Wisconsin Salmon fishing

    Salmon fishing is one of the most popular fishing sports
today and continues to grow in popularity. There are
different types of salmon, each with their own unique
characteristics and appeal to fishermen. The largest of
the Lake Michigan salmon is the Chinook Salmon, which can grow up
to 40 inches long and weigh as much as 45 pounds. 

Lake Michigan Coho Fishing

    The Coho Salmon is the second most valuable and important
salmon in the fishing industry. The Coho is also known as "silvers" because of their silvery sheen. These salmon are popular in seafood markets and are often sold whole to consumers. They are great for canning and for smoking. The Coho averages about 29 inches and weights approximately 9 pounds.
    The Pink Salmon is rarely caught.This is also the smallest of the salmon, weighing 4 pounds and averaging about 22 inches long. The Pink salmon is the least valuable of all the salmon, and it is found in the least abundance. Pink salmon are used mostly for canning and not for eating fresh over the coals.

Chinook Salmon Fishing

      Sport fishermen love the fishing charters available off the western shores of Lake Michigan.If you enjoy fishing, think about a charter to carry you to the best salmon fishing spots. Charters often offer sunset cruises as well, so you can sight see. You can charter a boat for a day or a week. Choose carefully, as there are many, and you'll want to choose just the right package for you. Choose carefully and you can enjoy some great fishing - and some great tasting fish!

Sheboygan Salmon Fishing

Chinook Salmon
Identification tips

Lake Michigan Salmon Fishing

Length: 20 to 35 inches

• Weight:3 to 45 pounds
• Coloring: iridescent green to blue-green on back; sides below lateral line silvery; to white underside
• Common Names: king salmon, tyee, spring salmon, quinnat
• Found in Lakes: Stocked in Michigan, Huron, Ontario, Erie and Superior
  

     Many Chinook Salmon end their days as trophies mounted on tavern and game room walls. In tribute to their size and character, they are also known as "king salmon."

Fishing Charters

     Chinook were the first Pacific salmon to be transplanted to other parts of the world, but the only notable success in creating self-sustaining stocks has been in New Zealand. A key factor in this general failure was that, like other Pacific salmon, Chinook salmon seek the stream of their birth to spawn and die. They have apparently failed to find the right kind of spawning streams along Lake Michigan, so continuous stocking is necessary to maintain the Chinook as one of the lake's most prized game fish.

     Chinook are generally caught by trolling. But as winter approaches and the lake becomes colder, they disappear in search of more suitable water temperatures. Some say they veer south along a route five to 15 miles offshore; others say that, unlike cohos, they simply move offshore into deeper water.
     For several reasons, this salmon species is especially popular with fish management agencies. They can be released five to six months after hatching and therefore are cheaper to hatch and stock than cohos, which require 14 to 16 months. During their four- to five-year lifespan, Chinook feed on large numbers of alewife and so put more pressure on the lake's Alewife population.