Salmon Fishing Still Slow, But the Lake Trout Are Chewing!
Salmon fishing out of Whitehall still remains somewhat slow, but while the silver fish don’t seem to want to play, the Lake Trout sure do!
We are still getting a few Kings every day here and there, and the majority of our rods are still targeting salmon. The best rods for Kings right now seem to be low divers with meat rigs back 150-200 feet.
The water is getting warm. This morning we had 51-degree water down 110 feet! There is still a lot of bait around, and White Lake still has a lot of Alewives spawning in it.
Don’t get discouraged on the salmon bite. Every day it should get a little better until we settle into our normal summer pattern.
Lake Trout Fishing Has Been Excellent
The Lake Trout bite has been the bright spot lately, and we’ve been catching some absolute dinosaur Lakers.
We’ve been finding two main groups of fish:
- 120 feet of water – More fish and more action, but generally smaller trout.
- 160-180 feet of water – Fewer fish, but the bigger Lake Trout have been coming from these depths.
If you’re looking for a giant, we’ve been spending more time in that 160-180 foot range.
Best Lake Trout Setups Right Now
Downrigger Setup
- Chrome Bechhold Fish Catchers
- Chrome Spin-N-Glos
- About 24 inches behind the flasher
- Pound bottom wherever you’re marking fish.
Wire Rod Setup
Our other productive rod has been a wire setup with the removable Dipsy loop, but instead of a Dipsy we’re snapping on a removable 2-pound weight.
We run the same chrome Spin-N-Glo setup behind it and let enough wire out to keep it on bottom. In 200 feet of water we’re having to let out roughly 500-600 feet of line to stay down there.
It’s a lot of work, but it’s an extremely effective way to catch these giant dinosaur Lake Trout.
How We’ve Been Finding Trout
One thing that’s been working really well is making west trolls until we mark a few fish on the bottom.
Once we find them, we turn and stay on that depth and keep all of our trout rods pounding bottom. This is absolutely crucial and honestly it’s a lot of work because you’re constantly adjusting rods to keep contact with bottom.
So far the Scotty releases have been awesome for bite detection. They have enough freedom in them that when a smaller trout bites, you can actually see the rod tip jumping.
White Lake Fishing Report
Bluegill Report
Bluegills are still on the beds near breaks and flats in around 10 feet of water.
White Lake Walleye Report
The Walleye bite has now been consistent for almost a week.
The best setup so far has been:
- #2 Slow Death hooks
- 18-inch leader of 12-pound mono
- Barrel swivel
- 3/8-ounce bullet weight above the swivel
Simply let enough line out to drag bottom and slowly work those gradual, non-steep breaks.
The best depths have been 17-22 feet of water.
Looking Ahead
The salmon may not be cooperating every day right now, but don’t worry, that bite is coming. The water is warming up, there’s still plenty of bait around, and every day should get us one step closer to our normal summer salmon pattern.
In the meantime, if you want bent rods, the Lake Trout fishing has been outstanding and White Lake continues to provide excellent opportunities for Walleye and Bluegills.
Ready to get in on the action? Summer salmon fishing is right around the corner, and now is the time to get your trip on the books. If you’d like to experience it for yourself, reach out and reserve your date before the prime summer dates are gone!
Tight lines and good luck out there!