Coho Salmon

Blue Fox spinners, Michigan Stinger spoons, Moonshine spoons, Dr.eamweaver Super Slims, and flasher-fly combinations. Color selection matters: chrome/blue for low light, green/yellow for overcast conditions, and orange/copper for bright days. Glow spoons or alewife under floats for pier fishing.

Spring (April-May) offers excellent nearshore action as fish move into warming waters near harbors and piers. Summer provides consistent action, while fall (September-November) brings spectacular fishing as coho stage near river mouths before spawning runs.

Trolling techniques work best on the Great Lakes using downriggers at 40-80 feet deep in summer, with speeds of 2.0-3.0 mph for spoons and 1.5-2.5 mph for flasher/fly combos. For river fishing during runs, try twitching jigs, hoochie jigs, and small spoons.

Their diet consists primarily of alewife (up to 90% in some areas), supplemented by aquatic invertebrates like mysid shrimp, spiny waterfleas, and terrestrial insects. Coho demonstrate flexible feeding behavior compared to more specialized species like Chinook salmon.

They're found year-round in Lake Michigan and its tributaries, with significant populations in the Manistee, Platte, St. Joseph, and Anna rivers, as well as Lake Superior tributaries like the Huron River system.