Fishing_Content Page_Lake Superior Outdoor Fishing Report

Lake Superior Outdoor Fishing Report – Dec. 26, 2025

Fishing Wisconsin

Chequamegon Bay

Anglers fishing off Ashland have reported 10-inch ice, and off the Washburn Coal Dock, 6-inch ice. Pressure cracks are forming throughout the bay, so please use extreme caution when traveling around and crossing over. Open water is present from Houghton Point north. Mixed results have been reported in our Creel Survey. Anglers fishing off of Ashland have been catching mostly yellow perch, with a few walleyes also being caught. Anglers fishing north of the Washburn Coal Dock have been reporting brown trout, splake, herring, coho and burbot. 

Superior Harbor/St. Louis River

Reports of ice ranging from 3 to 7 inches throughout the St. Louis River. Anglers are once again focused on Minnesota’s Park Point walk-on access points, targeting water depths of 6 to 9 feet for walleye, with sizes generally reported to be 16 to 21 inches, with occasional lake sturgeon bycatch. Better catches of walleye have been reported in the early morning vs. later in the day. Panfish are picking up with black crappie, yellow perch and pumpkinseed being consistently found throughout Kimball’s and Pokegama Bay. Currently, the total daily bag for walleye in the St. Louis River is two fish and a 15-inch minimum length requirement. The St. Louis River also recognizes Wisconsin's inland water regulations for certain panfish species (excludes black crappie). The fishing season is open all year with a 25-panfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed and panfish) in total daily bag limit and no minimum length. The shipping channel is still being actively used, and ice breaking occurs regularly near Park Point. 

Note: The daily limits and length requirements for various species in the St. Louis River may be different from Lake Superior. Please see the Wisconsin Fishing Regulations.

Ice Safety 

There is no such thing as safe ice. You cannot judge the strength of ice by one factor such as its appearance, age, thickness, temperature or whether the ice is covered with snow. Ice seldom freezes uniformly and can vary greatly in different areas of the same water body. It is important to know before you go. The DNR does not monitor local ice conditions or the thickness of the ice. Local bait shops, fishing clubs and resorts serve winter anglers every day and often have the most up-to-date information. If you’re heading out onto a frozen lake for the first time, check the ice yourself and check it often.

Ice Safety Tips:

  • Carry some basic safety gear: ice claws or picks, a cellphone in a waterproof case, a life jacket and a length of rope.
  • Dress warm in layers.
  • Don’t go alone. Head out with friends or family. Carry a cell phone with you and make sure someone knows where you are and when you are expected to return.
  • Know before you go. Don’t travel in areas you are not familiar with, and don’t travel at night during reduced visibility.
  • Avoid inlets, outlets or narrows that may have current that can cause thin ice.

 

REMINDER – Anglers must carry a paper copy of their license/stamps while fishing on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and the Wisconsin/Michigan, Wisconsin/Minnesota and Wisconsin/Iowa boundary waters.