports, there are a few things that remain constant. The most important key to consistently catching fish is location. In the last article we discussed location in relation to information available. Fishing reports, local bait shops and captains, and yesterdays info all help us pick a starting point. So what do we do if we have no information? What if we choose a location and the fish aren't there? Where do we go now?
Most days, water temperature will determine fish location. If we break it down into seasonal patterns, it can begin to make sense.
Spring in my part of Wisconsin starts in mid April. The fishing can be excellent one day and downright aggravating the next. The key here is to find the warmest water in the area. Sometimes it's the filtration discharges. Other days it's runoff from the rivers and streams. Still other days it is small pockets of warmer water located along the shoreline. However, as spring progresses into late May, the warm water pockets are often located well off shore. A great tool is on the web. Just Google "coast watch". There you can find satellite images showing lake surface temperatures. As I sit here in the dead of winter, the warmest water on the lake is 37.7 degrees. A small pocket located halfway between Kenosha and South Haven, right in the middle of the lake.
As June approaches, the water begins to set up with summer thermo clines. Currents begin to form as the lake rolls north and south from winds and the earth's rotation. These currents will hold colder water and higher oxygen levels. These currents also hold the bait fish. Once the alewives have stopped spawning, they move offshore and move with the currents.
So much has been written over the years about preferred temps for the various Lake Michigan species. However, with a reduced bait population and almost no smelt, food often becomes the main factor for fish location. In a perfect world a big Chinook could spend his entire life swimming in 52 degree water and there would always be plenty of food. This is why June becomes a challenge as the bait begins to move. Cold water doesn't mean a thing if the bait is elsewhere. So, until the summer thermo cline sets up, the late spring/ early summer focus is on bait.
As summer approaches, cold water is the key. Last summer we had west winds for a week followed by 2 weeks with no wind. The west wind brought cold water near shore. The shore temps were down to 39 degrees for several weeks. It made for fantastic fishing right off the beaches. Mixed catches of all 5 species, even Lakers, were common in 30 to 40 feet of water.
Other times during summer we may be anywhere from 150 to 300 feet of water with a major temp break 90 to 120 feet down. The pocket of cold water may extend for miles or maybe only a few hundred yards. Finding these cold pockets can be a challenge. You need to keep moving until active fish are located. A downrigger temp probe is very helpful at this time of year. Also, keep checking surface temps on coast watch for pockets of colder water near shore.
Finally, as the lake starts to cool, you need to move with the falling temps. Spawning fish will move to shore if the water remains warm. However, the main schools will wait till the shores cool.
Once the spawn is over, the focus is on bait again. As the lake temps fall, the last few pockets of warmer water will concentrate the bait. We've trolled in 20 feet of water in October and watched huge schools of alewives pass under the boat like a giant silver ribbon. It can be a challenged to beat Mother Nature with all the free food around, but the rewards in October can be great.
Next month I will cover in detail a plan for early season Brown trout.
Feel free to contact me for local reports for the Kenosha area. I don't normally respond to text messages, a call is always better. For more info on the lake and what it has to offer, check the website at http://www.jedisportfishing.com
The JEDI fishes daily from late April through October for salmon and trout from the Port of Kenosha. Kenosha is consistently ranked the best charter fishing port in Wisconsin by the Wisconsin DNR.
I am Captain Andy Derwinski, owner and captain of the JEDI. For the best adventure on the lake, give me a call. 414-788-6603