Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Duluth-area Lake Superior fishing report.
We’re locked into early hardwater mode now. Near Duluth, St. Louis Bay, Park Point backwaters, and the inner harbor have been skimming and building ice, while the main lake is still wide open and mean. Minnesota DNR and Minnesota Sea Grant both stress using a spud bar and wearing flotation; ice thickness is still variable, especially anywhere there’s current or dredged channels.
Weather-wise, National Weather Service Duluth calls for classic lakeshore winter: subfreezing temps, northwest wind putting a stiff chop on the big lake, and lake-effect flurries sliding through. That wind makes it feel a lot colder on exposed ice and shorelines, so dress like you’re sitting in a deer stand in a gale. Sunrise is around 7:45 a.m. and sunset just after 4:20 p.m., giving you a tight prime-time window on both ends of the day.
FishingReminder’s solunar forecast for Duluth pegs late morning as the main major bite window, roughly 10:30 a.m. to early afternoon, with a softer push at daybreak and again after dark. Lake Superior itself doesn’t have a true tide, but that wind-driven seiche can act like one: when the lake’s pushing water into the harbor, current picks up and fish slide tighter to breaks and pilings.
Recent word from Minnesota’s statewide fishing report on Outdoor News has early-ice walleye action good across the Northland, with bonus perch and a few crappies mixed in on smaller inland lakes near town. Around Superior’s inner harbor and the St. Louis River, locals have been quietly icing eater walleyes and pike on first-safe spots, with a few bonus burbot after dark. Out on the open lake, shore casters near Brighton Beach and the Lakewalk are still picking up occasional coho and steelhead when the lake lays down, mostly on spoons and stickbaits.
Best producers right now:
- For harbor and bay walleyes:
• 1/8–1/4 oz jigging spoons (gold, glow red) tipped with a shiner head.
• Deadstick with a plain hook, split shot, and live fathead or rainbow.
- For pike:
• Tip‑ups rigged with quick-strike rigs and big sucker minnows.
- For Superior trout and salmon from shore:
• Slim metals (Cleos, Krocodiles) and small jerkbaits like a Rapala X‑Rap in natural smelt or chrome. Discount Tackle highlights that X‑Rap slashbait action and long‑casting system, which helps reach those roaming fish off the breaks.
Bait shops around Duluth report shiners and fatheads moving fast, plus waxies for panfish on nearby inland lakes. Atlas Mike’s style salmon eggs and spawn bags are still a solid bet if you’re drifting for loopers and steelhead along rock edges and river mouths.
Couple of local hot spots to circle:
- **Rice’s Point / inner harbor edges**: Early-ice walleyes and pike along shipping channel drops and riprap. Stay on well-traveled paths, check ice every few steps.
- **St. Louis River flats above the Bong Bridge**: Classic first-ice walleye territory with a shot at jumbo perch. Work 6–12 feet in the evening with glow spoons and set-lines.
Work your bites slow and subtle; cold water has these fish nipping more than smashing. Downsizing one step and adding a bit of scent can make the difference between lookers and takers.
That’s the word from the big lake and her backwaters. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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