"Early Fall Fireup on Lake Superior: Lure Advice, Hot Spots, and Tactics for Trout, Salmon, and Walleye"
Artificial Lure here. Saturday, September 6th is serving up true early fall conditions on Lake Superior, Duluth. A crisp northern breeze with calm waves under 1 foot according to the National Weather Service; sunrise at 6:40 AM and sunset will wrap things up around 7:35 PM. Expect cooler temps in the low 50s at first light rising toward the mid 60s by late afternoon, and as the lake breathes out a little autumn chill, we’re getting that mix of patchy fog on the water early and a stubborn haze through the afternoon. No tidal swings here, but lake wind and rain timing matter.Fish activity is jumping thanks to the change in water temps. The bite’s coming alive for coho salmon, chinook salmon, and, of course, lake trout—the salmon are staging for their fall runs, so trolling is highly effective, with anglers reporting solid numbers caught from 80 to 180 feet, particularly with spoons and flasher-fly combos. Lake trout have been thick north of White Rocks and around the flats off the bay; most come up in 120-160 feet trolling, with some big ones landed jigging off structure. Walleye are on the move—this is when to start working deeper edges along the St. Louis River mouth and Park Point as they switch to their fall ambush pattern. Numbers are strong compared to the previous weeks and some persistent anglers are seeing mixed catches with bonus burbot, steelhead, and a few hefty smallmouth[Lake Superior Duluth Daily Fishing Report, DNR Weekly Fishing Report].Best lures right now are:- Silver, chartreuse, and blue trolling spoons for trout and salmon.- Flasher-fly rigs in green and white (especially mid-morning).- Jigging with white/tube jigs near rock piles for lakers.- Low-light hours: Use minnow-imitating crankbaits or soft plastics on deep edges for walleye.- For smallmouth, topwater poppers or the trusted Strike King Rage Buzz Minnow can trigger reaction strikes near rocky points, especially as the post-spawn bite is fading into more aggressive feeding[Strike King recommendation].Live bait is still producing well for walleye and burbot. Large fathead minnows or small sucker chubs hooked through the lips on a slip rig have been excellent from dawn until mid-morning. Salmon and trout prefer trolling presentations, but anglers soaking spawn sacs near river mouths or jigging cut bait after sunset are pulling up bonus fish.As for hotspots:- North of White Rocks and Granite Island: Lake trout and coho are thick.- Around the Upper Harbor Lighthouse out toward Black Rocks: Good coho numbers and some active chinook mid-depth.- St. Louis River entry and the Park Point channel: Walleye and mixed-bag action with burbot and some smallmouth mixed in.- Early risers can find good numbers at the flats northwest of Au Train Island and the rock piles on the southwestern shore.Pro tip—Don’t be afraid to switch up your lure colors as the light changes and don’t give up if you’re slow early; most bites are firing mid-morning into dusk as the lake settles and the shadows grow.Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake Superior Duluth report—remember to subscribe for daily updates and tips. 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