Fishing Door County
Fishing Door County
Sturgeon Bay and the Door County area are known for fishing diversity and the potential for trophy fish. Because you have access to both the “Big Pond” and Green Bay via the Sturgeon Bay canal, you have more species to fish for. And, the area is known for record-book fish of many species.
Salmon…
When you go toe-to-toe with a king salmon, you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of a heavyweight title fight. And now is a great time to get into a brawl with these kings of Lake Michigan.
Salmon numbers are skyrocketing and the fishing really heats up in mid-summer. July and August are excellent months. In fact, when conditions are right, it’s not uncommon to take a limit of kings in only a couple of hours of trolling!
Door County offers quantity and quality with the state record king coming from these waters and many fish over 25 pounds taken annually. Book a salmon trip and hang on!
Reel Actions salmon tournament experience is unrivaled in Door County. They continue to fine tune techniques at each event. In 2011 Capt. Randy won the kids/ ladies event and Capt Scott won the Big fish championship They have won Algoma’s legendary “Algoma Challenge” two years in a row. They first decided to start fishing the Algoma tournament 2 years ago (a timed tournament where the heaviest cooler wins) it was the team’s decision to run (home) to the legendary “Bank Reef”… They took 1st place both years making the 18 mile run from Algoma to the Bank Reef (just 4 miles from Sturgeon Bay). Proof that the BIG fish really do hang-out on “The Bank” which is some of the best and only structure on Lake Michigan’s west coast! If that isn’t enough the state-record was caught here too!
Finally the data provided from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources ranks Sturgeon Bay as the best Charter Fishing Port North of Milwaukee….. Sturgeon Bay charters catch more fish per hour and more fish per trip!!! Come fish the Bank Reef and see why so many come back year-after-year.
Walleye…
Less than an hour by boat from the trout and salmon, Door County offers some of the largest walleyes to be found anywhere in North America.
Don’t believe it? Well, in spring a 10-pound fish is common. Many have topped the 12-pound mark with some going close to 15 in the past few years!
Walleye fishing is best during spring and fall. Spring is big fish time, with good odds of catching a trophy. For numbers, fall reigns supreme. You’ll still likely average 4 to 5 pounds per walleye, and could hook a 10. It’s a night bite casting or trolling crankbaits near the rocky haunts. Best to be with an experienced guide.
Smallmouth Bass…
If there’s one fish Door County anglers have come to rely on over the years it’s the smallie.
These bass might be the toughest freshwater fish pound-for-pound and they’re extremely plentiful in Green Bay.
Action starts in May when the bronzebacks move shallow to spawn, and the fishing doesn’t slow down until ice-up. You’ll run into some 6 or 7 pounders here, and you will find hoards of 2s and 3s, along with an occassional 4. This is non-stop fun!
Northern Pike and Musky…
Gators don’t only live in the South! You can find them in Green Bay. Some will stretch more than 4 feet long with a menacing mouth of teeth that can tear up even the stoutest tackle.
It’s no secret why Green Bay’s pike and musky get so large. They have a smorgasbord of forage species from perch to alewife and smelt. This results in a fair number of 30+pound fish being caught each year.
Casting big baits in the shallow bays during spring can be excellent. Otherwise, late summer and fall brings another northern pike/musky feeding frenzy.