"We caught lots of nice lake trout," said Capt. Janice Deaton, who runs her 30-foot charter boat J-Lyn out of Harbor Beach. "The salmon were small, with a lot of them in the 4- to 8-pound range. The mature fish were only 8 or 10 pounds." The kings became increasingly scarce as the season went on.

"The lake tout fishing was phenomenal," claimed Deaton. "Most of the fish were in the 10- to 12-pound range and they were just packed with gobies and shiners." Deaton said that cowbells and spin-n-glows produced limits of trout nearly every day. Deaton said that steelhead were rare out of Harbor Beach last summer, but she did box one brute that tipped the scales at 19 pounds.

Reefs and humps slightly north or south out of the harbor are the main attraction for salmonids during the summer months. Locals refer to the locations as the "Old Dumping Grounds" and "The Humps." The 80- to 100-foot depths seem to hold fish year-round, especially if the temperature is right.

Boasting the world's largest freshwater harbor, Harbor Beach has excellent facilities for the big-lake angler towing his own boat or those looking for a charter. You can book a charter with Capt. Janice Deaton by calling (989) 428-3130, or at fish@j-lyncharters. More information on lodging and amenities in the area can be had by contacting the Harbor Beach Chamber of Commerce at (989) 479-6477 or online at www.harborbeachchamber.com

Oscoda
Veteran charter skipper Larry Lienczewski was very blunt when asked about the fishing at Oscoda last season.

"Unbelievably terrible!" was his reply. "We had great lake trout fishing. Big trout, too. There were lots of fish in the 10- to 11-pound range. We still had some good days where we caught 12 to 14 fish, but only four or five of those would be salmon. I probably only caught four or five kings the whole year that were 17 or 18 pounds." Lienczewski did say that he caught more big walleyes last season out of Oscoda than ever before.

Wind, like at any port, plays a critical role at Oscoda.

"You want a southwest to west wind," said Lienczewski. "The last couple of years we haven't had any really good winds." Lienczewski said that nine out of 10 times he'll head north out of Oscoda, but last season he fished more straight out of the harbor in the 80- to 120-foot depths. Lake trout fishing was very good there and it only a short distance to 140 to 160 feet, and summer salmon and steelhead. "There always seems to be some steelhead around," he said. Kings tend to show up in mid-July and their numbers build until they head upriver in late September and October. Some of the most consistent chinook fishing is off the pierheads in early fall.

To book a charter with Lienczewski aboard his 27-footer, call (989) 684-5539, or at larry@saginawbay.com. For information on slips, bait shops and lodging in the Oscoda area, contact the Oscoda Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-235-4625 or online at www.oscoda.com.