Lake Superior – Wawa / Michipicoten

About this water

Lake Superior near Wawa offers world-class lake trout and brook trout fishing. The Michipicoten River and numerous tributaries provide excellent steelhead and salmon runs.

Massive, cold, deep Great Lake water. Crystal clear near shore. Extremely rough in wind. Tributaries offer sheltered river fishing.

FMZ 9 regulations — Lake Superior

The Canadian waters of Lake Superior — the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Its northwestern boundary is the international border at the Pigeon River, it is bordered to the southeast by the compensating works on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, and its southern boundary is the Canada–US border. It includes Lake Superior islands other than St. Ignace and Simpson Islands (FMZ 6) and Michipicoten Island (FMZ 10). Zone boundaries extend across tributary river mouths in most cases, so most streams flowing into Lake Superior are not FMZ 9 — above the boundary at the river mouth they follow the inland zone (FMZ 6, 7 or 10).

• Chinook / coho salmon: open all year in Lake Superior; check tributary sanctuaries.
• Lake trout: open year-round on Superior with S-3/C-1 (one over 65 cm).
• Brook trout (coaster): tributary sanctuaries protect spawning fish — respect closures.

Zone check: FMZ 9 set by review — Great Lakes water body: Lake Superior shore, bay or harbour. Coordinate falls on the land side of the mapped boundary, so the zone is set from the water actually fished. Reviewed 2026-08-12.

Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 9 page before your trip.

Seasonal availability

Open-season windows for the species found at Lake Superior – Wawa / Michipicoten, taken from the FMZ 9 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

No FMZ 9 season line published in our summary for: Steelhead, Northern Pike, Walleye. Check the official page before keeping these species.

Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 9 page before your trip.

Fishing tips

• Superior weather turns fast — file a float plan and check marine forecasts.
• Steelhead runs peak in April and again in October in Michipicoten-area rivers.
• Lake Superior lake trout are in shallow water (10–30 ft) in spring and fall — cast from shore near rocky points. The Michipicoten River mouth is a spring steelhead hotspot.
• Access: Free launch at Michipicoten harbour. Additional access at Naturally Superior Adventures.

Gear setup

Setup:

Heavy trolling setup for lake trout/salmon; medium-heavy spinning for river steelhead

Rod:

8'6" heavy trolling rod; 9' medium-heavy centerpin/float rod for rivers

Reel:

Level-wind trolling; size 3000–4000 spinning or centerpin

Line:

20 lb braid for trolling; 10 lb main with 6 lb fluorocarbon for rivers

Best bait:

Roe bags, Minnows, Cut herring

Best lures:

Large spoon (silver/blue), Spin-N-Glo, Rapala J-13, Float & roe bag