FISHING OUT OF FRANKFORT, MICHIGAN, IS RENOWNED FOR ITS PRODUCTIVE WATERS, ESPECIALLY ON LAKE MICHIGAN, WHERE ANGLERS TARGET A VARIETY OF SPECIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. HERE’S A DETAILED LOOK AT WHAT MAKES FISHING IN FRANKFORT SPECIAL:
1. KEY SPECIES
• CHINOOK (KING) SALMON: FRANKFORT IS ONE OF THE TOP DESTINATIONS FOR CATCHING CHINOOK SALMON. THE PEAK SEASON TYPICALLY RUNS FROM LATE JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER AS THE SALMON BEGIN THEIR PRE-SPAWN MIGRATION TOWARD THE BETSIE RIVER. THESE FISH CAN WEIGH OVER 20 POUNDS, PROVIDING AN EXHILARATING FIGHT.
• COHO SALMON: ALONGSIDE THE KINGS, COHO SALMON ARE ABUNDANT, PARTICULARLY IN LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL.
• LAKE TROUT: AVAILABLE ALMOST YEAR-ROUND, LAKE TROUT ARE A STAPLE OF THE FRANKFORT FISHERY. THEY’RE OFTEN CAUGHT IN DEEPER WATERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.
• STEELHEAD (RAINBOW TROUT): STEELHEAD FISHING IS GREAT IN THE SPRING AND FALL AS THESE ACROBATIC FISH ARE OFTEN FOUND NEAR THE SURFACE.
• BROWN TROUT: SPRING IS AN EXCELLENT TIME FOR BROWN TROUT NEAR FRANKFORT, OFTEN TARGETED NEAR THE SHORELINE OR RIVER MOUTHS.
2. TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES
• TROLLING: THE MOST COMMON METHOD OUT OF FRANKFORT, TROLLING INVOLVES USING DOWNRIGGERS, LEAD-CORE LINES, AND DIVERS TO PRESENT SPOONS, PLUGS, AND FLASHERS WITH FLIES AT VARIOUS DEPTHS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE FOR TARGETING SALMON AND TROUT IN DEEPER WATERS.
• PIER FISHING: FRANKFORT’S LARGE BREAKWATER PIERS ALSO OFFER PRODUCTIVE FISHING, PARTICULARLY FOR ANGLERS CASTING SPOONS FOR SALMON DURING THEIR MIGRATION.
• INSHORE FISHING: IN SPRING, BROWNS AND LAKE TROUT CAN BE CAUGHT IN SHALLOW WATERS NEAR THE SHORELINE, MAKING FOR AN EXCITING FISHERY BEFORE THE WATER WARMS AND THE FISH MOVE DEEPER.
3. SEASONAL PATTERNS
• SPRING (APRIL-JUNE): BROWN TROUT AND LAKE TROUT ARE COMMON EARLY IN THE SEASON WHEN THE WATER IS STILL COOL. STEELHEAD CAN ALSO BE FOUND MOVING THROUGH THE AREA.
• SUMMER (JULY-AUGUST): THIS IS PRIME TIME FOR TARGETING KING SALMON AND LAKE TROUT. THE DEEPER WATER FISHING IS AT ITS PEAK, WITH SALMON STAGING FOR THEIR SPAWNING RUNS.
• FALL (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER): COHO AND CHINOOK SALMON DOMINATE THE FISHERY AS THEY GATHER IN FRANKFORT BEFORE HEADING TO THE BETSIE RIVER. THIS IS ALSO WHEN ANGLERS START SEEING MORE STEELHEAD IN THE MIX.
• WINTER: ICE FISHING BECOMES POPULAR IN NEARBY INLAND LAKES, BUT LAKE MICHIGAN FISHING SLOWS DOWN DUE TO HARSHER CONDITIONS.
4. FISHING CHARTERS
FRANKFORT IS A HUB FOR CHARTER FISHING, WITH MANY EXPERIENCED CAPTAINS OFFERING TRIPS FOR ANGLERS OF ALL SKILL LEVELS. THESE CHARTERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE GEAR AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE TO PUT YOU ON FISH, WHETHER IT’S TARGETING SALMON, LAKE TROUT, OR STEELHEAD.
5. THE BETSIE RIVER
THE BETSIE RIVER FLOWS INTO LAKE MICHIGAN NEAR FRANKFORT AND OFFERS GREAT FISHING OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY FOR SALMON AND STEELHEAD IN THE FALL AND EARLY SPRING. ANGLERS OFTEN WADE OR USE DRIFT BOATS TO FISH THIS PRODUCTIVE RIVER.
6. SCENERY AND EXPERIENCE
FRANKFORT’S PICTURESQUE HARBOR, CHARMING DOWNTOWN, AND ACCESS TO LAKE MICHIGAN MAKE IT A FANTASTIC DESTINATION FOR FISHING ENTHUSIASTS. WHETHER YOU’RE FISHING ON A BOAT OR FROM THE PIERS, THE COMBINATION OF GREAT FISHING AND BEAUTIFUL VIEWS ADDS TO THE EXPERIENCE.
HAVE YOU HAD SOME GOOD TRIPS OUT OF FRANKFORT YOURSELF?
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK A CHARTERS OUT OF FRANKFORT, PLEASE CALL/TEXT CAPTAIN DAN STEWART - 248-229-7226
1. KEY SPECIES
• CHINOOK (KING) SALMON: FRANKFORT IS ONE OF THE TOP DESTINATIONS FOR CATCHING CHINOOK SALMON. THE PEAK SEASON TYPICALLY RUNS FROM LATE JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER AS THE SALMON BEGIN THEIR PRE-SPAWN MIGRATION TOWARD THE BETSIE RIVER. THESE FISH CAN WEIGH OVER 20 POUNDS, PROVIDING AN EXHILARATING FIGHT.
• COHO SALMON: ALONGSIDE THE KINGS, COHO SALMON ARE ABUNDANT, PARTICULARLY IN LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL.
• LAKE TROUT: AVAILABLE ALMOST YEAR-ROUND, LAKE TROUT ARE A STAPLE OF THE FRANKFORT FISHERY. THEY’RE OFTEN CAUGHT IN DEEPER WATERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.
• STEELHEAD (RAINBOW TROUT): STEELHEAD FISHING IS GREAT IN THE SPRING AND FALL AS THESE ACROBATIC FISH ARE OFTEN FOUND NEAR THE SURFACE.
• BROWN TROUT: SPRING IS AN EXCELLENT TIME FOR BROWN TROUT NEAR FRANKFORT, OFTEN TARGETED NEAR THE SHORELINE OR RIVER MOUTHS.
2. TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES
• TROLLING: THE MOST COMMON METHOD OUT OF FRANKFORT, TROLLING INVOLVES USING DOWNRIGGERS, LEAD-CORE LINES, AND DIVERS TO PRESENT SPOONS, PLUGS, AND FLASHERS WITH FLIES AT VARIOUS DEPTHS. THIS IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE FOR TARGETING SALMON AND TROUT IN DEEPER WATERS.
• PIER FISHING: FRANKFORT’S LARGE BREAKWATER PIERS ALSO OFFER PRODUCTIVE FISHING, PARTICULARLY FOR ANGLERS CASTING SPOONS FOR SALMON DURING THEIR MIGRATION.
• INSHORE FISHING: IN SPRING, BROWNS AND LAKE TROUT CAN BE CAUGHT IN SHALLOW WATERS NEAR THE SHORELINE, MAKING FOR AN EXCITING FISHERY BEFORE THE WATER WARMS AND THE FISH MOVE DEEPER.
3. SEASONAL PATTERNS
• SPRING (APRIL-JUNE): BROWN TROUT AND LAKE TROUT ARE COMMON EARLY IN THE SEASON WHEN THE WATER IS STILL COOL. STEELHEAD CAN ALSO BE FOUND MOVING THROUGH THE AREA.
• SUMMER (JULY-AUGUST): THIS IS PRIME TIME FOR TARGETING KING SALMON AND LAKE TROUT. THE DEEPER WATER FISHING IS AT ITS PEAK, WITH SALMON STAGING FOR THEIR SPAWNING RUNS.
• FALL (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER): COHO AND CHINOOK SALMON DOMINATE THE FISHERY AS THEY GATHER IN FRANKFORT BEFORE HEADING TO THE BETSIE RIVER. THIS IS ALSO WHEN ANGLERS START SEEING MORE STEELHEAD IN THE MIX.
• WINTER: ICE FISHING BECOMES POPULAR IN NEARBY INLAND LAKES, BUT LAKE MICHIGAN FISHING SLOWS DOWN DUE TO HARSHER CONDITIONS.
4. FISHING CHARTERS
FRANKFORT IS A HUB FOR CHARTER FISHING, WITH MANY EXPERIENCED CAPTAINS OFFERING TRIPS FOR ANGLERS OF ALL SKILL LEVELS. THESE CHARTERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE GEAR AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE TO PUT YOU ON FISH, WHETHER IT’S TARGETING SALMON, LAKE TROUT, OR STEELHEAD.
5. THE BETSIE RIVER
THE BETSIE RIVER FLOWS INTO LAKE MICHIGAN NEAR FRANKFORT AND OFFERS GREAT FISHING OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY FOR SALMON AND STEELHEAD IN THE FALL AND EARLY SPRING. ANGLERS OFTEN WADE OR USE DRIFT BOATS TO FISH THIS PRODUCTIVE RIVER.
6. SCENERY AND EXPERIENCE
FRANKFORT’S PICTURESQUE HARBOR, CHARMING DOWNTOWN, AND ACCESS TO LAKE MICHIGAN MAKE IT A FANTASTIC DESTINATION FOR FISHING ENTHUSIASTS. WHETHER YOU’RE FISHING ON A BOAT OR FROM THE PIERS, THE COMBINATION OF GREAT FISHING AND BEAUTIFUL VIEWS ADDS TO THE EXPERIENCE.
HAVE YOU HAD SOME GOOD TRIPS OUT OF FRANKFORT YOURSELF?
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK A CHARTERS OUT OF FRANKFORT, PLEASE CALL/TEXT CAPTAIN DAN STEWART - 248-229-7226
