Sheboygan Wisconsin Fishing Reports, Sea Dog Charters

Sheboygan Wisconsin Charter Fishing Reports
Provided by Captain James Schlegel of Sea Dog Sportfishing Charters of Sheboygan, with contributing reports from other area anglers.

Stay tuned throughout the season for current Lake Michigan charter fishing reports from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Area charter captains will keep you informed with up to the minute reports describing the latest fishing activity. Sheboygan is well known for its excellent trout and salmon fishing, and has held numerous state records over the years. With a plentiful bait fish supply, deep water access close to shore, three unique rivers, and a varied lake bottom structure, Sheboygan continues to produce a record number of fish all season long.

SHEBOYGAN CHARTER FISHING REPORT 2007 - by Captain James Schlegel, March 16, 2008

The 2007 trout and salmon fishing season was the best in decades with charter catch rates hitting an all-time high. Great Lakes sport fishing continues to draw anglers to Sheboygan in search of salmon fishing adventures and area charter captains delivered another incredible season. This fact was supported by the latest charter harvest report just released by Brad Eggold, fisheries supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Anglers were lined up early mornings at the launch ramps like never before and staying out on the water long past sunset. Sheboygan area charter captains were overwhelmed by one of their busiest seasons to date, running as many as three trips daily to accommodate the demand. All indicators of an abundant harvest are up again this year. The harvest report shows 38 licensed fishing guides operating out of Sheboygan, four more than in 2006. The Sheboygan charter fishing fleet reported 2,440 trips for the season, an increase of 14.6% from the prior year, and the sixth straight year of steady growth. Since 2001, the number of charter fishing trips reported by area charter captains has increased by over 75% and far exceeded anyone’s expectations. Sheboygan charters hauled in a whooping 26,553 fish, which is an amazing 21% increase from a year ago and a new area record of 10.9 fish per trip. The majority of the catch has been Chinook salmon, the prized sport fish also known as the King. This is the sixth straight season that Sheboygan charter captains recorded double digit harvest increases while charter fishing trips to the area continued to rise.

There has been a renewed interest in Great Lakes fishing the past few years with area captains and businesses catering to fishermen seeing the benefits. Sheboygan was one of the most popular spots for fishing this year with only one port running slightly more charter fishing trips. Keep in mind that charter fishing only represents a portion of anglers visiting our shores, with pier and recreational anglers making up the majority of fishermen utilizing this resource. The City of Sheboygan’s boat ramps were also active all summer long with launch fee receipts up by 5.6% from a year earlier. This is a good indicator of just how many recreational fishermen are using the areas facilities. Sheboygan has long maintained its “Fishermen Friendly” reputation among the sport fishing community, and is well known for its outstanding fishing grounds along with its clean and modern boating facilities popular with fishing tourists. The excellent weather during the spring and summer made for an enjoyable time on the water and also contributed to this year’s success.

All of Sheboygan’s fishing tournaments went extremely well, with excellent weather and above average attendance. Not only did area anglers catch a lot of fish this season, they also managed to hook a few big ones. This year’s “Sheboygan's Big Fish" winner went to Barry Martin who caught a 23.68 pound Chinook salmon aboard the boat Terminator on 8/12/07. It was the largest documented fish caught out of Sheboygan waters this season, but down about three pounds from last years record fish. With the generally recognized abundance of salmon in Lake Michigan, the overall size has been slightly down from years past due mainly from competition for forage.

Barry along with many other area anglers have been recognized for their trophy fish and received an award from the Sheboygan Area Great Lakes Sport Fishermen's Club. For over 30 years the fishing club has been supporting the local fishery as well as helped to promote the many area fishing events. The fishing club has sponsored the "Sheboygan's Big Fish" contest for many years and maintains past area big fish records.

This past season was also my busiest year to date, booking more trips and catching more fish than ever before. For many years I have provided a detailed report of the area's charter harvest to the local fishing club for review. I am pleased to be able to submit a report that once again surpassed all expectations, and confirms what fishermen to our area already know. More and more visitors are discovering the fishing opportunities on Lake Michigan and that the 2007 fishing season was one of Sheboygan's all-time best. With the upcoming boating season right around the corner, I can only imagine what new surprises are in store for us this year.

We were out on the water Saturday and Sunday and found some Chinook salmon. Fished straight out of the harbor in 100 to 150 feet of water. Watch for the commercial fishermen's nets just to the north of town from 30 feet out to 80 feet of water. The surface water was around 44 degrees on Saturday and cooled down to 40 degrees on Sunday. Caught all salmon on the morning trips and rainbows during the afternoon. No real pattern at all, but glad to see some nice salmon in the area this early in the year. Had bites on the surface down to 90 feet deep. Pictured below is Saturday mornings catch. The Sheboygan Area Great Lakes Sport Fishermen’s club will be sponsoring their 4th annual "Ride a Charter Boat Day" starting at 6:00 pm. on Tuesday May 20, 2008. Free boat rides will be provided courtesy of our club member charter fishing boats. The Sheboygan charter fishing fleet had it’s best season ever last year, and in appreciation for the communities support is offering the free boat rides. Boarding will begin along the boardwalk originating from the Wharf. See the brand new city boardwalk just updated last fall. This is a great opportunity to visit with Sheboygan captains, ask questions, review their vessels and meet with our club membership. In addition to the free boat rides, the event includes an old fashion fish boil for the local grade school fishing clubs, participation from the US Coast Guard and local commercial fishing boats, raffle drawings, and a variety of free salmon recipes for you to enjoy. The Great Lakes club has a long list of summer fishing activities and always welcomes new members and community volunteers.

Had some luck fishing in a little deeper water the past couple of days. The northwest winds moved some cooler water our way. Fished straight out of the harbor from 100 feet of water to over 300 feet. No real good fishing pattern at all. Caught rainbow trout on downriggers deep and some salmon at the surface, and everything in between. I can tell you that the further we moved offshore the cooler the surface water. At 300 feet we measured a frigid 38 degrees at the surface where we caught some rainbows. Caught our 10 fish, two person limit today consisting of 5 rainbows, 4 chinook salmon and 1 coho. Most of the fish were caught on large green/glow and silver magnum spoons. Caught a variety of fish yesterday as well, and glad to see some good size salmon around Sheboygan at this time of year.

Caught the kids some rainbows and cohos this morning. Fished just south of the harbor in 130 to 300 feet of water. All the fish this morning took large magnum spoons trolled behind planner boards with some weight added and downriggers. Water temperatures are still on the cool side for this time of year. Surface water temperatures got cooler the further we trolled offshore and ranged between 43 to 39 degrees.

Fished the past couple of days just south of the commercial fishermen's trap nets in 75 to 95 feet of water. Had some good luck using a variety of magnum spoons trolled 30 to 70 feet deep. Caught one of our largest salmon of the season on a blue/silver magnum pro-king trolled 30 feet deep. Constantly changing direction and speed seemed to produce more strikes. Surface water temperature was around 46 degrees. Keep a sharp look on the water for a variety of floating debris due to all the rain received lately. Pictured is Saturday mornings catch.

Fished today with a local group that has been visiting us for years. We fished in 80 to 130 feet of water just south of the harbor. Had some good luck today catching all chinook salmon with our deeper downriggers. Large magnum spoons and a few dodger fly combinations worked well.

Had some good luck fishing today with some first timers. Had the opportunity to share our outstanding fishery with a father and daughter team from Nebraska. Caught our 2 person, ten fish limit by 8:00 am this morning. Started in 65 feet of water and worked our way east to 120 feet. Best action came on magnum spoons trolled on downriggers set at 25 to 50 feet deep. Also had a few fish hit standard Pro-Kings trolled behind planner boards. Best colors today were silver and green. Caught 9 chinook salmon and 1 rainbow. The good fishing continues as the surface water slowly begins to warm up. Scheduled this Saturday is the Kids Junior Coho Derby. Our local fishing club has made a donation of $1000 to help sponsor this event. For additional information or to volunteer your fishing boat for the event please contact the Wharf at 920-458-4406.

Fished in 80 to 140 feet of water just south of the harbor. All the fish were caught on spoons. No fishing pattern at all today. We hooked a fish on every rod we ran. Caught fish from the surface to 100 feet deep. The fishing pattern the last few days has been "no fishing pattern". The surface water is about the same temperature everywhere here in Sheboygan and the fish seem to be scattered at every depth range. Caught 2 lake trout, 2 rainbows and 7 chinook salmon and let a few get away for tomorrows trip.

Species

Weight

Length

Date

Chinook Salmon	44 lbs. 15 oz.	47.5"	07/19/94
Coho Salmon	26 lbs. 1.2 oz.	38.0"	08/21/99
Rainbow Trout	27 lbs. 2 oz.	42.5"	07/26/97
Lake Trout	47 lbs. 0 oz.	na	09/09/46
Brown Trout	36 lbs. 8.9 oz.	40.5"	08/23/04

Fishing Reports 2005	Fishing Reports 2007	Fishing Swap Meet	Sea Dog Charters
Fishing Reports 2004	Fishing Reports 2006	Charter Specials	Captain Schlegel
Fishing Reports 2003	Sheboygan Weather	Local Fishing Club	Fishing Facts
Fishing Reports 2002	Sheboygan Live Cam	State Record Fish	Book a Charter
Fishing Reports 2001	Calendar of Events	Sheboygan's Big Fish	Sheboygan Lodging