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I know, I know. It’s that time of year again when I shamelessly plug Lake Superior’s tributaries and the fantastic salmon and trout fishing. You’d think I have a deal worked out with the Duluth Convention and Visitors Bureau. I assure you that I don’t. No, I just have a fondness for our beloved North Shore and its fishing opportunities, particularly during the fall. Every year, it seems like the Big Lake becomes tranquil for a month or so before the November Nor’easter storms blow. Also, from mid-September through the first week of October, the maple, aspen and birch trees are at their peak fall colors.

Another reason for my perennial Gitchi Gumee push is that I have my doubts we Minnesotans fully appreciate what we have in Lake Superior. It downright worries me that we don’t exploit this natural resource to its fullest. What I mean is, if you’ve ever wondered what the craggy ocean shores of Maine or Washington look like, well, just take a two-hour drive up Interstate 35 and take a gander at the North Shore. Not only does Superior’s shoreline and water behave like the ocean (sans the fetid smell of decaying seaweed at low tide and pesky sharks), the lake has very healthy populations of pink, coho and chinook salmon that all make their fall spawning runs into North Shore tributaries.

Pink salmon begin to stage out in the lake beginning as early as the last days of August. Once the fish congregate near the mouths of the tributaries, it only takes a substantial rain to trigger their run into the rivers. Most tributaries rely on run-off to strengthen their flows, and it is the faster, deeper water in these rivers that cause the pinks to nose upstream to begin their spawning run. Years of observation and data collection put the peak of the pink salmon run right around the third week of September, but it’s not uncommon to see fish in the rivers as early as the first week of September, and as late as the first week of October. There are a number of factors that determine when the fish make their run. We smarty-pants anglers like to talk with utmost certainty about water temperatures and flows (in cubic feet per second, no less), but it’s the fish that ultimately have the last word on that subject.

If you prefer using spinning gear, a pink salmon “set up” for river fishing is as simple as running a small spawn bag or yarn fly on a #8 egg hook with a bit of split shot placed 18-inches up the line. These fish aren’t large (a couple of pounds at the best), so spool up with 4 or 6-pound test monofilament line. Look for pods of actively feeding fish in the faster riffle water, or target pods resting in the deeper, calmer pools. They’re easy enough to spot and will eagerly take a well-presented bait. Fly anglers need only a 4 or 5-weight rod with 5X leader, and a box of flies that include Hare’s Ears, Prince and PM Stones in sizes 10-14. Also, give 5mm egg flies and yarn equal time too. Pink salmon are attracted to brightly colored yarns, so include chartreuse, hot pink, orange, white and “Oregon” cheese. Whether you tie your own egg flies or buy them, make certain that they include a red “blood spot.” For whatever reason, an egg fly is doubly effective with a splash of red.

You’ll find pinks in higher numbers in the Cascade, Baptism, Devil Track and Arrowhead Brule rivers. That being said, I’d recommend that you keep an eye on the weather up near Grand Marais. A day or two following a good rain along the upper stretches of the North Shore should trigger a run. To maximize your success, give the folks at Beaver House Bait and Tackle in Grand Marais a call. They’ll honestly tell you whether or not to make the trip based on fish reports, river conditions and weather. They can be reached at 218-387-1951.

So there you have it, yet another attempt on my part to get you up to Lake Superior next month. If summer feels like it came and went and you didn’t fit in a vacation, September isn’t too late to take a short trip up north for some wicked-good pink salmon fishing.

Did I mention that the limit is 5 fish and there is hardly a better tasting fish than a fresh-caught pink? Imagine having the neighbors over for grilled salmon this fall and slipping into the conversation, “Yep, I hooked these babies last week up on the Baptism River. Took ‘em on a 5-millimeter egg fly pattern in a stretch of fast riffle water.” Believe me, that fact alone will make those fillets taste that much better.

No store-bought, farm-raised salmon for you. No sir.

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie’s Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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