Targeting Big Brown Trout in Lake Michigan

Here in Door County, Wisconsin, early spring is the time to target trophy walleye. Then in May, the attention turns to our outstanding smallmouth bass fishing. But let’s be careful not to neglect one of the area’s best opportunities – and that’s big brown trout!

Sometimes overshadowed by the great walleye and bass fishing, these big Lake Michigan brown trout are worth some serious attention. We’re talking shallow-water fishing along the Lake Michigan shoreline for big, hard-fighting browns. These fish are absolute tanks, and they’re a blast to fish for.

Fishing for these big browns can be very good as soon as the ice clears out. And it stays good through the spring and early summer. While most folks are obsessing over smallmouth and walleye, the brown trout fishing is excellent and few people are fishing for them.

Unlike walleye, which we offer daytime and nighttime trips, brown trout fishing is totally a daytime activity. We’re mainly trolling for these fish, but there are opportunities to cast to them in as little as 3 feet of water. As the water temperature warms, these fish move into shallow water, chasing batfish along the shorelines of Lake Michigan.

We’re fishing all artificial lures for these giant brown trout, and they tend to be found anywhere there’s warm and dirty water. We look for them feeding at the mouths of creeks or where a current is coming out of a channel. Big, predatory browns love cruising these dirty pockets.

If you’ve never fished for these big, Lake Michigan brown trout, it’s something you’ve gotta try! For information on our spring and summer trips, check out our Bass, Walleye and Brown Trout Page. For details and availability, you can send us a message or call Nick directly at 920-839-2272.