Boatless, but yearning to cast a line? No problem. Here’s a guide to five lively fish you can catch from shore, according to fishing guide Eric Haataja (wibigfish.com) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Rainbow Trout
“Rainbows” come in both the more colorful and silvery “steelhead” varieties.
- Where: Milwaukee and Menomonee river shores
- When: March through May spawning
Yellow Perch
Perch are tasty bottom feeders that have made a home in Lake Michigan.
- Where: Milwaukee harbor and break walls
- When: Spring/summer
Smallmouth Bass
Haataja prefers to drive inland for these tough little guys, everyone’s favorite summertime catch.
- Where: Public docks on inland lakes
- When: Summer
Salmon
Coho (silver) and chinook salmon are delicious but their present numbers are low thanks to an alewife crash.
- Where: Lake Michigan shoreline and river mouths
- When: September through November
Brown Trout
These lunkers can exceed 30 pounds. Stocked by the DNR, they add up to “one of the best shoreline public fisheries in the world,” says Haataja.
- Where: Milwaukee harbor and break walls
- When: Anytime, but cooler weather is better
