Fishing Hot Line (920) 743-7046
Door County residents and visitors alike enjoy outstanding perch,walleye, trout and salmon fishing throughout the year. Open water fishing generally starts in early April when hardy fishermen brave the nippy temperatures and launch small trolling boats from shore at Baileys Harbor, Rowleys Bay and Cave Point. At that time brown and brook trout are the main target and very active fishing can be found in less than 20 feet of water. Medium to light rods, and an assortment of trolling spoons and plugs are standard tackle.
EARLY APRIL
About mid April all the ice moves out of the Green Bay side of the peninsula and active brown trout trolling shifts to the numerous harbors along that side of the county from Egg Harbor to Sister Bay. As the ice clears out of the entrance to Sturgeon Bay, trout trollers often find some of the best fishing along the Sturgeon Bay "flats" located just south of the old stone quarry. The average "ice out" along the Green Bay side is April 20 but yearly ice thickness and weather conditions are in control so a phone call ahead is advised before you come from long distances. Because of geography of the Door Peninsula as it is, fortunately when the weather and water condition are adverse on one side, the other side of the county is fishable.
LATE APRIL
At this time brown, rainbow and an occasional brook trout are being caught all along the Lake Michigan shoreline. During late April, look for spawning rainbows in the streams (fresh spawn usually works best for bait). Smelt netters be alert for your favorite time about April 20. Wisconsin residents are not required to have a fishing license to take smelt but non residents must purchase a fishing license. As soon as the ice clears out of Sturgeon Bay, walleye fishing can get hot. Minnows and Jigs as well as stick baits are favorite baits, water temperature is critical.
EARLY MAY
With the exception of the Washington Island perimeter, bass season opens the first week of May, and you can expect active fishing all along the Green Bay shoreline as well as some of the Lake Michigan bays in the northern part of the county. Lunker sized pike come out of that area also. The Mink River and Rowleys Bay are noted for 20lb plus northern pike. Shallow water brown and brook trout fishing continues to be good thru early May but changing water temperatures sometime force fisherman to deeper water. A large population of spawning walleye move into the warm shallow water of Little Sturgeon and Sturgeon Bay. Pier and small boat fisherman have very good success with pre-spawn walleyes fishing mostly at night trolling and casting plugs and using jigs. Some lakers are caught shallow water trolling, but most success is found out in the deep water off the "bank reef" located 4 miles off shore northeast of the Sturgeon Bay canal station. The fishing season is now open in inland lakes in Door County making this a good time
to try for walleye or northern in Europe, Kangaroo, or Clarks lake.
LATE MAY
Nearing the end of May, walleye will again become active after spawning. The Little Sturgeon or Sawyer Harbor areas are some of the most productive in shallow water. This is a good time to nail a trophy size smallmouth bass anywhere along the rocky structured shoreline of Green Bay waters from Little Sturgeon north to Peninsula State Park. Perch fishing is also found in the same location. About the end of May, lake trout along with a few early chinook salmon show up at the north end of the bank reef in shallow water depths of less than 50 ft. Good access to this fishing is from the launching
ramp at Whitefish Bay.
JUNE
In early June the smallmouth fishing hits its peak. The fish move in very shallow water to spawn and can be easily caught with soft plastic baits and stick baits. A catch and release method is recommended at this time. The Mink River in northern Door county is a favorite hot spot for both bass and perch as is Sawyer Harbor in Sturgeon Bay. One of the better producing inland lakes, Kangaroo Lake, is a good bet for walleyes now. Lake trout trolling on the bank reef gets better as the month progresses and more and more chinook salmon are showing up in the catches. Lakers as large as 20-25 lbs. are actually common each season on the reef. At the northern tip of the county, Gills Rock and Washington Island trollers will start the season near the end of June with catches of trout and salmon on a daily basis. Unusually deep water can be found close to shore here and the area provides excellent deep water trolling excitement for small boat fisherman. In addition, scenery is nothing short of spectacular.
JULY
July provides some of the best deep water trolling of the entire year. From one end of the county to the other, lake trout and salmon fisherman enjoy consistently good action. Washington Island, Gills Rock, Baileys Harbor and the bank reef off Sturgeon Bay are most heavily fished. Active charter boat fleets work out of all those ports. Washington Island’s bass season opens July 1 as the bass move out to deep water on Larson’s Reef near Sand Bay, and bass fishermen will find plenty of action out on the reef shoals off Sister Bay, or along the rocky shoreline of Peninsula Park or Rowleys Bay.
Salmon and trout fishermen can often hit some outstanding pier fishing off the government breakwalls at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. Small boat trollers can also enjoy the excitement of big water trolling right out in front of the canal breakwall. Both salmon and trout are usually moving into the area. About the third week of July, salmon start showing up in the Sturgeon bay Ship Canal. This is also the peak season of the salmon trolling up in Gills Rock and Washington Island. Baileys Harbor is also good for trout and chinook salmon. Enjoy the excitement of the K/D Salmon Tournament throughout Door County the last weekend of July. The nine day tournament offers prizes every day.
AUGUST
As we head into August, bass fishermen can still enjoy good fishing throughout the county. Shoreline fishing improves for brown and rainbow trout anywhere from Baileys Harbor to south of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. In the inner bay of Sturgeon Bay, walleye fishermen can find active fish near the Michigan Street bridge and on Dunlaps reef. Night fishing along the rocky shoreline of Sturgeon Bay and Sand Bay is also productive for walleye. Deep water trollers usually find terrific salmon through early August trolling the waters of Gills Rock, Baileys harbor and the bank reef off of Sturgeon Bay. Lake trout action is generally confined to the reef at this time. In the last few weeks of August, dock fishermen can expect some good perch and bass fishing in Fish Creek, Ephraim and Northport, just to name a few. Trolling for brown trout in shallow water should improve remarkably now as the browns move in. Trout and salmon fishing along the shore of Potawatomi State Park can often produce some lunkers at this time. Chinook salmon action improves each day in the ship canal and off the breakwaters in Sturgeon Bay. Northern door salmon action continues good despite decreasing fishing pressure.
SEPTEMBER
The beginning of September is prime time to troll the ship canal and mouth of the canal for mature chinook salmon. New regulations close lake trout fishing after Labor Day but increasing numbers of chinook salmon and brown trout capture the interest of local fishermen. Perch and walleye fishing continues strong as we move into fall. Buckets full of jumbo perch often come from Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay or around the channel marker buoys that mark the bay near Potawatami State Park. Early fall is getting to be the very best time of the year to capture your trophy walleye. Some experienced walleye anglers in the area have been getting limits of seven to ten pound walleyes night after night during this time of the season. Fish as large as eleven to twelve pounds are caught from time to time. Little Sturgeon, Sand Bay, and Sawyer Harbor in Sturgeon Bay have been the favorite spots. Trolling or casting plugs tight against the rocky shoreline at night is the most productive. In years of good stream flow, trout and salmon can often be found in Lake Michigan streams, such as Whitefish, Stoney and Hibbard. The bay of Sturgeon Bay provides good salmon trolling at this time but as an added bonus are the large numbers of northern pike that are caught be trollers and fishermen casting lines near the weed beds.
OCTOBER
Look for improved shoreline fishing for brown trout at places like Lily Bay, Portage Park and Baileys Harbor, or off piers along the Green Bay side of the county. The municipal docks at Sister Bay and Ellison Bay have been good producers in the past. Walleye, perch, and even bass are still biting if the weather permits.
NOVEMBER
November is unusually an off month for fishing due to weather and hunting interests but soon the December frosts will put ice on the protected harbors and bays. Ice up in Door County means another fishing season is at hand.
Door County Fishing Calendar condensed and written by Jerry MacMillin.
Hot Line (920) 743-7046
Happy Fishing!