# smelt run info please



## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

hello all well i was just woundering when the smelt normaily start to run up there. i havent hit them in almost 10 years and i use to have ahell of a good time doin it.


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Over here on the West Side I haven't seen or heard of a decent run of smelt in over 15 years.


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## chad 1 (Jan 23, 2001)

Last time I went there where more drunks in the water then smelt.

chad1


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Coho and chinook have replaced smelt. 

Question: how many pounds of smelt has a 20# coho/chinook eaten in his lifetime??


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## hartman886 (Aug 29, 2004)

Beaver pilot and I have been talking about going up along superior to try for some. However getting reliable info is hard. I know someone here must know if there is still any runs up that way.(and no we are not smelt drinkers just just looking for a place to show the kids what smelt dipping is)
I can tell you that around the tip of the mitt area there hasn't been any for a long time.
Chris


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## joefsu (Jan 9, 2005)

My cousin goes to Tech and I know him and his buddies watched the rivers a lot last year, I think they got into them decent one night.....that was it. Good luck with your search, maybe someone here knows better than I do.


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## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

well i will be up moving back up there in april so i will be on the look out. i know for a while there you had to go out in the bay where we use to go not to many in the river. just hope i can find a few for a meal or 2 and also some bait


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## swmfdotcom (Aug 17, 2005)

SAVE THE SMELT,SAVE THE SMELT,SAVE THE SMELTrotest_e HAHAHA,bro your better of getting smelt at the frozen food section of your grocery store.Their hard to come by these days.:lol:


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## Yoopertrapper (Jan 24, 2006)

L'anse and Baraga areas have been fair places for smelt
the past couple years.Almost have to go every night to
try and hit the run. Seems like you only get about 2 good nights for a run and I've heard some people have hit them in the daytime.


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## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

We found them durning the day a few times but that was way back. One day they were so thick you couldnt see the bottom of the river 2 dips and we were done.


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## TVCEAST05 (Feb 1, 2007)

I have some friends that dipped some streams off lake superior and did decent but never hit a big run. They went a litle ways into canada and did much better. I can't wait to try it this year.


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

Have heard that Drummond I. gets some decent runs in the creeks there, but have never went looking. Found it cheaper to go to beardsley's by standish, and get them fresh for $2.00 lb. in the round, or the little north point market when they open up by foster rd. Got a cooler full about 5 years ago near foster rd.( au gres area), haven't tried much since then. Will be looking during singing bridge outing this year on weekend of April 14th.


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

This may be a little off track but there are some inland lakes (Higgins, Crystal) that have good populations of smelt. Anyone know if they just spawn in the lake or do make a run up any creeks that flow into the lakes? Are they accessable in the spring?


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## Wizard3686 (Aug 30, 2005)

well we will be goin up around easter most likely i will be staying behind while my dad comes back down here to finsh off his things at work so i will beable to watch some of the rivers.


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Brian S said:


> This may be a little off track but there are some inland lakes (Higgins, Crystal) that have good populations of smelt. Anyone know if they just spawn in the lake or do make a run up any creeks that flow into the lakes? Are they accessable in the spring?


They do swim upstream to spawn in the various creeks. However it is illegal to dip them because Crystal and Higgins are both considered trout lakes.


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

Thanks for that info Whit1.


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## chasintails (Mar 9, 2007)

One of the first times I went to the Betsie I stopped into Cole Creek for lunch, never seen smelt in creeks until then. You couldn't see the bottom of it. Then the next day I went back and they were gone, and the Trout were up spwning that was pretty cool watching 3-5 pound rainbows doing their thing. Not to mention one of the best burgers i've ever had is at Cole Creek Inn(The Works Burger).


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## redneckdan (Dec 14, 2004)

I live in houghton and tried dipping last year. Not much action at all. Singles or the occasional pairs, lots of work with not much payoff.


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## canidensus (Apr 8, 2007)

I see we have two posts on smelt. What all of use need are some river temps. If your running up to the eastern U.P stop by the carp and possibly some other local sreams and pull some temp. readings. Simple as droppin in a thermometer. 

I'm sure everyone woud be mighty gratefull. 

Another thing to take into consideraton are the moon phases. There is a key time during the lunar cycle when smelt are more likly to run.


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

Again: http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=168597

As for smelt in the EUP, you might as well cross the second bridge and get a NR lincense. They have a bigger/better run over there on the north shore of Superior. They're pretty much non-existant in the EUP streams now...except for a few singles here and there.


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