When summer draws to a close and the autumn winds begin to blow, something strange happens all around our state. In the animal world, birds begin flying south, squirrels start hoarding nuts and fish start putting on the feedbag. They all know that the easy pickings of summer are not going to last much longer, so they get prepared for the wintry weather ahead.

Hoosier outdoorsmen get busy, too. Some begin to think about the upcoming hunting and trapping seasons, and they work on getting their equipment into tip-top shape. Some will spend quite a bit of time scouting for game in their favorite wood lots and farm fields. Others, however, still think about fishing.

Serious fishermen don't forget about the tremendous fishing that is available right now and throughout the fall. Besides, species like walleyes, catfish and bass begin feeding heavily in preparation for winter, while other species like chinook and coho salmon begin their annual spawning runs. Those salmon that were far offshore and out of reach all summer are suddenly within our grasp!

Our great state has plenty of excellent fishing holes where anglers can try their luck, so Indiana Game & Fish magazine has selected six waters to help you decide where to wet a line this fall. They include: Trail Creek for chinook salmon, Sylvan Lake for walleyes, Clear Lake for rainbow trout, Patoka Lake for largemouth bass, Lake Michigan for coho salmon and Brookville Reservoir for catfish.

TRAIL CREEK
Chinook Salmon
For many fishermen in northern Indiana, fall means that it is time for one thing only -- time to catch trophy-sized chinook salmon! Mature chinooks (also called kings) that have been living out in the wide-open expanses of Lake Michigan begin to home in on their spawning streams by the end of summer. Since large numbers of fish are stocked every year by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the spawning runs can result in some spectacular fishing.

The first salmon will usually appear at the stocking sites by the end of August, but in some years, they don't appear until early September. The entire month of September, however, is always prime time to fish. These are big, 4-year-old fish that have one thing in mind: spawning. Since Trail Creek is one of the sites that are stocked with fish, the mouth of Trail Creek where it meets Lake Michigan is always a hotspot.

Early in the run, boaters will intercept the returning salmon as they congregate around the creek mouth at Michigan City before heading upstream. These anglers troll the waters right in front of the mouth, but they will also spread out and cover the shallow shoreline areas to the east and west where roaming salmon might be cruising.

Shore-fishermen will concentrate on fishing the large concrete pier at Washington Park where the stream meets the lake and where the early action is usually hot. According to Brian Breidert, the Lake Michigan fisheries biologist for the DNR, this is a good place to start.

"In early September, the fall salmon fishing is best along the pier at Michigan City," he said. Anglers can do well using both artificial lures and natural baits.

A week or two after the first flurry at the pierhead, the action is better upstream in Trail Creek itself. Although much of the creek winds through private property, there are several public access sites where fishermen can try their luck. "Trail Creek has a number of new access sites," Breidert said. "One new site is Winding Creek Cove. It will prove excellent for salmon and trout into the future."