In all these places the fish will readily strike small spoons and crankbaits, but you couldn’t go wrong if you laid out nothing but size "00" red dodgers and tinsel flies. As a rule, the fish will be in large, loosely structured schools, so when you catch one fish, work that area thoroughly and you may limit out right there.

By early June, the shallow water has begun to warm beyond the comfort level of salmon and trout. Also, alewives, their main food source, have completed their spawning chores and are moving into cooler, deeper water as well. Shore-fishing is over, and the boats will be moving out into the 30- to 50-foot depths. Red dodgers and gaudy flies are still the best bet.

By the time you read this article, in early July, the very best part of the Lake Michigan fishing season has arrived. All the salmon have moved out into deep water and the lake trout are aligned on the bottom in their favorite haunts. Rainbow and brown trout are scattered in the same areas as the salmon but suspended above them in the water column.

After 25 years experience as a charter boat captain, I found a good rule of thumb when making a fishing plan to be -- lake trout on the bottom, chinook 10 to 15 feet above, cohos 10 to 20 feet above the chinook and rainbows and browns above the cohos all the way to the surface.

Depending on wind direction, you will find fish in 50 to 120 feet of water and always near schools of baitfish. It’s more important for your fish locator to show baitfish than pick out individual predator fish. Always concentrate your efforts in areas holding the most baitfish, because that is exactly what the salmon are doing.

Lake Michigan is a very big lake, which of course, is why it is called a Great Lake. And salmon are constantly on the move as they trail the shifting patterns of alewife schools.

Last year’s hotspots mean nothing this year, and even yesterday’s fishing pattern may have been dramatically altered overnight. Any Lake Michigan fisherman, from the oldest pro to the newest rookie needs reliable, up-to-date information to get on the fish at the first stop and then stay on them. Blindly trolling and hoping something good will happen usually results in an empty cooler.

The only way to find reliable information is networking with other fishermen in the same areas you are working at launch ramps or in your harbor, by joining fishing clubs such as Salmon Unlimited and monitoring other fishermen and charter boats on your FM radio.

Don’t hesitate to radio another fisherman, even if you don’t know him. Most folks will be glad to help you out by telling you what lures, how deep, and even where they are fishing. Even charter captains will share some expertise if you ask nicely, then get off the radio. Remember, these guys have a boatload of clients to look after. They just don’t have time for long-winded conversations with private boaters.