Nearby buoys
2026-10-19 14:20 UTC · NOAA NDBC 4403587
2026-10-19 15:20 UTC · NOAA NDBC 45001
2026-10-19 15:30 UTC · NOAA NDBC 45006
2026-10-15 12:40 UTC · NOAA NDBC 45023
2026-10-14 17:00 UTC · NOAA NDBC 45025
2026-10-13 20:30 UTC · NOAA NDBC 45027
Latest NOAA NDBC observations. Satellite and in water readings may differ.
Fishing Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest, coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes, and it is freshwater, so the fishing story here is nothing like a saltwater coast. There is no shelf break, no canyon and no Gulf Stream. Instead the water is driven by temperature, by wind and by the shape of the shoreline. Superior stays cold year round, and the surface warms slowly and unevenly through the summer, so the temperature structure on the chart is the key to finding fish rather than any current edge.
The feature to understand here is the thermocline and the thermal bar. In spring, as the shallow nearshore water warms past the point of maximum density while the deep water stays cold, a thermal bar sets up, a boundary between the warming nearshore water and the cold offshore water. That boundary concentrates plankton and bait and the fish that follow them, and it migrates offshore as the season goes on. Later in summer a thermocline sets up with depth, separating warmer surface water from the cold deep water below, and fish relate to that layer. The SST layer helps you see where the warmer water and the temperature edges are sitting along the shore and offshore.
Wind is the other engine. Sustained wind along the shore can drive upwelling, pulling cold deep water up to the surface and pushing the warm surface water elsewhere. That can change the surface temperature by many degrees in a day and move the fish with it. Reading where the warm water has set up, and where a wind has pulled cold water to the surface, is a big part of planning a day on Superior. Note that Superior does not carry the ocean bathymetry depth readout that the saltwater coastal regions have, so plan with your own lake charts and electronics for depth.
Seasonally, anglers here typically target lake trout, which are the signature deep cold water fish of Superior, along with coho and chinook salmon, brown trout, steelhead and whitefish depending on the season and the water. Fish follow the temperature and the bait as the season moves. None of it is guaranteed. Seasons, runs and regulations change every year, so always check current rules.
The move on Superior is to read the surface temperature and the edges, watch for the effects of wind, and plan around the water that is holding the right temperature.
What you get with ReelTemps
- Sea surface temperatureFind the temperature break
- Chlorophyll-aSpot the green-to-blue color seam
- Composite & single passBlended picture or the freshest overpass
- CompareTemperature and color side by side
- Depth readoutFathoms and feet on hover, tap or mark
- Currents & buoysSee the water move and ground-truth it
- Route, ruler & waypointsPlan the run and save your spots
From the water
I've tried every temp map out there and they all feel like they were built ten years ago. I'm not exactly a tech guy, but this one actually makes sense the second you open it. First time using it, I marked a break in about 30 seconds the night before and boated bluefin right on it the next morning.
Used to burn half a tank driving around looking for color change or a solid temp break. Now I check ReelTemps before I leave the dock and I know exactly where I'm going. Less time driving around guessing, more time with lines in the water.
Albacore season used to mean a couple hours of homework the night before and just hoping it held up. Now I do most of my research that morning and pull it up on my phone if things change once we're out there. Makes calling an audible a lot easier.