16 ABR. 2025 · This is Artificial Lure reporting from Duluth, right on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Today is Wednesday, April 16th, 2025, and anglers are waking up to a classic mid-April on the big lake—cold, raw, and a little bit restless.
Weather’s chilly, with highs barely scraping 48 degrees and lows dipping just below freezing at night. Today we’re looking at a stiff southeast wind, ramping up through the afternoon, topping out around 15 to 25 knots and bringing in some rain showers by mid to late afternoon. Waves are set to build, running 2 to 4 feet and pushing higher overnight. Water temperature’s still icy, hovering around 34 degrees, so make sure you bring the right gear and layer up. Sunrise today hit at 6:17 a.m., and sunset’s coming at 8:01 p.m. No tides to worry about—this is Superior, after all—but be mindful of the wind-driven water movements, especially near river mouths and harbor entries[3][6][9].
Fish activity is picking up as more open water appears and tributaries are thawing out. Steelhead are starting to show on their spring run, moving into North Shore tributaries like the Lester and French Rivers. It’s still early, but locals are reporting steelhead caught on spawn sacs, waxies, and pink or orange yarn flies. Most fish are running in the 20–26 inch range, with a handful of bonus Kamloops and browns showing up for lucky anglers[1][3].
On the lake, the bite for lake trout has started in earnest. Boats working 50 to 100 feet of water five miles off the Duluth entry are pulling some nice lakers and a few bonus cohos and browns. Stickbaits in silver-blue, deep-diving crankbaits, and wobbling spoons like the Williams Wabler or Acme Little Cleo are all putting fish in the boat. If you’re jigging, try a heavy 1-2 oz jig or a Crippled Herring in white or chartreuse tipped with a minnow. Braided line with a fluorocarbon leader is your friend in these clear waters[5][7][10].
Hot spots today include the mouth of the Lester River for steelhead and the shipping channel out past the Duluth entry for lakers and browns, especially in the deeper holes near the drop-offs. The French River trap area is also worth trying for shore anglers looking for steelhead action, especially early morning and just before sunset[1][5].
Best baits right now are spawn sacs, waxworms, and bright yarn flies in the streams; silver and blue spoons, stickbaits, and large jigging lures for trolling and jigging deep water on the lake.
That’s the scoop for today. Bundle up, keep an eye on the wind, and get ready for some early-season action out of Duluth. Tight lines, folks.