King Migration questions

[Shug]

I'm fairly new to LOU so please forgive me if any of my questions have been discussed many times in other threads. Please feel free to link helpful threads if that's easier. 

 

I know migration varies from year to year due to food, weather, and water temps, etc. so I'm just looking for averages based on any ones personal experiences. When mature kings start their spawn migration, what time of year do you normally find them in 50-120 feet of water. At that point will they still be actively feeding in 50ft or at what point do they start to shut down as they begin the staging transition? 

[GAMBLER]

2 hours ago, Shug said:

I'm fairly new to LOU so please forgive me if any of my questions have been discussed many times in other threads. Please feel free to link helpful threads if that's easier. 

 

I know migration varies from year to year due to food, weather, and water temps, etc. so I'm just looking for averages based on any ones personal experiences. When mature kings start their spawn migration, what time of year do you normally find them in 50-120 feet of water. At that point will they still be actively feeding in 50ft or at what point do they start to shut down as they begin the staging transition? 

Depending on the port, you can find kings inside of 120' 90% of the season.  Usually the migration starts at the Niagara Bar.  Once the water warm, the kings migrate to the Toronto area, along the North shore and along the South shore.  Usually in Late July to mid August, fish will start to leave the Canadian waters and head home.  You will usually see an influx of mature fish showing up more and more every day.  Late August, kings will stage off the port they are going to invade.  Then they will be close to the bottom where the thermal cline intersects the bottom.  I fish out of Sandy Creek in Hamlin. With the structure we have East and West of port, kings can be found all the time inside unless we have upwellings.