Harbor Beach, Michigan boasts the largest fresh water harbor in the world and has long been a favorite spot for locals and visitors for salmon fishing. The best salmon fishing on Lake Huron in eastern Michigan is found in the Harbor Beach area because of the deeper, cooler water in the harbor area.
Types of Salmon
Chinook salmon or king salmon are the most commonly caught species at Harbor Beach, and are the largest of the salmon family and range up to 12 to 14 lbs. in Lake Huron. Coho (silver) salmon are also frequently caught at Harbor Beach as are pink salmon, which are the smallest and rarest salmon species found in the Great Lakes.
Best Seasons for Salmon Fishing
Salmon migrate annually from the rivers that feed into Lake Huron to spawn. While spawning season in the fall is generally the best time to fish for salmon as the numbers are the greatest, salmon can be caught from early spring to late October most years at Harbor Beach.
Fishing Techniques
While live bait can be effective to catch salmon, especially when they are spawning, spoons, jigs and other mobile and colorful lures usually work best. The cast-and-retrieve technique using a rod and reel is most common, but some fisherman have good luck trolling, especially in the late season.
Salmon Fishing by Boat
While salmon can be caught from shore in the spring and fall when they move into the shallower waters, when fishing other times of the year or fishing for the largest salmon it is generally necessary to fish by boat. This enable you to get to the deeper waters where the salmon are located (70 to120 feet). You can bring your own boat, rent a boat, or charter a fishing boat with an experienced captain, but that can cost as much as $100 per day per person as of August 2010.
Salmon Stocking Program
The state of Michigan has had a salmon stocking program in place since the 1930s, and annually releases from 3 to 4 million salmon hatchlings in the Great Lakes. It is necessary to release this many salmon hatchlings because the large majority will not survive to maturity. The Platte River State Fishery produces over half of the salmon released annually, and underwent a major renovation in 2003.
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