If you're heading out to fish on Lake Superior around Duluth today, here’s what you need to know:

First, let's talk about the weather. As of last night, a gale warning was in effect, with northwest winds up to 30 knots and gales reaching up to 45 knots. This has since decreased, but you can still expect strong winds and waves, especially in the outer areas. There's a chance of snow showers and flurries, and heavy freezing spray is a concern in some areas[2].

Sunrise today is around 7:45 AM, and sunset will be at about 4:45 PM, giving you a good window to get out on the ice.

Lake Superior doesn't have traditional tides, but water levels are managed. The St. Marys River flow, which affects Lake Superior's water levels, is expected to be around 1,790 cubic meters per second in January[1].

Yesterday saw some great catches despite the chilly conditions. On the Ashland side, anglers at Kreher Park and Second Landing caught nice perch (9-11 inches), walleye (15-25 inches), northern pike (26-34 inches), and whitefish (17-20 inches). On the Washburn side, areas like Bono Creek, Thompson Park, the Washburn Coal Dock, and Memorial Park yielded a mixed bag including splake (15-20 inches), brown trout (15-22 inches), herring (15-19 inches), whitefish (17-20 inches), perch (9-11 inches), and the occasional coho salmon (14-16 inches) and northern pike (26-34 inches)[1].

For the best results, use spoons, jigging minnowbaits, lake shiners, sucker minnows, or golden shiners. In deeper waters, jigging raps with lake shiners or golden shiners have been effective[1].

Hot spots to check out include Kreher Park and Second Landing on the Ashland side for perch, walleye, northern pike, and whitefish. On the Washburn side, Bono Creek, Thompson Park, the Washburn Coal Dock, and Memorial Park are great for a mixed bag of fish[1].

Remember to exercise extreme caution on the ice, and enjoy your time out on the lake. Good luck fishing