Lake Superior Fishing: Late Summer Prime Time
Good morning from Duluth—Artificial Lure here with your Lake Superior fishing report for August 31, 2025.We’re wrapping up August with prime fishing conditions across the big lake and the St. Louis River. The sun came up at 6:27 a.m. and will slide below the horizon at 7:53 p.m. The lake is pancake-flat early, and surface temps are clocking in at about 55°F, keeping the bite hot for both lake trout and salmon, just as the “Duluth Daily Fishing Report” has been pointing out lately.Today’s weather brings a classic late summer treat—bright sun all day and a high near 80, with a relaxed southwest breeze just tickling the tops of the pines. No precipitation rolling in until tomorrow night, so today’s a perfect day to chase a mixed bag. If you’re an early riser, you’re already ahead—morning bites on Lake Superior are strong, especially before the midday sun gets high.Right now, the seasonal change is fueling aggressive feeding from coho salmon and lake trout. Both are running close to shore in cooler water, making casting from boat and bank equally successful. The reports this week are full of nice limits—cohos up to 3 pounds, and some chunky lakers pushing 12 pounds, with a couple of 20+ pounders netted offshore. The last few days saw scattered walleye and even some bonus northern pike mixed in from the rivers and harbor edges.Big news this week comes from right under our noses: a record-old lake trout, estimated at 62 years, was landed just off Duluth. According to CBS Minnesota, it's drawing some big crowds and bigger stories dockside.Now to the tackle box—grab those spoons and stickbaits. Chartreuse and silver, or fire tiger patterns, are still doing the trick for coho and lake trout. Trolling with brightly colored Flutter Spoons or NK-28s at 40–80 feet is ideal, and don’t be afraid to run a planer board in the top 20 feet early. Jigging white soft plastics or bucktails near deeper drop-offs is working well for lakers too, especially near rocky structure.If you’re after walleye or pike in the St. Louis River, try crankbaits (Rapala Shad Raps, perch pattern), or jig with fathead minnows. The walleye bite is best at dusk, and leeches on live-bait rigs can still coax a few extra hits in the evening.For hot spots, two locations should be on your radar:- The shipping channel just east of the Aerial Lift Bridge—trout and salmon are holding tight to cooler flows there.- The mouth of the St. Louis River around Barkers Island—walleye, northern, and even the odd smallmouth caught this week.If you’re up for a little adventure, head up the shore to McQuade Harbor or venture out from Brighton Beach for late-summer cohos pushing close to the surface. Don’t overlook a sunset trolling run—those purple skies over the lake at dusk can trigger a flurry of bites.Finally, no need to worry about tides on Superior—it’s all about wind and weather shifts, and today, those are right in your favor.That’s the story from the water. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for tomorrow’s report. This has been a Quiet Please Production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai.Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1PnThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI