Artificial Lure here with your Saturday, October 25, 2025 fishing report from Lake Superior and the greater Duluth area. We kicked off the day under classic fall conditions—chilly, clear, and wind coming off the big lake, with sunrise this morning at 7:38 AM and sunset set for 6:04 PM. There’s no tidal change on the freshwater, but weather’s been on the anglers’ minds: forecast was low 40s early, touching mid-50s by afternoon with steady breezes that put a chop on exposed water.
Fish activity has been solid thanks to the water temps falling, hovering in the low 50s. Local rivers feeding Superior are still stacked with salmon runs, and steelhead made a surge with the recent rain—this comes straight from the Michigan Outdoor News Fishing Report. Reports have steelhead biting best on the tailouts of the Lester and Knife Rivers near Duluth. Salmon are holding tight to structure, with both coho and king showing in respectable numbers. It’s prime time for late season action.
Boat and shore anglers have landed plenty of mixed bags along the North Shore near Duluth and up towards Two Harbors, with recent highlights including heavy lake trout, a consistent number of steelhead, a sprinkle of coho, and pods of whitefish in deeper pockets. Herring are around too, though you’ll have to work for them with cooler nights settling in, and some perch are still being picked up on warmer flats.
Bait selection is getting tactical: the best lures right now are bright spoons, like the classic Cleo or Krocodile in chartreuse or orange, especially early in the morning when fish are aggressive. Vertical jigging with frozen or live emerald shiners has put steelhead and trout in the boat—Lake of the Woods guides swear by this technique, and local anglers confirmed good results just offshore from Brighton Beach. Drifted spawn sacs continue to take kings around river mouths, but folks drifting natural colored glo-bugs and bead rigs have found excellent bites from browns and steelies.
For artificial fans, trolling crankbaits—Rapala Deep Husky Jerks in silver/blue or firetiger—has been hot for lakers 30 to 60 feet down. Anglers working jigs in 1/4 to 3/8 ounce tipped with twister tails or finesse grubs (Northern Ontario Travel recommends them for mixed trout and walleye) scored on rocky bottom near Stoney Point.
A couple of hotspots to call out: Canal Park is seeing good brown trout movement in the mornings, especially off the piers by the shipping canal, right under the big lift bridge. Grand Marais harbor, further up the shore, continues to deliver mixed bags of lake trout, whitefish, and even a few bonus splake—fish the deeper water right off Artist’s Point, and you’re in the money.
Fish counts have been strong this week—a few boats reported five to ten keeper trout per morning, with one shore angler at Brighton Beach bagging a limit of steelhead after sunrise. Browns are still coming in two to four pounds, lakers ranging up to 15 pounds for those willing to fish deeper, and coho are running smaller but scrappy.
Before you hit the water, double up on layers—the wind off Superior bites harder than you think, and finger dexterity matters on those cold mornings. Keep spoons, jigs, crankbaits, and spawn sacs handy. Bring live emerald shiners or wax worms for finesse work on perch if things slow down.
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