📞 (269) 214-6934 ✉ cbard@btc-bci.com South Haven, Michigan · Since the 1950s
What You'll Catch

Species Guide

Lake Michigan out of South Haven holds a strong mix of salmon and trout all season long. Here's what we're targeting on a typical trip.

King (Chinook) Salmon
Peak: July – September

King Salmon (Chinook)

The heavyweight of the Great Lakes and the fish most anglers book a trip for. Kings fight hard with long, reel-screaming runs and don't jump or roll as much as coho. Open-water trolling is productive in spring and summer, with fish staging near river mouths as they migrate toward spawning streams in late summer and into September.

Coho Salmon
Peak: May – September

Coho Salmon

A scrappy, acrobatic fighter that often rolls sideways and tangles itself in the tackle. In spring and summer, coho hold in open water near baitfish, usually within 10 miles of shore in the upper 20–40 feet. By late summer they concentrate near stream mouths before beginning their spawning run.

Lake Trout
Peak: April, and again in fall

Lake Trout

A deep, cold-water fish best known for world-class action right here out of South Haven in April. Lake trout are taken by trolling or still-fishing in 50–200 feet of water through the warmer months, and move into shallower water during the cold-water spring and fall spawning seasons.

Brown Trout
Peak: Spring & Fall

Brown Trout

A near-shore fish taken by shallow trolling, surf casting or pier fishing. Lake Michigan browns tend to run plumper and more “football shaped” than their inland cousins thanks to the abundant forage in the big lake — and they're easy to identify by their large, round, light-haloed spots.

Steelhead
Peak: Spring & Fall

Steelhead

The ocean-run rainbow trout of the Great Lakes — fast, aggressive and always a highlight of the trip. Steelhead are part of the regular mixed-bag catch on our May, June and late-season trips alongside salmon, lake trout and brown trout.

See What's Biting

Call ahead or book online — we'll put you on the right fish for the season.

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