Shorecasting the North Shore

Shore casting the North Shore of Lake Superior can at times appear to be a daunting task, it is, however, an enjoyable and very effective way to fish the big lake. 

River mouths

Most of us have seen the numerous fishermen lining the banks near the French or Lester rivers. Why? Because these are consistently good places to fish. A beginning shore caster would be smart to start their quest fishing river mouths, particularly early in the season when steelhead, Kamloops and lakers can be found in abundance. The river plumes provide warm water and a steady flow of bugs which fish like. Due to the fairly shallow water found at most mouths, it’s best to fish them in low light. Target these areas early in the morning and late in the evening or on a dreary overcast day. You will be less noticeable to the fish and they will be less apt to spook. 

Seeing how there are over 25 potential stream/river mouths to fish it would be crazy to ignore these great areas. Fly and hardware fishermen can have equal success. The person fishing hardware will have a slight advantage in covering a greater distance but I have seen fish occupying every area of the plume, often times feeding like normal stream trout eating bugs floating in the current out into the lake. Lighter spoons and shallow diving Rapalas have proven most effective for me. When fly fishing I have most often used baitfish imitations on a fairly short leader and an intermediate clear line which has a sink rate of 1.5 inches per second. I will stand on one side of the plume and cast across the current to the other side. This allows the line to be swung across the plume by the current. I then let the fly hang in the current a few seconds at the end of the swing (ala Lani Waller) then strip it back in. I will move down the side of the plume until I can’t stand the depth or the cold water anymore. I also carry dries with me because nothing is worse than trudging down the path to the river mouth to discover the trout feeding on the surface and not having anything to offer. So I have various non-descript dries that hopefully will fit the bill. These I fish with a reach or parachute cast to get the right drift.

A note on equipment:

Most of my large fly rods are equipped with interchangeable tip fly lines. This allows me to fish widely varying conditions without wasting valuable time. Stuart Osthof of Boundary Waters fame lives by being a well-prepared fisherman. The articles in his magazine continually emphasize preparedness and maximizing fishing time and this is something I stress as well. The more prepared you are to handle varying conditions the more success you will have. I consider interchangeable tips to be one of these tools. Before interchangeable tips were widely available I used multiple spools with different lines. This was effective but changing spools took your fly out of the water for large amounts of time. Spool changes most often required that you head to a safe dry spot on the bank to affect the change. I can change my tips very quickly and without having to return bankside. It’s a great weapon to have.

As with all activities in and around Lake Superior please use sound judgment and I would suggest a personal floatation device if wading along the plume.

One further comment on river mouth fishing. I have on occasion fished several North Shore stream mouths in a float tube. This was pretty exciting but you need perfect conditions. If I do this in the future I believe I would want one of the newer pontoon boats. This would keep you up and out of the cold water and be much safer.

Manmade structures

Manmade structures are another fantastic way to get in some good shorefishing (obviously not on this day in 2001). From the south pier at the Duluth entry to the breakwater at Grand Marais fish like structure and these fit the bill. These areas are usually easily accessible and give the fisherman an advantage in being high above the waterline allowing farther casts. Many different species can be targeted but the primary sport are coho’s, Kamloops, steelhead and brook trout. Larger piers and breakwaters can be found in Duluth/Superior, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Taconite Harbor, and Grand Marais. Smaller structures can be found at McQuade Access, Sugar Loaf, Twin Points, Tofte, Hovland, and Horseshoe Bay. Although you do have the advantage of height above the water, take this into consideration when hooking and playing your fish. It might be a great idea to have a long-handled net or scout the area thoroughly to know where you will go to land the fish and if necessary return it safely to the water.

Beaches

Beach areas are typically not the greatest spot for shore casting but can surprise you on occasion. 

Our family cabin is in a small bay far up the North Shore. It sits off the lake by about 100 feet. The bay is fairly deep and the shore consists of, as my Dad likes to call it, “big sand”. Early one morning I was sitting at our dining table sipping coffee and watching the big lake through the large picture window when I saw a large rise about 30 feet from shore, being a former boy scout I like to be prepared at all times (see above), so I had a rod rigged with a heavy casting spoon leaning near the door of the cabin. After I saw the rise I bolted from the cabin grabbing my rod and rushing down to the beach. After arriving I stood silent, ready to cast and observing the water intently. Sure enough 30 feet out and directly in front of me the fish rose again, as it cruised parallel to the shoreline. I made a cast about 15 feet in front of the rise, cranked the reel 3 times and was met with a vicious strike. The fish broke the surface in a fantastic leap and made several nice runs. After a few minutes, the fish was on the beach, a beautiful 19” female steelhead. I had not intended on fishing that morning but an easy opportunity presented itself and I was ready, and low and behold I had success.

This story has repeated itself numerous times since then, with flies and spoons. I consider it, as the cajuns call it, a “lagniappe” (pronounced LAN-yap, which is something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure/fortune).

I think the big picture here is that fishing can present opportunities anywhere; observe and be in touch with your inner boy scout.

Rocky points
Perhaps the best all-around features for shore fishing are rocky points that protrude out into the lake a substantial distance.  If you can find them, a point with a significant drop off close to shore is nearly perfect. I have one favorite point near our cabin that produces for me practically every time a venture there. The rocks are high above the water providing excellent visibility and casting distance. An added bonus is that there is a nice shelf of rocks closer to the waterline that in reasonably calm conditions provides a nice place to land and release a fish. Often times I will be able to watch the fish come from the depths to attack my spoon or fly, it is fantastic!  Polarized glasses help tremendously, they cut down the glare and can allow the fisherman to see any fish that follow the bait. If a fish follows, cast back in that direction to get another chance. My typical spoon presentation is to cast along the drop-off, allow the spoon to sink several seconds then start the retrieve. I have learned the hard way as to how long to allow the spoon to sink, losing several to snags, but allowing it to get near the bottom has its payoffs. One midday of casting found me waiting too long for the sink. I began my retrieve to find that I was snagged, a few jerks of the rod tip freed the spoon which was then attacked by a 3 lb. laker, wahoo! 

Rocky points often funnel baitfish during windy conditions so don’t ignore them if the wind is churning the big lake. Last year I fished my favorite point with a strong easterly breeze. This made it difficult to get a long cast but I could still get it out there. As the waves were breaking on the rocks below me I thought I felt a non-rock like bump. I finished the retrieve and got my spoon back out there, a few seconds later I was into a heavy fish battling me and the surf. It was a challenge to land but shortly I had the 5 lb. lake trout to hand. Added to the small pink I caught earlier It was another memorable day on the point.

A further bonus to this spot is that it gets lots of sun and has nice places to sit and relax so my wife enjoys hiking out there with me. She brings a book to read in the sun while I fish. We often picnic there as well; smoked fish and good beer are a favorite!

The catch
One of the joys of shore fishing in Lake Superior is that you really never know what you might catch. I have caught coho’s, steelhead, pink’s, lake trout and several brook trout including a 23” 4 lb. spectacular male. Warm water species are also a possibility. However, the majority of my catch tends to be lakers in the 1.5 to 5 lb. range. This is alright by me since I consider them fantastic table fare. The lake trout you will find close to shore are the great tasting red fins. Their flesh is orange and they are nice and lean. There are several very good recipes, from planking to baking in tin foil. I often use an easy but absolutely wonderful recipe out of Ron Berg’s book; Northwoods Fish Cookery. It’s a simple blend of butter, soy sauce, and corse ground pepper.  over a cedar coal fire on the beach and paired with a Lake Superior chilled Pino Grigio, it is simply fantastic!   

Equipment

For the majority of my shore fishing, I fish an 8’ 6” St Croix Wild River rod (WC86MHF2) with a larger spinning reel spooled with 8 lb. test line. This longer rod offers great line control, exceptional fighting ability and I believe better distance on the casts. My spoons of choice are #4 Krockidiles in hammered blaze orange and silver (or gold) and the same spoon in blue and silver hammered. The Krocs allow for excellent casting distance due to their significant weight and have great action.  Often I remove the treble hook and replace it with siwash style single hooks. I don’t believe that this affects my hookups and it helps when releasing fish. The blaze orange spoon is very visible from a high vantage point and it's hard to beat watching a big fish come out of the depths to nail the lure.

For flyfishing, I have tried numerous different approaches and equipment. I always come back to my 9 1/2’ 7wt rod paired with a substantial reel that has a very good drag. Since you really never know how big the fish will be (A few tears ago a fella shore casting caught a 16 lb. Lake Trout off the mouth of the Brule) it pays to have a stout reel with a good drag and a fair amount of backing. The fish has the whole lake to maneuver so the backing may come into play. As for line and presentation see the note on gear above. Over the past few years, I have fished a 14' and 12’ 6” Spey rod swinging large flies for fish. These flies are tied on Waddington shanks and have stinger hooks and let me tell you...the fish are there!

Go Fishing!

Perhaps the greatest attraction to shore-casting is that it is fairly easy for anyone to do. You don’t need a big boat and fancy equipment to fish and be successful on the big lake. A little time spent looking at maps and planning out your day can send you on the trail to success. Bring the family, a picnic lunch and have the kids try their luck. With a little help from you, it’s a great way to get them into the sport.