Bob Elliott / Lake Superior Provincial Park
Coho salmon can average 4 to 5 pounds here on the Michipicoten River. In smaller rivers, like the Baldhead, the salmon will average 2 to 3 pounds.
Good salmon fishing revs up most years around the third week of September in rivers on the eastern shores of Lake Superior.
Any of the rivers flowing into Lake Superior will have a salmon run. At Lake Superior Provincial Park just south of Wawa, those include Old Woman, Coldwater, Sand, Baldhead and Agawa. Willing to reveal good fishing spots, park Superintendent Bob Elliott says it’s easiest to fish casting into the Lake at the mouth of the smaller rivers such as Coldwater, Baldhead or Old Woman as it empties into Old Woman Bay.
Bob recommends Old Woman Bay and Coldwater River for first-time salmon anglers. At Old Woman Bay, you can park in the day-use area and walk to the beach. At Coldwater, park on either side of the river, and it’s a short hike to the beach to fish. It’s the same at Sand River.
Michipicoten River, though not in the park, is a solid option, Bob says. “It’s a big river, and it gets a really good salmon run. It’s actually easier to fish there in the river rather than in the mouth, because the mouth is so wide that you need a boat to fish out there.”
To the south, there’s good fishing at Pancake Bay Provincial Park’s Pancake River, and the big Batchawana River also gets a good salmon run.
Anglers enjoy salmon because they’re exciting to catch. Strong fish, they put up a good fight, Bob says. For equipment, most anglers use a spinning rod (7-foot, medium action would work), but you don’t need super heavy line. At Old Woman Bay or Coldwater River, you’ll hook either coho or pink salmon. The bigger chinook salmon are found in the Michipicoten.
Bob advises using enough line so you can cast a good distance. For lures, he says most people use a spinner – a No. 3 Mepps, for instance – or they use little spoons. Little Cleo is popular. Also essential: a Canadian fishing license, either sport fishing with a limit of five, or a conservation license that allows taking two fish.
Lake Superior Provincial Park, Wawa. www.ontarioparks.com/park/lakesuperior, 705-856-2284.