Species at Duluth
Chinook salmon
staging kings stack at the river mouth ahead of the fall spawning run
Coho salmon
cohos follow the kings into the current seams ahead of the spawn
Lake trout
cold-water structure fish, shallow enough to reach the channel in spring and fall
Steelhead
the fall and spring runs stack steelhead in the current below the first barrier
What's biting at Duluth, month by month
| January | Off-season — nothing on the roster is in its window. |
|---|---|
| February | Off-season — nothing on the roster is in its window. |
| March | Steelhead |
| April | Lake trout, Steelhead |
| May | Lake trout, Steelhead |
| June | Off-season — nothing on the roster is in its window. |
| July | Off-season — nothing on the roster is in its window. |
| August | Chinook salmon, Coho salmon |
| September | Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Steelhead |
| October | Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Lake trout, Steelhead |
| November | Lake trout, Steelhead |
| December | Steelhead |
Typical seasons for this stretch of coast — a warm or late year shifts them by a few weeks. The live forecast scores today's actual conditions.
How Duluth fishes
Tide is the clock: moving water pulls bait through the mouth, and the turns around slack are when most of the roster feeds hardest.
Tides here are read from NOAA station 9099064 at 46.7760, -92.0920 — see it on NOAA CO-OPS.
Shops & partners near Duluth
🏪 No partners at Duluth yet — be the first!
Run a bait shop, guide service, restaurant or tackle brand here? We'll feature you on this page and in the live app — free, with a line about what you do. Email hello@what-inlet.com.
Common questions about Duluth
- What fish can you catch at Duluth?
- Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Lake trout, Steelhead. Each has its own season, preferred tide and water-temperature window at Duluth.
- When is the best time to fish Duluth?
- October has the most species in season (4 of 4) — Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Lake trout, Steelhead. Seasons shift by a few weeks in a warm or late year.
- Is there anything biting at Duluth in winter?
- January, February, June, July are the quiet stretch — none of the species we track are in their window then. The bite picks back up in March.
- What tide is best for fishing Duluth?
- 4 of the 4 species here feed best on moving water. Moving water is what pulls bait through the mouth, so the hours either side of a tide change usually beat dead slack.
- Where are the tides for Duluth measured?
- NOAA CO-OPS station 9099064, at 46.7760, -92.0920. What Inlet? scores the live tide, current, solunar and weather for that station.
Inlets near Duluth
Fishing a different inlet today? Every one has its own species roster and bite pattern.
See Duluth on the map
The national heat map opens centred here, every inlet coloured by today's score. Zoom in for satellite imagery and the NOAA chart — depth soundings, the channel and the bars.
🗺️ Open Duluth on the heat map →Browse every inlet in MN, or the full inlet directory.