Download / print this Cast (PDF)
Door County / Sturgeon Bay
Mon Sep 21 – Thu Sep 24, 2026 · Bank / Kayak / Boat · Primary: Smallmouth bass
Cooler midweek Door rock bite — smallmouth still the headline.
Midweek outlook
Times in this Cast are Central Time (CT).
Mon 09-21
56°/47°Overcast
Wind to 13 mph · precip 0%
Tue 09-22
61°/45°Overcast
Wind to 16 mph · precip 0%
Wed 09-23
65°/53°Clear
Wind to 14 mph · precip 0%
Thu 09-24
66°/53°Overcast
Wind to 10 mph · precip 0%
Dam / level / current cheat sheet
No storage dam — seiche/wind levels.
How to fish it — Bank / Kayak / Boat
Bank
Ship canal walls, Potawatomi rock.
Kayak
Sawyer Harbor / Little Sturgeon on NW wind days.
Boat
Canal + outer reefs; shipping = Heavy Traffic.
Pattern: Rock transitions, canal seams, wind-blown points. Tubes, drop-shots, small swimbaits.
Ethanol-free fuel near this water
Sturgeon Bay — Pure-Gas.org; verify E0 at pump. Prices move — verify at pump. Pure-Gas is crowdsourced.
Lure box — Top / Mid / Bottom
Built for Smallmouth bass (species-honest).
Top
Walking bait / popper when bait is up.
Mid
Swimbaits, cranks, spinnerbaits, or spoons by depth.
Bottom
Jigs, Ned/rigs, drop-shots; live/dead bait where legal for walleye/trout.
Life stage + What's on the menu
Stage: Mid/late September transition.
Menu: Gobies, YOY perch, crayfish
Also hot / also in season
Walleye, lake trout, yellow perch
Looking ahead
Fall transition continues next 1–3 weeks. Re-check tournaments for Heavy Traffic. Shared waters: one writer/cycle.