Beginning in August, when the first salmon runs start, Great Lakes rivermouths offer nearshore anglers great opportunities for huge fish. Consider the biological needs of salmonid species and head to rivermouths, where fish can be reached with conventional casting tackle as they feed and then stage in preparation for their spawning journey. Before beginning their forced march upstream, fish linger for hours, days, or even weeks at these deltas, awaiting some undocumented cue that tells them to move en masse up the river, dance in the gravel, and die (or, in the case of steelies, return to the lake at their leisure).

In some situations, fish hold a long cast from the bank, offering great opportunities for anglers without big boats and deep-sea tackle to take on these exciting gamefish. Moreover, the timing of runs in different rivers and for different species can keep you on a hot bite through fall, when winter steelhead runs arrive.

Analyzing Rivermouths

Each river that drains into the Great Lakes is different, though several categories can be defined. Some are shallow tongues flowing over sandy beaches before reaching the big water. Others are fat, lazy rivers with no discernable current. Lively rivers falling from higher elevations can cut deep channels into the lakebed or spread out into wide marshy deltas. Some rivers dump into small natural lakes that then pour through pier heads as they branch into one of the Great Lakes. These complex systems of creeks, rivers, and inland lakes offer diverse opportunities. In some locales, anglers can find each type of rivermouth within a half day’s drive.

Despite the variation in rivermouth architecture, a few universal concepts apply. According to Kevin Morlock of Indigo Guide Service, who fishes deltas on the sandy eastern shore of Lake Michigan, low and clear river conditions tend to gather more fish at the mouth since big, spooky salmonids hesitate to migrate into the shallower waters upstream before they must. In fall, a hard offshore wind that moves warm surface water out into the big lake and simultaneously brings cold water to the mouth often carries with it a new crop of fish.

But rain can be a deal-breaker. “Every weather change has potential to call new fish from out in the lake into the rivermouth,” explains Morlock, “but certain conditions like heavy rain can empty the mouth as fish move up into the river.” As spawning reaches its peak, usually in October for salmon and November and April for Great Lakes steelhead, fish spend less time staging before beginning their journey.

Those rules of thumb hold true for other Great Lakes, too. On Lake Erie, Craig Lewis of Erie Outfitters (erieoutfitters.com) also finds that low and clear river conditions keep salmon stacked at the mouth, though he claims overcast skies and a light drizzle can stimulate the bite. Matt Kormos, who fishes southern Lake Ontario in New York, where large, sluggish rivers dump into flooded, currentless deltas, says visibility is key. In water with visibility of about 8 feet, he’s found the zone between 10 and 25 feet to be the sweet spot. When visibility drops, however, the bite abruptly stops.

Presentation Particulars

Each region boasts favorite local lures, and guides have devised systems that work best where they fish. All are simple, however, compared to intricate trolling approaches required when fish hold offshore.

Hurling Hardware: Spoons and crankbaits are overall favorites for nearshore salmon and steelhead, though bait-fishing, trolling, and flycasting can be effective, too, in many situations. In any case, it’s a good idea to armor up your lures with stout trebles, since one vicious strike by a steelhead can wreck a lesser hook. On Lake Ontario, Kormos has had good luck with Wolverine Tackle’s 3/4-ounce Silver Streak CJ Wobbler spoon in glow, beefed up with a stronger split ring and a Gamakatsu treble. For plugs, he often casts a large Reef Runner Rip Shad, but at times he finds the J13 Rapala in gold fluorescent red or firetiger the best option. He always spools with 50-pound-test PowerPro braided line.

Kormos is adamant that speed is the key to success when fishing spoons, and he recommends a deep approach, keeping the lure moving slowly, 4 or 5 feet off the bottom. “If the spoon is spinning, it’s worthless,” he says. “If you’re not snagging bottom every few casts you’re fishing too fast.” Most Lake Michigan anglers agree, noting that you want a spoon to flutter, not rotate.

On Lake Erie, Lewis is partial to Wolverine Tackle’s Silver Streak Cobra or a CJ Wobbler, both in 5/8-ounce and blue-silver. He also throws crankbaits, favoring the Reef Runner Rip Shad in Mooneye Minnow, along with a #7 Rapala Shad Rap painted white, or a Rapala Glass Shad Rap in Glass Shad.

He fishes breakwalls and piers around Cleveland, typically targeting the 9- to 18-foot zone. To refine depth preference, he counts the spoon to the bottom on his first cast. On his second, he begins the retrieve one second sooner, repeating this pattern with each subsequent cast, keeping track of his countdowns until he contacts fish and a pattern begins to develop.

Cranks can be retrieved at a quicker pace than spoons, though a steady retrieve is also key. Jed Litwiller, who guides with Morlock on the east coast of Lake Michigan, fishes Storm ThunderSticks or ThunderStick Jrs. in firetiger, chartreuse, or glow. “I use a medium to fast retrieve depending on water temperature,” Litwiller reports, ”and the warmer the water, the faster we crank.” He keeps the retrieve speed steady but changes direction by moving the rod tip from one side to the other. “I often hit a fish just after swinging the rod tip,” he says. “That change in direction triggers strikes from following fish.”

On the rocky western shore of Lake Michigan, avid salmon angler, luremaker, and outdoor writer Marc Wisniewski likes the effects of a west wind. In summer, he’s found that west winds often cause alewives to school near shore, drawing king salmon. He fishes between sunset and midnight, casting from shore into the 6- to 8-foot depths with 5/8-ounce Luhr Jensen Krocodile spoons or chrome 3/4-ounce Luhr Jensen Cast Champ spoons, touched up with glow tape or Component Systems SuperGlow paint. He warns, however, not to overdo the glow. “I found I was getting kings on my last few casts before recharging the paint,” he says. “Now I put on just a hint of phosphorescence.”

In those waters during fall, Wisniewski also has success with spinners. During November, in the area’s clear, swift rivers, he slowly works an orange Mepps #3 or #4 Aglia spinner or a #4 Aglia Long in quick currents on a light leader to entice coho.

Bait Up: On Lake Erie, Lewis sometimes goes for nearshore steelhead, fishing jigs and chunk spawn under slipfloats. He prefers Brad’s Jigs in 1/32 to 1/64 ounce because they’re made for steelhead, using 2x strong hooks. He rigs them on a 6-foot leader of 8- to 10-pound fluorocarbon, suspended below a Raven float.

Kormos runs a similar setup for king salmon, on Lake Ontario. He employs a 12-foot 3-inch G. Loomis rod and Mykiss center pin reel, loaded with 50-pound braided mainline and a 30-gram pike-style float. Then he runs a 3/4-ounce trolling sinker on a 4- to 5- foot leader of Seaguar Grand Max testing 7 to 12.5 pounds, and finally a snelled Gamakatsu Octopus hook baited with a golf-ball-size chunk of spawn. “Whether you’re fishing lures or bait, you have to remember that salmon in these situations aren’t really feeding,” Kormos says. “You need to set the hook fast.”

Wisniewski adds that if there’s little current and no chop, a finesseful approach is required. He switches to a light spinning rod with 4-pound mono and a 1/32-ounce white crappie jig of his own design, rigged with a pearl 11⁄2-inch tube, tipped with a waxworm and set below a float. This method works great if there’s just a bit of current and waves are light. At times he wades the banks, casting a 1/2-ounce egg sinker and spawn on a 4-pound mono or fluorocarbon leader. When it lands, he drags the rig over sandy bottom ridges, slowly pulling it toward shore until he feels an increase in resistance, which indicates the sinker is starting to climb up the back of the next ridge. “Hold it right there,” he advises. “That position keeps your bait right in a trough, and fish use them like highways.”

On the sandy Michigan side of the lake, Nate Wilson, another guide with Morlock’s Indigo Guide Service, has had success using an Okuma center-pin reel to pursue November steelhead, saying it’s easy to get a perfect drift with the setup. He switches between drifting bait, jigs, and flies on his 11-foot St. Croix rod, filled with 10-pound-test Sufix Elite mono and a 3- to 5-foot leader of 8-pound P-line.

Don’t Lose Your Tackle

Salmon and steelies aren’t known for subtle strikes. “Keep a strong hold on your rod because they can hit harder than a jealous boyfriend,” warns Litwiller.

Many fishermen have begun adding a double anchor system to their boats with floats attached to the ropes. If a fish gets too ornery, they can quickly detach anchors and use the trolling motor to chase the runaway, swinging back to retrieve the floats and reanchor after the fight is through. “When you’re hooked to a trophy,” explains Lewis, “there’s no time to pull anchors.”

Steelhead and salmon typically strike hard, but at this stage of the game they aren’t actually feeding, as mentioned; you need a strong, sharp hook and a quick hand, since they tend to hit and spit. Most rivermouths are wide open, so looser drags land more fish. But if you’ve hooked a beast that won’t stop, tighten the drag, start chasing and, better yet, do both.

Numerous fish near rivermouths are in prespawn condition, preparing to migrate upstream. They’re usually very releasable, especially if the fight is short. When dealing with wild fish, release them carefully. But if you’re targeting a stocked fishery, higher harvests often are acceptable, especially if you’re dealing with Pacific salmon.

This world-class action is within a short drive of millions of anglers living near Great Lakes ports, from Duluth, Minnesota, to Buffalo, New York. A bit of homework pays off in smoking drags this time of year.

*Jason Daley, Madison, Wisconsin, is a freelance writer and avid trout angler. Guide Kevin Morlock, Walhalla, Michigan, runs Indigo Guide Service, indigoguideservice.com, 231/898-4320.