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Action Heating Up for King Salmon & Lake Trout
Lake Michigan - Mason, MI
As we move into mid-May, Lake Michigan’s west side is showing great signs of life. Anglers traveling from Detroit are finding it well worth the drive, especially to ports like Muskegon, White Lake, and Ludington. King Salmon have started staging in 50 to 120 feet of water, hitting well on flasher-fly combos and meat rigs trolled around 2.3 mph. Early mornings and late afternoons are producing the most consistent bites.
Lake Trout remain steady on the bottom in 60 to 100 feet, especially on rocky structure and deeper shelves. Spoons and spin-n-glows behind dodgers are the go-to setup. Coho Salmon and Steelhead are also showing up in mixed bags, particularly in 40–60 feet of water with orange and UV-colored spoons. Surface temps are slowly climbing, and the bite is expected to ramp up heading into June.
Stay tuned for weekly updates as the summer bite continues to build. For anglers heading out from Detroit, now is a prime time to plan your Lake Michigan charter trip for peak spring action.