Fishing Lake Michigan, specifically in Indiana water

firefighter ontheside · April 05, 2022, 10:37:06 AM

I have gotten the urge to try fishing Lake Michigan in its most southern portion. Apparently this time of year the fishing for Salmon is pretty good in the south due to that water warming before the rest of the lake. I want to go there later this month to fish the areas around Gary IN. I've done some reading on areas to try and found a website dedicated to helping people fish the Chicago and Gary area. I've lived 5 hours from Chicago all my life, but never knew that salmon fishing was a thing there. I have to try it out. I may have caught a salmon in CO 30 years ago, but I"m not sure. Too long ago to remember. I guess theres Coho, Atlantic and maybe be even King to catch, but Coho seems to be most likely. Lodging will just have to be at a Super 8 or other urban hotel. Not too thrilled about having the boat sitting in the parking lot overnight, but we will have the cover on and try to park in a very lighted and visible area. Anyone ever done this...salmon fishing southern Lake Michigan?

firefighter ontheside · April 05, 2022, 08:38:11 PM

Well, now the boat is misbehaving and this will likely have to wait til later.

beenthere · April 05, 2022, 10:35:43 PM

I'd be picking a much more friendly and safe spot along Lake Michigan than Chicago area.

Hope the fishing trip works out for you.

fluidpowerpro · April 05, 2022, 10:46:32 PM

If you have not fished the lake and salmon before, maybe consider a guided trip the first time around. I've done that before and what I learned was well worth it on future trips on my own.

firefighter ontheside · April 05, 2022, 11:55:12 PM

Quote from: beenthere on April 05, 2022, 10:35:43 PM
I'd be picking a much more friendly and safe spot along Lake Michigan than Chicago area.

Hope the fishing trip works out for you.

That was the reason I chose to go to Gary instead of Chicago proper.

firefighter ontheside · April 05, 2022, 11:57:30 PM

Quote from: fluidpowerpro on April 05, 2022, 10:46:32 PM
If you have not fished the lake and salmon before, maybe consider a guided trip the first time around. I've done that before and what I learned was well worth it on future trips on my own.

I get what you're saying, but that's just not me...to pay a guide for fishing.

WV Sawmiller · April 06, 2022, 08:38:03 AM

FFOTS,

I accept your view on guides but respectfully feel the opposite and totally agree with Fluid.

I have vacationed all over the world and hands down, the best money I have spent was on local guides who knew the area. When vacationing they knew the people and places and had local knowledge and access to things I could never had by myself. Compared to the other expenses I had already invested in transport, lodging, and other fees, they were a very small percentage.

Whatever you decide, good luck. I hope you get the boat fixed and back on the water soon.

firefighter ontheside · April 06, 2022, 04:12:04 PM

Thanks Howard. We are waiting to get the call for the boat to go into the shop. It runs but dies out when it gets almost to top speed, according to dad. I wasn't out with him. Might be coils. I don't doubt that with a guide we would catch more fish and learn about places to fish. Part of this is just me and dad going out with the boat, so the guide doesn't help with that. I missed a lot of opportunities to fish with dad while my boys were really young. Now that they're getting older, I have more opportunity to go with dad.

Otis1 · April 06, 2022, 08:53:53 PM

I've never fished in Indiana waters specifically, but have fished a little further north of Chicago in Zion, IL. I just checked, last year we went May 12-14. I'm a beginner, but my FIL has been doing it for 40+ years. It is all trolling, we put out 4 side planers and 2 downriggers I think. Sometimes depth is key to finding the fish. Lead core line and heavy rods are the norm.

Last year a storm came in and the Coho moved way out into where it's like 300' deep, several miles out. That's charter boat territory. We still caught a couple Coho, and caught some nice lake trout. Those are a fun fight pulling them up from 100' deep. It can be slow fishing, everybody always talks about how good it was yesterday.

Not sure how big your boat is, but I wouldn't want to be out there on anything less than 19'. Also, we camp at a state park, it's nice and you don't have to worry too much about your gear. If you stay in a motel make sure to bring the rods and electronics in at night. Not sure about Indiana, but the boat landing in IL I've been to charges like $10-15 (or more I can't remember) a day for parking.

firefighter ontheside · April 08, 2022, 10:20:54 AM

Thanks @Otis1 our boat is 17.5', but it is a deep and wide Lund. We will not go out far and will stay around harbors, that is if we go at all. Right now the motor has an issue and can't get into the shop for a few more weeks. Dad goes to Canada at the end of May and probably doesn't want to plan a trip right before that. A few years ago we went to Lake Erie at Sandusky and went a mile out to a few islands with his old boat which was a little shorter and a lot narrower. It was calm when we went out, but rough when we went back. I will never do that again. We stayed right by the mainland after that and only went to spots that were sheltered from the wind.

Otis1 · April 09, 2022, 10:41:47 PM

Stay safe, the big water scares me. Wear your life jacket. Lake Michigan is cold!!

firefighter ontheside · April 11, 2022, 03:26:13 PM

Quote from: Otis1 on April 09, 2022, 10:41:47 PM
Stay safe, the big water scares me. Wear your life jacket. Lake Michigan is cold!!

I promise Otis...life jackets on. There is now hope that the motor will be fixed in time to go fishing. It went into the shop today two weeks ahead of when they originally said. I'm not certain that they will work on it right away, but they had said they would call when they were ready for it.

firefighter ontheside · April 13, 2022, 04:09:51 PM

The boat shop called and told dad that the only thing wrong was that the motor crank case was over full of motor oil. They don't believe it was gas in the oil causing the overfull condition. I hope that is all it was.

firefighter ontheside · April 16, 2022, 08:54:42 AM

Well, to wrap this up...dad doesn't want to go to Lake Michigan. He's worried about the big lake and I'm not gonna argue with him. We are making plans to go to Bull Shoals in Arkansas next week. My 11 year old son is gonna go with us. He has wanted to go back to Bull Shoals for years ever since he hooked a gar there years ago. He wants to catch another one. I do not! The other good thing about going there is that we can stay at my aunt's cabin for free. Mom and dad were there a few weeks ago and did really well catching white bass.