Traverse City Fishing Report – Incredible Salmon Action Wraps Up as Fall Fishing Continues

The past week has been nothing short of incredible for king salmon fishing on Lake Michigan. Customers aboard the Storm Hawk enjoyed outstanding action, with mature salmon staging just outside the Boardman River. Many of the fish were dark and ready to begin their spawning run, making for an exciting week and some impressive catches. With strong south winds and heavy rain in the forecast, we expect many of these mature salmon to begin moving into the river system over the next several days. While there should still be opportunities to catch staging kings over the next week or two, our focus will gradually begin shifting to some of Northern Michigan’s outstanding fall fishing opportunities. As the mature salmon move upriver, we’ll spend more time targeting second- and third-year king salmon along with cisco. We’ve already been catching cisco while fishing away from The Hole, and we expect that bite to continue improving. The west side of West Grand Traverse Bay, including the White Walls and around the island, can provide excellent opportunities during this time of year. October also marks the beginning of one of our favorite seasons—perch fishing. Once the Storm Hawk is pulled from the water in mid-October, we’ll be focusing many of our trips aboard the Alumacraft, targeting jumbo perch. These trips are perfect for families, first-time anglers, and anyone looking to bring home some of the best-eating fish Lake Michigan has to offer. As a reminder, the lake trout season closes on September 30. Please respect the regulation and avoid intentionally targeting lake trout after the season closes. We still have openings available throughout the next month. Whether you’re looking to chase king salmon, target cisco, or enjoy a fun day of perch fishing, our Traverse City fishing charters offer a great way to experience everything fall has to offer on Lake Michigan.