Duluth North Shore Fishing Report: Cohos, Lakers, and Pinks Chasing Baitfish
Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Superior fishing report for Duluth and the surrounding North Shore, Saturday, August 30, 2025.We’re kicking things off under partly cloudy skies, temps hovering in the mid-60s this morning, reaching into the mid-70s by afternoon. Winds are light from the southeast at 4–7 knots—just enough ripple to get those fish feeling frisky. The lake’s nearly flat with a gentle 1-foot chop. No tidal influence here, but an incoming barometric trend is promising some stronger bites as the weather holds fair. First light hit at 6:24 this morning, and we’ll fish ‘til sunset at 8:05 tonight.Lake Superior’s late August run is firing up, especially as the water transition draws fish shallow ahead of the September chill. Coho salmon and lake trout are coming in strong, with most cohos falling in the 15–19 inch range, and lakers from 16–21 inches—these numbers are courtesy of the Duluth Daily Fishing Report and confirmed at boat launches by the regulars. Pink salmon are now moving up the creeks and rivers, especially after yesterday’s short burst of rain. Locals say the Lester River mouth is alive right now; walk stealthy along the gravel shallows and you’ll spot the first schools running up from the lake. Most pinks run 12–16 inches, feisty and fresh, best eaten soon as they’re caught. Try the Sucker River or Knife River if you’re chasing a mixed bag, as both are reporting surges of silvery fish working upstream.Over on the St. Louis River estuary, walleye are still biting well, particularly at dusk and during the midday lull. Folks are pulling eating-sized eyes jigging nightcrawlers and leeches along channel edges and rock bars, with the 20–25 foot depth band producing best. Slip bobbers paired with fathead minnows are converting pickier fish when the crankbait bite slows. Some big pike are also turning up near weedlines and along the structure at Barker’s Island.Best baits this week on the open lake for trout and salmon have been chartreuse and silver spoons run 40–60 feet behind downriggers, with bright orange crankbaits working closer to shore in the early morning. If you’re casting, try a pink or white Rattlin’ Rapala or a standard Cleo—lakers have been hammering these on a medium retrieve. Pinks can be surprisingly aggressive: small spinners, pink Vibrax, and even little slip floats with salmon eggs will draw strikes at creek mouths. On the river, live crawlers on small jigs, half a leech, or a worm drifted in the current are landing walleyes and the odd smallmouth.The hotspots today: - Lester River mouth—top spot for pink salmon making their August push.- St. Louis Bay by the Blatnik Bridge, working the drop-offs for walleye and channel cats.- Brighton Beach and the mouth of the Sucker River, both prime for mixed salmon and the occasional trophy lake trout cruising in to ambush smelt.A heads up: Hartley Park’s Tischer Creek is still running cold with decent flow—definitely worth a look for resident trout if you want to get away from the crowds. Respect the stream, use barbless hooks, and release native brookies if you catch them.That’s it for August 30. Thank you for tuning in to the Duluth fishing scene and be sure to subscribe for more lakefront hot tips, local weather, and on-the-water intelligence. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1PnThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI