Lake Superior Duluth Fishing Update: Trout, Salmon, and Walleye Thrive in Early Summer

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Superior Duluth area fishing report for Friday, June 20, 2025.We’re seeing classic early-summer action out on the big lake and the surrounding rivers. First, let’s talk weather and conditions—sunrise hit at 5:15 a.m. and sunset will stretch out till 9:05 p.m. Expect partly cloudy skies this morning, with temps peaking near 66°F by noon and a light northwest wind pushing waves just above a foot. No tidal swings here on Superior, of course, but wind-driven currents and nearshore water temps hovering around 55°F are keeping the bite lively.Reports from the Minnesota DNR and this week’s creel surveys show strong numbers for lake trout and coho salmon, especially in that 16 to 21-inch range for lakers and 15 to 19-inch for cohos. Most successful anglers have been trolling ten to forty feet down with orange, pink, or purple spoons and classic flasher-fly rigs. Chinook salmon are still pretty scarce by Duluth, but a few are showing up—just smaller than in past seasons. Walleye are making a showing downstream in the St. Louis River, with anglers picking up good numbers on chartreuse or green stickbaits and jigs, especially along the edges of stained water and river mouths.Now, where should you fish? Canal Park is hot right now for shore-bound anglers targeting trout and salmon. Just east along the Lester River mouth is another sweet spot, where trolling in 15 to 40 feet of water is producing consistent action, especially in the morning. If the lake gets fussy, the St. Louis River Estuary is a top backup—walleyes are cruising the weed lines in four to eight feet of water and the occasional big pike is lurking too. According to angler surveys and local guides, the mouth of the French River is another reliable bet, especially for steelhead and late-run coho.If you’re rigging up, start with orange or pink spoons, bright stickbaits like Rapalas in green or chartreuse, or traditional flasher-fly combos. Natural smelt or cisco pattern lures are working when the bite gets picky. For the St. Louis, don’t be afraid to jig with gold or orange, especially if you spot baitfish schools.Fish activity has been steady—most groups are reporting daily catches of 3–5 trout or salmon, with some landing their limit if they stick it out through the morning. DNR surveys mention plenty of released steelhead in the tributaries, showing a healthy run this spring and great prospects for the months ahead.Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Superior Duluth fishing report with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for your daily dose of Great Lakes fishing intel. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI