By Mike Schoonveld
Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Monte Carlo, Southern Lake Michigan… What do these places have in common? Easy answer–casinos!
Thousands of people plan trips and vacations to these locations for the gaming, the nightlife, the shows, the glitz, glamour and fishing opportunities. Okay, maybe I better cancel the fishing options for most of the locations–but not for southern Lake Michigan casinos.
Besides being the gaming capital of the Midwest, the southern tip of the lake is also known as the coho capital of the Great Lakes. Some would argue south Lake Michigan is the coho capital of the world–if you base the title on fast fishing, healthy limits, and easy access.
Early spring is “coho time” along this Southlake Strip. From March right on into May anglers going for the sure bet on the lake are salmon fishing in sight of the casinos where gamers are basing their bets on Lady Luck.
Interested in one, the other or both? Here’s a quick run-down.
Horseshoe Casino at Hammond Marina
The Horseshoe Casino is the closest boat to downtown Chicago and there’s easy access to both the marina and casino off of I-90. The Horseshoe doesn’t have a hotel associated with the facility, although there are several hotels just south on Calumet Avenue.
The boat ramp at Hammond Marina is very nice, having been built when the construction for the new casino was started. Parking for vehicles with trailers is just outside the marina enclosure.
The Hammond Marina offers easy access to several fishing hot spots. The hot water discharge from the BP Refinery at Whiting is less than a half mile south. From there the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal with it’s own set of warm water outlets is about 3/4 mile to the east.
The biggest plus for the Hammond Marina, however, is the proximity to Calumet Harbor. The breakwalls which form this harbor offer comfortable fishing regardless of wind direction. Two productive areas are the mouth of the Calumet River at the northwest corner of the harbor, and in the gap between the attached and detached outer breakwalls of the harbor at the northeast side of the harbor. The waters inside Calumet Harbor are reciprocal between Indiana and Illinois so a fishing license from either state is valid.
Ameristar Casino at East Chicago Marina
The East Chicago Marina (formerly called Pastrick Marina) is located off just Cline Avenue (S.R. 912) which is an expressway accessible from both I-80/94 and I-90 so one can access the marina from both east or west with no traffic signals until you are at the front door of the Ameristar.
The Ameristar Hotel is decidedly upscale and decidedly more pricey than nearby locations. However, being located just outside the marina fence, it’s within walking distance. There is a choice of theme restaurants in the facility and a terrific buffet.
Boats get weathered off the lake at East Chicago only on strong ENE winds since the early season fishing is done in a huge bay formed by the Cleveland Cliffs Steel Mill on the northwest and Buffington Harbor on the southeast.
Cohos are caught everywhere and anywhere inside the bay. Landmarks along the Mittal wall include the “1st light” a structural steel lighthouse a half mile from the marina, the “hole-in-the-wall” where the shoreline transitions from rock to sheet-piling and the “2nd light” at the extreme eastern tip of the Cliffs property. East of the marina is the beach and the Buffington Light at the tip of breakwall forming Buffington Harbor.
Blue Chip Casino/Michigan City
The Blue Chip Casino and Hotel is located a few blocks away from Lake Michigan in Michigan City, IN on Trail Creek, one of Indiana’s two tributaries to the big lake. Parking for vehicles with trailers is available in a patrolled lot adjacent to the hotel.
Michigan City offers two public launch facilities. The one at Washington Park is usually open 24/7 during March and early April. This ramp is inside the Michigan City Marina so it’s only a few minutes from the ramp to where you will start fishing. The ramps at Washington Park have always been prone to filling with sand and were built when the water in Lake Michigan was several feet higher than now. These conditions often team up to make this launch troublesome for trailered boats larger than 18 feet.
Trail Creek Marina on U.S. 35, just across the stream from the Blue Chip facility is gated, but once the fishing cranks up in the spring, the gates open early enough to suit most anglers. Expect to idle 20 minutes downstream to get to the lake.
Coho fishing at Michigan City centers around the mouth of Trail Creek and in the shallows to the southwest and northeast. A mud-line is normally apparent where the stream water flows into the lake. At times fishing in the darker water pays off best and other days keying on the boundary between the lake and stream water is the answer.
Along the beaches, pay attention to water depth. On any given day, most of the fish seem to congregate in a particular zone. On Tuesday you might get action in 15 to 25 feet of water; on Wednesday, the fish may be along the 25 to 35 foot contour.
Hard Rock Casino, Gary, IN
The Hard Rock Casino is Indiana’s newest gaming/entertainment center. Located just off of I-80/94 it’s located centrally between the Hammond/East Chicago marinas and the Sammie Maletta Public Marina – formerly called Portage Marina. Most years the Sammie Maletta Marina offers the earliest fishing of the season. The mudline at the mouth of Burns Waterway that connects the marina to the lake, the breakwalls around the Port of Indiana just to the east and the breakwall and hot water discharge at the US Steel plant several miles west are hotspots. Don’t overlook the shallowest waters just off the beaches of the Indiana Dunes National Park between Portage and US Steel.
Four Winds- New Buffalo, MI
The Four Winds Casino Resort owned and operated by the Pokagon Band of the Potawotomi Nation is just off I-94 at New Buffalo, MI. The resort features restaurant options from grab and go to fine dining, and has 165 standard rooms and suites. Follow the highway from the casino, across I-94, through town to get to the public marina and boat ramps just upstream from Lake Michigan on the Galien River. As at Michigan City, coho trollers target the mouth of the river, in and out of the mud line as well as plying the beach in either direction.
Tips and Tricks
Coho fishing starts at all these locations as soon as the ice in the marinas melts and the lake ice disappears making it safe to boat–figure early March–give or take a week or so. From ice out through the first few weeks of April, small body baits with internal rattles in fluorescent hues rule the waves. Unweighted ThinFins, Jointed Rapalas, Shad Raps and others will all work well fished as flat lines or behind planers.
Once the water warms a bit, coho-pros target the top 15 feet of water using 6-inch dodgers trailing small flies and they add a few spoons to their mix of lures. Still, bright colors rock, most days.
The spring, near-shore bite wanes during May as the shallows warm out of the coho-comfort zone in the southern basin. Offshore, deeper and cooler water prevails and the coho fishing remains good right on into August most summers. Dodgers or flashers and flies remain at the top of the best-bait list on most boats. Spoons on lead core and copper line rigs are certain bets, as well. THE END
Blue Chip
www. bluechipcasino.com
888-879-7711
Ameristar
www. ameristar.com/East_Chicago.aspx
(866) 711 GAME
Horseshoe
www. horseshoehammond.com
219-473-5930
Hard Rock Casino
https://cafe.hardrock.com/northernindiana/
219-228-2383
Four Winds
www. fourwindscasino.com
866-4WINDS1
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