Fall Fishing Frenzy on Lake Superior - Duluth Area Report

Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, October 15th fishing report for Lake Superior and the Duluth area.The sun’s on the rise at 7:22 AM this morning, with sunset rolling in at 6:22 PM. We’re right on the heels of a full moon, which brought some active overnight fishing times—major feeding windows hit around 10:34 AM–12:34 PM and again late tonight between 10:43 PM–12:43 AM. Locals have been working both the pre-dawn and dusk bites with good results.Weather’s clear, crisp, and classic North Shore—temperatures kicking off at 41°F before warming near 52°F by midday. Winds have calmed after last week's blustery stretch, leaving most of the big lake glassy and open for boaters and shore casters alike. No tides here, but the wind patterns have shifted some baitfish close to structure, especially in the morning.The Duluth area is in the middle of peak fall fishing, with water temps in Lake Superior and connected waters holding in the low 60s, similar to what was noted across other north country lakes over the past few days. That means salmon and trout have continued their fall runs. According to Minnesota Outdoor News and local guides, salmon—particularly coho and a few bonus chinook—are stacking up near stream mouths and river inflows. Anglers have been putting up double-digit catches in the hottest windows, with fish ranging up to 8 lbs. Trout have been spotted higher in the water column, especially in the cooler, clear stretches along the shore.Walleye are making their move into deeper holes and are hugging drop-offs near the south shore and harbor approaches. Reports have been steady for boats vertical jigging around 22-30 feet with frozen shiners—chartreuse, gold, and glow-white jigs are outperforming everything else.Perch and northern pike have chimed in with the warm spell: folks targeting cabbage or eelgrass patches near bays like Barker’s Island in Superior and the Lester River mouth are finding good mixed bags. Perch up to 12”, pike getting longer, pushing the mid-30” mark, with lively minnow rigs and flashy swim jigs getting their attention.Recent days have also brought in schools of crappie and smallmouth hugging shallow weedlines and rocky points. Local hotshots are using spinners tipped with leech or crawler for crappies and switching to paddle tails and tubes for the bass.Best lures and bait for today:- For trout & salmon: bright spoons (silver/blue, orange), floating spawn sacs, or smaller crankbaits.- For walleye: vertical jigging with frozen shiners on green/gold/chartreuse heads.- For perch: small jigs with live minnows, or gold-colored blade baits.- For pike: weedless swimbaits (white, firetiger), large jerkbaits, and live suckers.A couple of hotspots to target:- Mouth of French River: Still seeing big runs of coho, with trout biting in the current breaks.- Park Point & the canal area: Walleye and perch frequent these structure-rich stretches, close to deeper breaks—you want to hit these during the afternoon major feeding window.- Lester River mouth: Especially good for shore anglers chasing trout and salmon.For gear, most locals are running 7-foot medium rods with braided main line and fluorocarbon leaders, switching out for heavier setups when pike and big trout are on the menu. Strike King Z-Too Soft Jerkbaits and Swim Senko Paddle Tails are getting nods this week for versatility on both bass and walleye.That wraps up today’s report—enjoy the fast fall bite while it lasts! Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe for more fishing stories and tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1PnThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial...