Lake Superior Outdoor Fishing Report – Sept. 25, 2025

Apostle Islands

Water surface temperatures currently range from the low to mid-60s. Lake trout fishing has been good throughout the islands and should continue to be good through the remainder of the lake trout season, which ends on Sept. 30. All summer, anglers have reported good numbers of larger 25-30-inch plus lake trout, but recently some anglers have been reporting limits of 17-20-inch fish as well. Successful anglers are mostly fishing 40-80 feet down over 100-150 feet of water, as well as near the bottom, using spoons and flashers. Anglers are reporting catching decent numbers of coho salmon (18-25 inches), along with a few brown trout (20-28 inches) and splake (15-20 inches) in 20-80 feet of water in front of river mouths and along island shorelines using spoons, crankbaits, dodgers and flashers.

Chequamegon Bay

Water temperatures are generally in the low to mid-60s for much of the bay. Smallmouth bass fishing continues to be very good, with successful anglers primarily targeting rock piles and structure in 15-30 feet as well as structure along the Ashland and Washburn shorelines. Anglers targeting walleye (15-20 inches) are reporting success trolling with stick baits and crawler harnesses along weed lines on the Ashland and Washburn shorelines and out from second landing in 15-30 feet. A few northern pike (26-34 inches) are also being caught over weeds. The whitefish bite inside the bay has been very hit and miss recently, with a few anglers reporting fair numbers of 17-20-inch fish in 30-65 feet near the green can, Ashland Lighthouse, Houghton Point and Long Island. A few anglers are reporting fair success along the western shoreline of the bay, targeting brown trout (20-28 inches), splake (15-20 inches) and coho salmon (18-24 inches).

Cornucopia/Port Wing

Water temperatures are in the upper 50s to low 60s for most of the south shore area. Fishing has been fair for lake trout (17-23 inches), with successful anglers mainly targeting near the surface or near the bottom in 100-plus feet of water using spoons and flashers. Anglers targeting staging coho salmon (18-23 inches) have had fair success trolling in 20-60 feet of water near river mouths using spoons, dodgers and flashers. There have been no recent reports for walleye.

Saxon

Water temperatures are being reported in the low 60s. Anglers are catching decent numbers of lake trout (17-28 inches) using spoons and flashers near the bottom and mid-water column in 100-plus feet. A few coho salmon (18-23 inches) and brown trout (20-28 inches) have been reported staging nearshore in 20-80 feet.  

Superior 

Walleye fishing has been good in and near the harbor, with some limits of 15–20-inch fish being reported. Walleye anglers are trolling with crankbaits and crawler harnesses and vertical jigging with crawlers or minnows. Anglers targeting salmon and trout have reported decent catches of lake trout (20-28 inches) and a coho salmon (18-23 inches).

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.

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