Great Lakes Fishing Report & Forecast: September & October

Our fishing report is brought to you buy our valued partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and with our men on the water, Cannonball Runner Charters and Grand Bend Fishing Charters!

Lake Huron

I’ve been a licensed charter captain on the southern end of Lake Huron for 10 years. One of the things I’ve learned is that our fishery is constantly changing, and you need to adapt. You can never stop learning out here. I got invited to fish with one of my best friends from across the lake, Captain Ayvery Hubert. Over the past couple of years, we’ve spent a lot of time comparing notes and keeping our own friendly competition going for the biggest Lake Huron fish in each species between the boats. 

Ayvery consistently lands some of the biggest catches I’ve ever seen on Huron, so when the invitation came to head up and learn a few new tricks, there was no way I was passing it up. Ayvery and her dad, Steve, own Chum Bucket Charters out of Alpena, Michigan. Ayvery spent many years working as her dad's first mate, gaining valuable experience on the water before earning her captain's license at just 18 years old. Now in her third season at the helm of her own business, Ayvery's Angling Outdoors, she has established herself as a skilled and respected Lake Huron charter captain.

We arrived in Alpena the night before to get some rest before meeting Ayvery and Steve at the dock in Presque Isle for a 6 a.m. departure. Ayvery’s boat is a 26-foot Angler Quest Tritoon, fully set up with Traxstech equipment. I was really impressed with how it handled the chop. The amount of space was amazing, including the large fishing deck as well as the comfortable and spacious seating area. 

It was only about a five-minute run to the fish and Ayvery and her dad began setting lines. We had cool, overcast conditions, as well as off and on rain showers. It was the perfect recipe for a hot bite! We only had the second line in the water and we had a fish on already. 

It was nonstop action almost the entire trip with over 40 lake trout landed! We also boated a nice steelhead and beautiful Atlantic salmon, which was our top target as we only catch a handful of Atlantics per season back home. Lake Huron is famous for mixed bag catches and they get plenty of four, five, and even seven species catch days. 

Ayvery introduced us to the Gator Bait Tackle XL boards which we are now using back home. Because our waters are so clear, in line boards are a must. We’ve run different brands of boards over the years and these ones are the very best we have ever used. They ride so much nicer, require less line to achieve the same spread, and customers can retrieve them much easier, resulting in significantly fewer fish lost. 

What started as an opportunity to spend a day on the water turned into one of the most memorable fishing trips I've ever experienced. It was filled with stories, laughter, shared knowledge, and, of course, plenty of fish. Spending time with another Lake Huron charter captain, even one who fishes on the opposite side of the border, reinforced just how much we have in common. We share the same passion for the lake, face many of the same challenges, and are always searching for new ways to become better at what we do. I crossed a border expecting only to learn a few new tricks for catching fish. However, I also came home with something even more valuable — a reminder that the best captains never stop learning and a friendship I'll always cherish.

The trip also reminded me how fortunate I am to earn a living doing something I truly love. Even more meaningful is having friends who inspire you to keep learning and growing, pushing each other to become better captains. Lake Huron may separate us by an international border, but it also connects us through a shared passion for fishing, mutual respect, and friendships that are every bit as rewarding as the biggest fish we'll ever catch.

You can book a trip with Captains Steve and Ayvery Hubert of Chum Bucket Charters and Ayvery's Angling Outdoors by visiting chumbucketcharters.net.

Written by Captain Ryan Sharpe
Grand Bend Fishing Charters
GrandBendFishingCharters.com

Captain Ryan Sharpe

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Lake Erie

Author: Travis Hartman, From the Ohio Division of Wildlife

Fall walleye fishing is an exciting time for many, and understanding the science behind it can lead to better success. Walleye are spring spawners that develop most of their eggs prior to winter, meaning they need to consume high-value prey items as water temperatures drop. The abundant, calorie-rich food source that best fits their needs is gizzard shad. Gizzard shad are scattered along the shoreline from Cleveland to Port Clinton, matching the walleye migration path back to the western basin from the cooler waters of the central basin, where they spent much of their summer.

Fall surveys of adult walleye diets confirm what many anglers see: gizzard shad are the prime target. Five years of fall diet samples confirmed that over 50% of walleye stomachs contained gizzard shad. The larger the walleye, the more important gizzard shad became. Over 24% of females over 24 inches had gizzard shad in their stomachs. 

This has important implications for catching walleye in the fall. Sonar technology has improved by leaps and bounds over the past decade. Even basic sonar units show anglers water depth as they cruise and graph both walleye and prey fish. While finding prey fish is critical in any season, the open water nature of fall fishing elevates the importance of using sonar to improve your odds. Often, the best fishing occurs when gizzard shad are in schools in the top half of the water column. Look for the telltale sign of hooks under and around the gizzard shad, which indicates walleye are present.

Actively feeding walleye can be caught by numerous casting or trolling techniques, but trolling crankbaits that mimic gizzard shad is a great way to catch limits of walleye in the fall. It’s no surprise that many of the best crankbaits are 4 to 6 inches long with metallic color patterns, mimicking the gizzard shad walleye most often consume. The real benefit of trolling is the ability to place your crankbait spread at specific depths and adjust baits to the depth with the most active fish. On many fall days, the best lure depth is between 12 and 20 feet below the surface, in water depths from 30 to 50 feet.

Recent years have provided later fall fishing, as extended warm weather has kept the water temperature between 40 and 60 degrees in October, November, and even December. It’s important to note that Lake Erie is at the northern edge of the native range of gizzard shad, and they look for the warmest and most productive water as temperatures drop. In many cases, this means areas near Sandusky Bay, Huron, Vermilion, and Lorain, where water temperatures can be warmer, are prime spots to find gizzard shad and the walleye chasing them.

Bio: Travis is the Lake Erie fisheries program administrator for the Ohio Division of Wildlife at the Sandusky Fisheries Research Station, where he started as a harvest assessment biologist in 2003.

Photos courtesy of Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Lake Ontario

Well, it’s that time of year again: Fall. Where did the summer go? This year was one of the best brown trout fishing and salmon fishing of all time. But now as the leaves are turning, the salmon are waiting for some heavy rains to make their long run up the Salmon River. 

Thousands of people will be coming from all over the world to fish the famous Salmon River in Pulaski. This will be the main place that people will be concentrating, but there are also popular spots along the Black River and Niagara River. Drift boat fisherman, fly fisherman and all kinds. All tackle stores will be busting at the seams as this is when they make their money.

Salmon 20 pounds are better. I will be rushing to the river for the rights to the best gravel bars to spawn. They will be followed by steelhead and brown trout, as they’ll be trying to scoop up their eggs so the stream fisherman will be alive and well for the next several months waiting for the lake to open up again. Other fishing that would be good at this time is walleye fishing as Oneida Lake will have many boats and shore fisherman at night, along with Chaumont Bay — the land of the giants. 

Perch fishing is really coming on strong with all Finger lakes and Chaumont being the top producers. People and captains will be winterizing boats, putting them up and thinking about next season and the upcoming deer season. This is also a good time to take inventory of what you’re gonna need for next year. 

But all and all, the next season will be here sooner than you think, but the motors on the boats will be raving up and the snow will be melting as a new season begins. 

Tight lines my friends, 

Captain Edward Monette 

Cannonball Runner Charters

Lake Michigan

Fall fishing is heating up across Lake Michigan as Chinook and coho salmon begin staging near harbors, river mouths and spawning areas. While high winds and rough weather can often limit boat traffic in many areas, anglers are finding increasing opportunities both on the lake and from shore.

Fall fishing on northern Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay likes to heat up during the fall as well, with cooler temperatures bringing fish closer to shore. King salmon are the main attraction, offering hard-fighting runs and excellent table fare, while lake trout weighing 15 pounds or more are often found feeding aggressively. The bay also boasts a world-class smallmouth bass fishery that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Chinook salmon are the primary target, with coho, lake trout, steelhead and walleye providing additional opportunities. Salmon are being found at a variety of depths, often near baitfish, and fish are increasingly moving into shallower water and river systems as the season progresses.

For boat anglers, trolling and jigging remain productive, with spoons, plugs, J-plugs, flashers and flies among the effective options. Shore and river anglers find success with spoons, spinners, crankbaits, spawn and skein, including floating spawn under a bobber or drifting it through current.

Low-light periods during the day, especially early morning, evening and after dark, are particularly productive, with glow-colored lures working well for salmon.

Overall, the fall transition is creating more accessible fishing opportunities as salmon move closer to shore and into rivers, giving anglers fishing from boats, piers, harbors and shorelines a chance to get in on the action.

Lake Superior

September is the last month anglers can target Lake Trout (which is open through Sept 30th, closed October and November). Good numbers of 20-28” fish can be expected, along with the occasional trophy, for anglers from targeting 30-80 feet down in 50-150+ feet of water, especially adjacent to shallow structure or reefs, using spoons and flashers on downriggers, dipsy divers, or leadcore. 

For anglers who want to stay closer to shore, September and October can offer some of the best fishing of the year for coho salmon and brown trout. Coho salmon and our resident population of brown trout typically make their way into the tributaries to spawn from September through November and can be caught before making their run while staging in the lake along the mainland shoreline and in front of river mouths. 

Most anglers targeting these nearshore fish typically run a simple spread of crankbaits and spoons over 20-70 feet of water. Popular areas to target these fish are near Long Island, Houghton Point, and the Sioux River near Washburn, as well as river mouths near Saxon, Cornucopia, Bark Bay, and Port Wing. Stocked splake (15-20”) and brown trout (20-25”) also begin to move shallower as the water begins to cool, and can be caught in good numbers throughout the islands and along the mainland. Make sure to watch out for the occasional brook trout or steelhead (rainbow trout), as they have more restrictive size and bag limits (brook 20”, steelhead 26”, limit one each).

In the Chequamegon Bay, anglers can find walleye, smallmouth bass, and even whitefish feeding aggressively as cooling waters signal the approach of winter. Walleye fishing can be excellent in the fall for anglers fishing in and around weedbeds in 10-20’ along both the Ashland and Washburn sides of the bay. Trolling with crankbaits or crawler harnesses can be productive, as well as jigging with crawlers or minnows. Limits of 15-20” fish can be found, along with good numbers of fish less than 20”. Smallmouth bass fishing can heat up for anglers willing to target them. Excellent numbers of smallmouth (16-20”) can be found feeding aggressively on mid-bay rock piles, structures, and breaklines, as well as near rocky structures along the Ashland shoreline. And don’t forget about the whitefish, as 10-fish limits of 17-24” can be had for anglers using jigging raps, spoons, or vibratos.

Many tributaries, including North Fish Creek, Bois Brule, Flag, Cranberry, and Sioux rivers, have extended fishing seasons through November 15. Though Coho salmon, brown trout, and steelhead can be caught in the tributaries anytime in September and October, they are more likely to be encountered during the peak of each of their migrations in the tributaries. Spinners, spoons, and various crankbaits on medium and medium-heavy spinning gear are effective for catching lake-run fish. Fly anglers can be successful with various streamer, nymph, and egg patterns on seven to nine weight fly gear.  

The St. Louis River, which is a border water with Minnesota, is open to muskellunge fishing through November 30. The fishing season for other species such as walleye and northern pike extends through the winter. Anglers can find walleye along the channel contours by using minnow rigs and small to medium crankbaits. Use larger minnow rigs, crankbaits, and spinners to find muskellunge from 6 to 15 feet deep.

By: Karl J. Scheidegger