The king salmon have finally made their way back to Whitehall, and fishing has been getting better every day. More fish continue to show up, and the bait is really starting to pile into the area.

One thing we’ve noticed is that a lot of the bait is sitting inside of 90 feet of water. Don’t get too caught up chasing the “perfect” water temperature. If you’re marking salmon, fish them. We’ve caught plenty of kings in warmer water over the years. If they’re there and they’re feeding, they’ll bite.

Our last trip out, Dreamweaver Meat Rigs behind Dreamweaver Spin Doctors did most of the damage. Honestly, color didn’t seem to make a huge difference. Speed was much more important. We were trolling 2.4-2.6 mph, and that seemed to be the sweet spot.

Our low divers pulling meat rigs were most consistent 120-175 feet back on a 1.5 setting. Downriggers have also been producing well, with our best rods running 50-75 feet down. Don’t be afraid to keep a rigger near the bottom when you’re marking fish. We’ve been seeing kings lying right on the bottom waiting to feed, and they’ll absolutely come up and crush a bait.

Don’t forget to keep a white paddle and fly in the spread with a 36- to 48-inch leader. As more king salmon continue to move into Whitehall, that setup is almost always one of our best early morning producers and should only get better as the run builds.

Copper lines from 100 to 300 feet have also been taking fish consistently. Running a mix of coppers lets us cover multiple levels of the water column while we dial in where the active salmon are each day.

The bite started early, but once the sun came up over the dunes outside Whitehall, things really lit up. We had about an hour where it seemed like every pass had a chance to go before the bite settled down.

After that, we slid out deeper and found active salmon and lake trout around 120 feet of water. There are still big pods of bait on the bottom out there with lake trout hanging right around them.

We’ve been spending most of our time north toward Claybanks, but don’t think that’s the only place to fish. There are fish straight out of Whitehall and south of town too. The fish are spreading out, and every day seems to be a little better than the last.

Cleaning fish has been interesting lately. Most of the salmon have been full of alewives anywhere from about 3 to 6 inches long, which explains why both standard and magnum spoons have been catching fish. I still find myself reaching for Yeck Spoons most of the time. I just like the way they work at slower trolling speeds. That lets us keep our meat rigs, paddles, flies, and trout presentations all fishing the way they’re supposed to without speeding everything up.

White Lake Fishing Update

Fishing on White Lake has been excellent too.

The bluegill spawn is pretty much over, and most of the bigger fish have pulled off the beds. We’re finding them sitting in 17-20 feet of water, just off the spawning flats around the bigger breaks. If you pull up on your favorite spawning area and it looks empty, don’t leave. Slide out a little deeper and you’ll usually find them grouped back up.

The walleye bite has been outstanding. We’ve been targeting shallow flats with scattered weeds in 10-17 feet of water, pulling slow death rigs with bullet weights at a crawl. The slower we’ve been able to troll them, the better the bite has been.

One thing that’s been a lot of fun lately is dragging a couple of perch rigs behind the boat while we’re trolling for walleyes. If you’ve got kids in the boat, I highly recommend it. It keeps rods going and adds a lot of action to the day. Last week we caught yellow perch, walleyes, and even a few nice smallmouth bass doing exactly that. It’s a simple trick that can put a lot more fish in the boat.Family with a catch of White Lake walleyes, bluegills, and perch after a guided fishing charter near Whitehall, Michigan with Dave's Fishing Charters.

Looking Ahead

Everything is pointing in the right direction. More king salmon continue to show up every day, the bait is moving in, and the fishing should only keep improving as we get farther into July. White Lake is producing great bluegills and walleyes, while Lake Michigan is starting to fire back up with kings.

If you’ve been waiting for the salmon bite to take off, now is a great time to get on the water.

See you out there, and good luck!

Tight lines, and we’ll see you on the water!

Related Whitehall Fishing Information

 Read Last Week’s Whitehall Fishing Report

Planning a trip? Read our Complete Whitehall Salmon Fishing Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the king salmon back in Whitehall?
Yes! King salmon have returned to the Whitehall area, and fishing continues to improve every day as more fish arrive and bait piles into the area.
What trolling speed is working best for salmon right now?
Our best trolling speed has been between 2.4 and 2.6 mph. Speed has been much more important than lure color over the last several trips.
What diver and downrigger settings are producing fish?
Our low divers pulling meat rigs have been most productive 120-175 feet back on a 1.5 setting. Downriggers fished 50-75 feet down have also been producing very well, especially when kept close to the bottom around bait and marked fish.
What lures are catching king salmon near Whitehall?
Dreamweaver Meat Rigs behind Dreamweaver Spin Doctors have been our top producers. White paddles with flies on 36- to 48-inch leaders are also excellent early morning king salmon presentations, while Yeck Spoons continue to shine throughout the day.
What copper lengths are working for king salmon?
Copper lines from 100 to 300 feet have all been taking fish consistently and are a great way to cover multiple levels of the water column.
Where are the bluegill after the spawn on White Lake?
Most bluegills have finished spawning and are now holding in 17-20 feet of water just off the spawning flats around the larger breaklines.
How are you catching walleyes on White Lake?
We’re targeting 10-17 feet of water over shallow flats with scattered weeds using slow death rigs and bullet weights. Trolling very slowly has been the key to success.
Can you catch other fish while trolling for walleyes?
Absolutely. Pulling perch rigs behind the boat while trolling has been producing yellow perch, walleyes, and smallmouth bass. It’s a great way to keep kids entertained and put even more fish in the boat.