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Fishing Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm: what the data says
260,338-acre section. The western tip off Duluth and Superior: kamloops and coho close to shore, lake trout on the shipping-lane drops and walleye out of the St. Louis estuary. The lake tops out around 756 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Trout fishing at Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 31 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Coho Salmon fishing at Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it St. Louis River estuary: a inflow / creek mouth around 22 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm
In spring, chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 5 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 50 to 120 ft, and winter fish settle into 30 to 90 ft. The spot to know is St. Louis River estuary, a inflow / creek mouth in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Steelhead fishing at Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm
Start shallow in spring: steelhead sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. They move out to 5 to 45 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 15 ft. The spot to know is St. Louis River estuary, a inflow / creek mouth in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Walleye fishing at Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm
Spring walleye on Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Offshore hump, a offshore hump in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in summer. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm
Spring lake whitefish on Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 40 to 90 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for fall lake whitefish. Best bite is early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm also holds burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 751 ft
- Deep hole: deep basin, around 709 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 458 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 450 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 351 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 316 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 186 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 175 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 161 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 95 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 89 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 74 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 54 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 42 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm?
Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm is about 756 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm?
Anglers target walleye, chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, lake whitefish, burbot on Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm?
St. Louis River estuary is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm?
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Sand · Pequaywan · Island Lake Rsvr(E.Basin) · Stewart · White · Wild Rice
See how Lake Superior - Duluth and the Western Arm stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best lake trout lakes in Minnesota · best lake whitefish lakes in Minnesota · best burbot lakes in Minnesota
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