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Best coho salmon lakes in Michigan

80 Michigan waters hold coho salmon, 76 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Aggressive schooling salmon that rides warmer, shallower water than kings — a spring nearshore brawler.

1. Lake Michigan — Little Traverse Bay and the Beaver Islands — 581 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
2. Lake Michigan — Michigan Northwest Shore — 690 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
3. Lake Superior — Marquette Shore — 798 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
4. Lake Superior — Keweenaw Peninsula — 850 ft max · survey depth data · Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
5. Lake Michigan — Michigan South Shore — 278 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Lake Michigan — Michigan Central Shore — 485 ft max · survey depth data · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Pere Marquette Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Platte Lake — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Dowagiac River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, SteelheadWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. Pere Marquette River — 8 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow TroutWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 5 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
11. St. Joseph River (MI) — 13 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
12. Osterhout Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Ben-way Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
14. Rush Lake — 58 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Pine Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Pickerel Lake — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
17. Bellows Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, BluegillWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Sylvan Lake — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Half Moon Lake — 82 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Elbow Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Island Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout, Brook TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Dodge Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout, Brook TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Sand Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
24. Sporley Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Scotts Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 55 more Michigan waters holding coho salmon.

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When to fish coho salmon in Michigan

• Spring 3–25 ft — The famous spring coho bite: schools stack in the warmest nearshore water and mud lines, often in the top 15 feet.
• Summer 30–70 ft — Cohos hold at and just above the thermocline — shallower than kings, and they hit moving baits hard.
• Fall 8–40 ft — Staging and running fish concentrate off river mouths; cohos stay aggressive right up to the spawn.
• Winter 20–60 ft — Mostly offshore and scattered.

Also in Michigan: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best cisco (lake herring) lakes · best splake lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best lake sturgeon lakes

Coho Salmon elsewhere: Ontario · British Columbia · Washington · Alaska · Idaho