June 18, 2026
Lake Superior Lake Trout Heat Up: Your Duluth Fishing Guide for Cool North Shore Days
This is Artificial Lure with your Duluth and Lake Superior fishing report.
We’ll start with the basics. According to the National Weather Service Duluth office, we’re looking at a cool North Shore day: morning temps in the low 50s, climbing into the 60s lakeside with a light northeast breeze. Skies are partly to mostly cloudy, with a small chance of a light sprinkle, but no real washouts expected. Sunrise today came a little after 5 a.m., with sunset a bit after 9 p.m., giving you a long, bright window to work the low-light bites.
Lake Superior doesn’t have real tides like the ocean, but the Lake Superior Maritime folks note minor seiche and water-level swings with wind. With today’s lighter winds, you can expect fairly stable levels and manageable chop close to shore, though that northeast breeze can still stack a bit of water and cool surface temps along the Duluth side.
On to the fish. Local reports from Duluth bait shops and charter captains out of the harbor say the **lake trout** bite has been solid in 80–150 feet off the Wisconsin side and out past the Aerial Lift Bridge. Spoons in green/silver, blue/silver, and UV patterns run off downriggers at 40–90 feet have been putting nice eaters and a few big marks in the net. A couple of boats this week reported 6–10 lakers per trip, with the better action when the sun is low and the boat can run a gentle zig-zag to cover contour edges.
**Coho salmon** are still hanging around in scattered pods. Charters and serious trollers are picking 2–5 per outing, mixed with lakers, on smaller orange or red/orange spoons and thin trolling crankbaits. Long leads and higher in the column – 15–40 feet down – are getting the more aggressive fish, especially during the first two hours after sunrise.
Closer to town, St. Louis River regulars report a decent **walleye** bite from the Clyde Avenue area downstream toward Spirit Lake and the flats. Jig-and-minnow or jig-and-plastic combos in chartreuse, gold, and parrot colors are producing; a lot of folks are dragging live-bait rigs with leeches or crawlers on the channel edges and inside turns. The bite has been better toward evening, with some boats seeing 5–12 fish, mostly eaters with the odd 20-plus inch walleye in the mix.
Shore anglers along the Lakewalk, Canal Park, and the shipping canal have been picking off a few **coho, steelhead, and incidental smallmouth**. Casting medium spoons, 3–4 inch paddletails, or twitching minnow baits has been best. Water’s still cool enough that mid-morning can fish okay if clouds hang around.
For panfish and bass, inland lakes just up the hill – places like Island Lake and Fish Lake – have produced steady **bluegill, crappie, and largemouth/smallmouth bass** according to local resort and bait shop chatter. Slip bobbers with small leeches or waxies around reeds and emerging cabbage are getting panfish, while 3–4 inch plastics and topwaters toward evening are taking bass.
Best lures and baits right now around Duluth and Superior:
- For lake trout and coho: metallic and UV spoons, magnum stickbaits, and flasher-fly combos in green, blue, and orange patterns.
- For walleye: 1/8–1/4 oz jigs with fatheads, leeches, or paddle-tail plastics; live-bait rigs with leeches or crawlers.
- For shore fishing: casting spoons, white or smelt-colored swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits.
- For panfish: small tube jigs, tiny twisters, and plain hooks under a float tipped with leeches or waxies.
A couple of hot spots to circle:
- The **Duluth shipping canal and outer harbor** for mixed trout and salmon early and late, especially on calm or lightly breezy days.
- The **St. Louis River channel edges from Spirit Lake up toward the Bong Bridge**, where current and structure come together for consistent walleye and occasional pike.
That’s the latest from the big lake and its backyard waters.
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