SALMON MIGRATION

[backtroller]

FOR YEARS I WONDERED WHERE THE SALMON WERE IN WINTER MONTHS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BULK OF THE SALMON GO TO THE WEST END OF THE LAKE LIKE ST CATHERINE AREA. IN THE SPRING THIS IS THE WARMEST WATER WITH HUGE BAIT PODS. WHEN WATER TEMPS REACH LOW 40'S THE FISH MOVE DOWN SOUTH SHORE WITH MANY CROSSING LAKE TO NORTH SHORE WHERE HUGE PODS OF ALEWIFES SET UP FOR SUMMER. THE SALMON PIG OUT UNTIL END OF JULY THEN MOVE TOWARDS STAGING AREAS. ANY COMMENTS ON THIS THINKING

[Paul Czarnecki]

I think you "sorta" have it right. Salmon go into a type of hibernation when water temps drop below 40 or so. They head to deep, deep deep water where they "maintain" through the winter months. I'm not sure how much feeding they do down there but its generally accepted that they do eat. They spend the winter in the colder, stable water in the middle of the lake.

As temps warm in the spring the feeding instinct becomes stronger and they make their way to the warmest water they can find----the shorelines and especially the western end of the lake. In warm winter/spring years like this past year they disperse all over the lake much quicker than they normally would.

Hopefully Capt. Vince will chime in here as well because I'm sure he has some pretty good theories.

[backtroller]

I HAVE LAUNCHED AT LEAST ONCE OUT OF MOST PORTS FROM NIAGARA TO SALMON RIVER . MY FAVORITE LOCATION IS STILL OAK ORCHARD. SOME OF THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE CHARTER CAPTAINS ON THE LAKE ARE AT THE OAK.I STARTED FISHING THERE IN EARLY 80'S. I FIGURED IF ANYONE COULD ANSWER A QUESTION THEY COULD .I WOULD RATHER CATCH ONE MAJOR KING THAN A LIMIT OF ANY OTHER FRESH WATER SPECIES. JUST SAYIN

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

You did good job, Paul. I would only add, that the distribution of baitfish in the Spring, is directly related to the type of winter we have. How the bulk of the baitfish distribute has a huge affect on how the Salmon concentrate.