Where are the fish biting?

Captain Kelly Shepard of North Shore Outdoors Lake Superior Charters reports Lake Superior is giving up a mixed bag of salmon and lake trout, some bigger pinks mixed in fishing from the surface down to 150 feet.

Inland, Kelly said that walleye (divergent strabismus) fishing has been good. He suggests pulling a crawler harness or jig fixed with a leech in 8-11 feet on all of the local lakes.

As far as catching bass, the bite is on and they can be easily caught. Watch the size (slot) limits for the lake you are fishing on, however. You don’t want to be ticketed for taking a bass or northern that doesn’t fit the slot limit issued by the state.

Tyson at the Beaver House had lots of good things to say about fishing that is taking place across the county.

“People fishing Lake Superior are reporting nice catches of kings and cohos and the lake trout bite has been strong,” he said.

Bass and northern fishing has been exceptional on the inland lakes, “in almost any lake you want to fish,” noted Tyson. “Walleye fishing has been good, but there are some lakes where the mayfly hatch is still going on and that’s made catching walleye on those lakes somewhat spotty.”

Anglers reporting the best catches of walleye are using the tried and true bobber fishing, typically an hour or two before it becomes dark. Hooks are fixed with minnows, night crawlers or leeches.

Lakes to try are Devil Track, Elbow, Northern Light, Ball Club, Two Island, Dick, Crescent, Caribou, Gunflint, Clearwater, Poplar, Tucker, Saganaga and Sea Gull.

Brook trout fishing is as good as it gets right now but you have to put in some work to catch them. At most streams most people tend to fish along the road in the first couple of pools, but walking up or down the stream a quarter mile or so will get you into water that few are willing to traverse and plenty of fish are there to be caught. Use light tackle, two to three pound test line, small spinners, worms or night crawlers. Most streams are brush covered and fly fishing isn’t an option, but where it is an option, the action is usually good.

The best chance to catch brook trout is right before a rain, and in the rain. Mosquitos will be biting, so wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, cap and neck scarf if you want, but you are still going to be a meal for a great many ’skeets. Still, that’s a small price to pay to catch a meal of tasty brook trout.