Your odds of having a successful fishing venture on Lake Michigan this summer may be better than you think. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported that they are anticipating a strong season for Lake Michigan anglers based on early surveys. A big takeaway from the DNR was the numbers of steelhead, as well as chinook and coho salmon caught in 2020 and how 2021 is predicted to build off of that. DNR Great Lake District Fisheries Supervisor Brad Eggold says July and August are typical months for salmon and trout fishing to heat up.
Eggold says it’s a bit early to tell which fish will be the dominant species in harvest numbers, but does mention that chinook salmon fishing has proven quite popular.
The DNR staff’s 2020-2022 Lake Michigan stocking plan is to enhance fisheries management in the lake. Midway through that plan, here are the stocking totals as of Tuesday.
- 1,202,183 chinook salmon
- 514,657 coho salmon
- 430,313 steelhead
- 411,229 brown trout
- 50,077 brook trout
The DNR has plans to release fingerling fish into Lake Michigan this fall, as they typically release yearlings in the spring.
