The Indiana coho salmon fishing is Hot right now on Lake Michigan. This weekend looks like another good weather window on lake michigan as well. Here are a few tips for fishing down in the waters off indiana. Not a exact science but this is what I have found fishing down there. Hope it helps some of you new to the area to get on fish.

I like to fish out of Pastrick (East Chicago Marina) south of Chicago in early spring. Gives you 2 options for the coho salmon hotspots on the south end of lake michigan.
Option 1 is come out of harbor and set lines right away and troll along the wall of inland steel on your left. On the otherside of inland steel is Indiana harbor. Try trolling in the harbor and right infront of the harbor there is typically a very visible mudline that sometimes hold fish. See below picture. Green line is where I would troll.
Option 2 is come out of the harbor, hang a right and 6 miles arrive at Gary light. For me I have had the best luck in the area inside of the green. I like fishing Gary light better because the fish seem to hang in open water more there which makes it easier to fish around other boats.
Some days they are in both places while others one place is much better than the other.

For Baits.
Body Baits in brighter colors and especially orange have been working well as well as orange 00 dodgers and peanut flys 15” behind dodger. For body baits I like to use jointed rapalas j11 and thin fish. Really in Indiana you need to have a stock on orange with black stripes thin fish but when the coho are really hot you could drag around gummy worms. Don’t laugh. I did catch a coho on a gummy worm behind a 00 dodger many years back.

Speed I like the 2.0 to 2.2kt range but don’t get stuck on that. Speed I think is probably the most important factor. Play with your speed. Also S turns will trigger strikes. You are going to mark a huge amount of fish but don’t bet on it being coho. If they are there and hungry they will let you know.

For rods
Planer boards with no weight and body baits
Planer boards with 3/8oz to 3/4oz inline weight with 00 dodgers
Riggers down 7-20’ with spoons oranges, blues, and yellows.
Riggers down 7-20’ with 00 dodgers are a must for me. Only maybe 10’ behind the ball.
Dipseys out 12 to 30. Many times you set the dipsey just out far enough so you don’t see it.
Flat Lines down the chute.. Never on my boat.
Sometimes I will run 2 colors of lead on a board but not really in Indiana. I think most the fish are on the surface and don’t want to change a surface board rod for a leadcore.

Hope this helps. Make sure to have a marine radio. In the cold water you wont last long if you end up in it. Check your boats through hulls before heading out. Double check after you launch before leaving harbor. Winter can cause plastic to get brittle and crack fittings. Try to look for patterns of boat traffic to help keep it a little more organized especially when getting back in Indiana Harbor. Don’t beafraid to hunt for fish offshore a bit especially from gary light. Not far but up to a half mile out.

I cant wait until these fish make their way to Chicago. I did a Facebook live video on Saturday with the 15 fish in hour and half at Gary light. https://www.facebook.com/stormwarningcharters/

We now have a second boat in Chicago. Its a 25′ center console for those groups of 3 or less at a little lower rate then our big boat.