Great lakes fishing trip

Dave N

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
Messages
8,546
Location
Illinois
I've got my name in the hat for a hunt with Devon Deer but need a back-up plan since I never seem to get that lucky. We went salmon and halibut fishing on our last trip to Alaska and I've been thinking about doing a charter for salmon or whatever later this year. Never done it before. I'm open to ideas on where and when. Fall would work better, our anniversary is late September. I've looked around just a little and it seems like you get the entire boat for one price. Really want more folks along to help split the cost but don't know anyone to share with. I assume some charters will try to team up small parties. Maybe someone here would like to team up? If I knew someone with a boat to meet up with it would be great, but no such luck. Any ideas as far as a fishing location, time for the different seasons and runs, etc. would be a big help when I do my searching.

Thanks for looking.
 
I would go either Sturgeon Bay or Algoma in the summer for salmon. Depending how late in the fall you want to go, you could do Milwaukee Harbor for browns, lakers and salmon. How much lead time do you need?
 
Avoid upper Lake Michigan !!!! Ive charter fished Algoma for the last 12 yrs straight...and i'm not going back this yr. There's something wrong with the lake. GLangler mag opening talks about this problem. It has something to do with the alewives and plankton population. The last 2 yr have been horrible. Last yr we fished for 14 hrs over 2 days running 14 lines and got 5 small salmon. Avoid upper Lake Michigan for now. Check out some of the other Great Lakes. Ive heard good things about Lake Ontario salmon fishing.
 
Last edited:
I agree that the Brown Trout fishing is World Class right now out of Milwaukee Harbor. Eric Haataja is the guy to fish with !
 
I wish you brought this up for NEXT year. My daughter just joined the Army and we'll be running back east twice between bootcamp and AIT graduations and we don't know the dates yet, and I might end up turning in some of my tags to Colorado depending on her dates. I don't think I could afford to go in on a fishing trip too this fall, no matter how badly I want to.
 
What are u looking for ? We run a charter service out of detour, east end of the UP across the river from Drummond island
 
If any of you guys decide to fly in and fish Lakes Erie or Ontario send me a PM. I'm 1.5 hours from the Pittsburgh airport and within 2.5-3 from Cleveland or Buffalo. I could pick you up at the airport and split a charter with you. The charters I've been on work best with 4-5 guys anyways.
 
That's a nice offer! We'll be driving, so no airports. What do you normally fish for? What time of year for the various runs is best? I know, I could look it up. I'm open to about any time up until October. Then I plan on being in my deer stand! The wife and I are getting low on the Kings we brought home from Alaska and would like to put some fish back in the freezer again.
 
Dumper Dan Fishimg Charters out of Sheboygan

Headed there this summer with a group of Boy Scouts.

Fished with Nolans Top Gun Charters a few years back out of Sturgeon Bay for walleyes. He runs a salmon charter out of Port Washington. Someday I will go back for walleyes and smallies. Might want to check out his salmon operation.
 
My brother fished with Capt. Frank Grider on Southern Lake Michigan two years ago in August at the recommendation of a friend of his who fishes with Frank every year. They caught a lot of big Kings and other species as well. He has a good reputation from what I hear. He is located in the very SE corner of Wisconsin on Lake MI. I have a trip booked with him for August 8 for my family. We will also go see Wrigley field. His boat/business is called Twenty Four VII Charters, http://www.twentyfourviicharters.com/
This will be our first trip to the GL so I don't have first hand experience or knowledge.
 
Great lakes

I try to go out on a charter at least once a year on Lake Michigan and go out of Benton Harbor which is just north of Chicago. Starting in May you get a lot of coho and as the summer goes on you get less fish but they tend to be larger. By Labor Day the fishing tends to get less as a lot of the charter boats wind down for the season as the lake can get rougher and less clients. Charter rates are for the boat and most will take up to 6 passengers and that is usually for 5 hrs. Or limit, whichever comes first. You usually save a few dollars if you fish during the week and some charters have special deals if you do 2 trips with an over night stay.
 
Well, thanks for all the ideas, but that thing in my first post about not being real lucky? I did it. Looks like the wife and I are going across the pond this summer. That leaves out the fishing trip.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
Back
Top