Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: September 13, 2010
Kenosha Co.
In Kenosha trollers have been catching some chinooks and coho in 60 to 80 feet of water, but fishing there has been relatively slow. Shore anglers in Kenosha continue to catch occasional browns in the harbor near the Best Western, and fresh skein and white tube jigs have been producing. There have been a few chinooks taken on spoons near the mouth of the Pike River as well, but there has been minimal chinook movement upstream.
Racine Co.
Fishing effort in Racine has been low, but those venturing out have had some occasional success. Off and on trollers have been catching some chinooks and browns in 50 to 60 feet of water, with spoons and J-plugs both taking fish. Mature chinooks and coho have also been taken by trollers working around the mouth of the harbor. Racine shore fishing has picked up, with some chinooks, coho, and rainbows taken in Reefpoint Marina and in the small boat basin near the boat launch. Spawn fished near the bottom has been productive, as have small blue & silver or orange spoons.
Milwaukee Co.
In Milwaukee fishing has been relatively slow for boaters. There are some mature salmon in and around the harbor, but they have not been hitting. Trollers out in 70 to 90 feet of water have had some limited success on glow spoons and J-plugs for chinooks, coho, and rainbows. Shore fishing has also been slow, although the nearshore waters remain cool. The rivers around Milwaukee have shown very little evidence of upstream salmon movement so far.
Ozaukee Co.
There was moderate fishing effort from the utility and light effort from the ramps, pier and harbor/shore and no effort on Sauk creek. There was action to report from the harbor/shore and utility. The temperature was in the high 60?s, skies were clear with a light wind to the east. Port Washington Ramp: The water at the ramp was 54? F and blue green with moderate clarity. The only boat interviewed did not catch any fish. Port Washington Utility: The water in the area was 60-62? F, blue green with moderate clarity. A Coho salmon was caught on a castmaster late in the afternoon. Port Washington Pier: The water off the lakeside was calm, 48-50? F, blue green with good clarity. Port Washington Harbor/Shore: Chinook salmon were caught on skein throughout the day. Sauk Creek: The water was 62? F, light brown with good clarity; the water level was low and the current was moderate.
Sheboygan Co.
Watch out for the orange flags and buoys that mark commercial fishing trap nets set in Lake Michigan. Steer clear and give these markers a wide berth to avoid getting tangled and capsizing. Learn where the nets are set on our Trap Net page.
There was moderate fishing effort from the ramps and piers, light effort from shore and on Sheboygan River and no effort from Edgewater power plant, Pigeon River or Weedens Creek. There was action to report from the ramp, pier and shore. On the 11th, the temperature was in the mid to high 50?s, skies were overcast with rain and there was little or no wind. On the 12th, the temperature was in the mid 50?s to high 60?s, skies were clear and there was a light wind to the east. Sheboygan Ramps: The water at the ramp was 54-56? F and brown with moderate clarity. Six of nine boats interviewed caught at least one fish, with an average of 2 fish. Chinook salmon, a lake trout and a rainbow trout were caught. Most fish were caught in 30 to 40 feet of water, from the middle of the water column to the bottom with spoons on downriggers. Some fish were caught 40 feet down in 350 feet of water. Sheboygan Piers: The water off the north pier was calm, 50? F and blue green with good clarity. The water in the harbor was 56-58? F and brown with low clarity. The water on the lakeside of the south pier was calm, 50-52? F, blue green with moderate clarity. Chinook salmon, Coho salmon and a rainbow trout were caught. Fish were caught from both piers on both days, with spoons and jigs. Sheboygan Shore: A brown trout was caught in the marina on a kastmaster late in the morning on the 12th. Pigeon River: The water was 58? F and light brown with moderate clarity; the water level and current were moderate. Sheboygan River: The water at the mouth of the river was 60-62? F and light brown with low clarity. The water upstream was 64-66? F, light brown with low clarity; the water level and current were moderate.
