Waters · United States
St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie) fishing report
Updated Wednesday, October 21, 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
The rapids between Lake Superior and Lake Huron are big, fast water fished by wading and by boat. Atlantic salmon, steelhead and chinook all pass through, and the flow is set by the locks and power canals rather than by rain.
Today's report: excellent (83/100)
Atlantic salmon is the most promising species on St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie) today. Water temperature is around 50°F (9.8°C) and barometric pressure is falling. Gauge ST. MARYS RIVER AT SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO shows the water level falling (2 in/24h).
St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie) water temperature and flow
- Discharge: 72,801 cfs (2061.5 m³/s) — down 3% over 24 hours
- Level trend: falling (2 in/24h)
Measured at gauge ST. MARYS RIVER AT SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO · reading 16 min ago. Published by the national hydrological service, not estimated by us.
Best time to fish today
- 12:00 PM–2:00 PM local time — score 77/100
- 6:00 PM–8:00 PM local time — score 79/100
- 10:00 AM–12:00 PM local time — score 76/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Wednesday, Oct 21 | Thursday, Oct 22 | Friday, Oct 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steelhead | 74 — good | 71 — good | 71 — good |
| Atlantic salmon | 83 — excellent | 76 — good | 79 — good |
| Chinook salmon | 81 — excellent | 77 — good | 80 — good |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie) rating:
- light: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- precipitation: helping (+0.9)
- water temperature: helping (+0.86)
- wind: helping (+0.75)
- pressure trend: helping (+0.7)
Forecast computed Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:57:50 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge ST. MARYS RIVER AT SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Winter fishing on St. Marys River (Sault Ste. Marie)
The rapids rarely freeze completely because of the current, so the St. Marys can offer open water through much of the winter. Steelhead and Atlantic salmon hold in the rapids, but wading heavy current in freezing conditions is dangerous, and shelf ice along the edges is unstable. The flow is controlled by the compensating works, so a change in releases can change the water quickly. Michigan and Ontario licences and rules both apply depending on which side you fish.
Seasons, closed sections and permits are set by the state and change. Check the current regulations before a winter trip, and never trust shelf ice or a forecast for your safety.
Wondering how this stacks up against the apps you already know? Cast & Scan vs Fishbrain vs BassForecast — an honest comparison, including where they beat us.
Read before you go
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Nearby waters
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- Manistee River (Tippy Dam) — Michigan, USA (173 mi away)