Coho Salmon in Michigan

Look for: “Coho salmon can be hard to identify.”

Angling notes: “Coho can be caught in Lake Michigan at any time, though the best fisheries on the lake's east side occur in early spring and again in late summer and early fall. The fish seem to travel the big lake counterclockwise; in the spring, the southern Lake Michigan ports of St. Joseph and New Buffalo boast excellent fisheries with anglers trolling near shore — or high in the water column offshore — often with crankbaits and floating/diving artificial minnows. There is often good fishing for anglers who use spawn bags or spoons off the piers as well. Fishing by both surf fishermen and trolling anglers occurs in Platte Bay as the fish stage for their spawning runs. Although they are caught in a numbe”

“In the Great Lakes, larger coho feed primarily on smelt and alewives; however, they are opportunistic feeders and will feed on a number of species if they are available as forage. They compete primarily with steelhead for food.”

“Coho typically migrate later than the other salmon and travel longer distances. Although natural reproduction has been documented, the fishery is largely sustained through stocking. The bulk of coho are planted in the Platte River, just downstream from the state's coho hatchery.”

“Depending on the tributary, coho spawning runs occur from early September to November. Females excavate redds, or nests, in tributary stream gravel beds. Both male and female adults die soon after spawning. The next spring the eggs hatch and the young remain in the gravel for two to three weeks. They emerge in the late spring, as fry, and wait until their second spring before descending to the Great Lakes as smolts. Once in the lakes, they may stay near shore for a few months, and then seek deep”