What Happens to King Salmon?

[Chris Raymond]

So, what happens to the chinook salmon in the Great Lakes when the bays ice over?  Do they head out to open water?  I never hear too much of people catching kings through the ice...only coho.  Are any of you catching them and if so, what's your technique? 

[crappiekid24]

That is a really good question! They wont wander to far from food so they have to go where the food goes.

[Chris Raymond]

That is a really good question! They wont wander to far from food so they have to go where the food goes.

There are plenty of smelt under the ice for them to eat.  You'd think at least a couple would be around and that somebody would catch them but go figure.  I can't ever remember hearing of one caught through the slab.  Again, coho are a different story. 

[Mentiply]

You might want to give your local conservation office a call about this. They should be able to at least direct you who to talk to about the King's migration patterns.

Chinook live in Great Lakes shoals or near-shoal waters (less than 100 foot depth(s)) as a rule. In the fall they move into the southern reaches of each of the great lakes., traveling 5-15 miles offshore as they go. In the spring they retrace their route and by the following fall, they congregate at the stream they began their journey at and begin their spawning runs upriver.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_18958-45663--,00.html