Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) fishing conditions · Indiana

Now until 8 pmCoho salmon

The bite peaks at 91. Water is 54°, close to the 53° coho salmon like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Small Craft Advisory until Monday 5 am

Right now: 91 for coho salmon, go · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Coho salmon, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

914 pm
91
91
917 pm
77
77
7710 pm
77
77Sun
771 am
77
77
774 am
77
77
777 am
77
77
7710 am
77
77
771 pm
77
77
774 pm
77
77
547 pm
54
54
5410 pm
54
54Mon
541 am
77
77

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: 54°F
Wind: 5 mph
Light: Daylight
Sky: Mostly Sunny
Air: 47°F
Barometer: Falling
Moon: 5% lit

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Indiana regulations for these waters.

Coho salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

91GoNow until 8 pm

Water

54°

34°44–58° · ideal 53°68°

Why

Right in coho salmon's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Coho salmon is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Holds 10–120 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana Lake Michigan and tributaries: 14" minimum, 5 trout and salmon a day in total, no more than 3 of them lake trout.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct. More on coho salmon

Walleye

Sander vitreus

91GoNow until 8 pm

Water

54°

40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Walleye is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Walleye feeds aggressively in low light. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

16" minimum · 6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana statewide rule north of State Road 26, Lake Michigan included: 16" minimum, 6 a day (walleye, sauger and saugeye combined).

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Jun, Oct–Dec, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on walleye

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

79Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

54°

32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Chinook salmon is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 15–150 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana Lake Michigan and tributaries: 14" minimum, 5 trout and salmon a day in total, no more than 3 of them lake trout.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

Steelhead

Oncorhynchus mykiss

79Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

54°

30°40–55° · ideal 48°65°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Steelhead is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 2–60 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana Lake Michigan and tributaries: 14" minimum, 5 trout and salmon a day in total, no more than 3 of them lake trout.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Oct–Apr. More on steelhead

Brown trout

Salmo trutta

79Worth the tripNow until 8 pm

Water

54°

35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Right in brown trout's ideal range. Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana Lake Michigan and tributaries: 14" minimum, 5 trout and salmon a day in total, no more than 3 of them lake trout.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Dec, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on brown trout

Yellow perch

Perca flavescens

67MarginalNow until 8 pm

Water

54°

35°45–70° · ideal 58°80°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside yellow perch's active range. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

15 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana waters of Lake Michigan: 15 a day, no size limit.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Jun, Oct–Jan, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on yellow perch

Lake trout

Salvelinus namaycush

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

54°

30°40–52° · ideal 48°62°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Lake trout is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 30–200 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana Lake Michigan and tributaries: 14" minimum, 5 trout and salmon a day in total, no more than 3 of them lake trout.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Sep–Jun. More on lake trout

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

38Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

54°

45°55–78° · ideal 68°88°

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Smallmouth bass is showing up in this week's state fishing report for the area. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Indiana Lake Michigan: largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass combined, 14" minimum, 3 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Indiana

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Nov, from NOAA satellite surface-temperature analysis of the lake, 2023–2025. More on smallmouth bass

The water

Water temperature54°F
Seas2.3 ft at the nearest buoy
Barometer30.14 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today5:35 pm
Sunrise tomorrow7:28 am
MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
Minor solunarToday 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
Major solunarTonight 10:40 pm–12:40 am
Minor solunarTomorrow 6:40 am–7:40 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

Indiana DNR report, Oct 30

Names chinook salmon, coho salmon, lake trout, smallmouth bass, steelhead, walleye, which people fish for here. It covers the whole state, so it may not describe these waters.

Read it at Indiana DNR

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

A Lake Michigan beach beside the Michigan City pier and harbor, where Trail Creek enters the lake. Indiana DNR lists coho and chinook salmon, steelhead, brown and lake trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and walleye in the catch along Northwest Indiana's shoreline. Trail Creek carries runs of chinook, coho and steelhead, and walleye also turn up at the NIPSCO warm-water discharge in Michigan City.

WaterLake Michigan
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesIndiana
WhereLaPorte County · 41.7290, -86.9022

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)20 mi · IndianaBest now until Monday 4 am

100Go

31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)37 mi · IllinoisBest now until 7 pm

100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)?

Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) is listed on this site for 8 commonly-targeted species: Yellow Perch, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, and 4 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) have?

Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)?

state agency regulations apply at Washington Park Beach (Michigan City). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) tidal water?

No. Washington Park Beach (Michigan City) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.