7 Salmon Lures Every Angler Needs

Salmon fishing is popular in Alaska, the Great Lakes region, and in other locations around the United States and Canada. Before you head out on your next salmon fishing trip, make sure you’ve got a good lure! 

Since salmon can be found in saltwater or freshwater, you’ll need a durable, non-corrosive lure. A strong, sturdy lure doesn’t hurt either. 

Top 7 Salmon Lures for this Season

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To make it easier for you, we’ve gone ahead and put together a list of high-quality salmon lures that won’t disappoint.

These are the Best Salmon Fishing Lures:

1. Luhr Jensen Coyote Spoon 
2. Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Glow 
3. Pro-Troll ProChip Flasher
4. Hotspot Flasher 
5. Acme Kastmaster  
6. Sougayilang Spinner Spoon
7. Rapala Scatter Rap Jointed Lure

Luhr Jensen Coyote Spoon

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The Luhr Jensen Coyote Spoon is a great option for salmon fishing, especially for trolling. Spoons are ideal for trolling in general, and the Luhr Jensen Coyote Spoon stands out. If you’re salmon fishing in Puget Sound, try this lure.

This spoon is also popular in Western Canada, Oregon, and Washington. Salmon can be large fish, so you want to purchase a lure that’s heavy-duty and durable. 

Besides the strength of the lure, the Coyote Spoon is also resistant to corrosion, thanks to the plating on the lure. The lure’s plating also optimizes flashes that attracts salmon.

To add to the lure’s visibility in the water, a UV Bright finish helps reflect more light. The hook on this lure is sharp and strong, and it’s a flipper hook.

With the Coyote Spoon from Luhr Jensen, customers have plenty of color options. All of them are bright and colorful, and there are more creative and whimsical colors like Wonder Bread and Shiny Yellow Watermelon. 

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Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Glow

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Rapala, a trusted company for fishing lures, owns the brand Blue Fox Lures as well. The Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Glow is a good lure for a variety of fish, including salmon.

This is a spinner lure, so the combination of vibrating noises and flashing colors will attract salmon. To create vibrations, this lure has a built-in brass gear. This is sure to lure salmon in and entice them to take a bite. 

Fans of Rapala lures may recognize that this is extremely similar to the Classic Vibrax. The Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Glow’s main difference is the brighter, neon colors. Styles like Glow Chartreuse and Glow Orange are extremely noticeable, so they’ll attract salmon and other types of fish.

With several options for colors, you’ll be able to find that one you love. The blades are plated with silver or copper, so the lures will still flash and shine in the water.

As an added bonus, the lure has a tail that will move and float in the water. This movement is another aspect of the lure that should attract salmon. Overall, the Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Glow is an excellent choice for a salmon lure.

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Pro-Troll ProChip Flasher 

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For movements that are sure to lure in salmon, use a flasher. The Pro-Troll ProChip Flasher with an EChip is a fantastic choice.

The EChip technology allows you to move this lure in a way that mimics live bait very well, so salmon will strike the bait, thinking it’s time to feed. The EChip replicates the electrical nerve discharge of live bait to attract fish.

This lure makes a “spin and kick” movement that you won’t get from spoons or spinners, and they’re nearly sure to improve your catch rate. It can be rolled at speeds as low as one mile per hour.

The Pro-Troll ProChip Flasher is durable, with high quality 200 pound test ball bearing swivels on each end. 

These lures are made from ABS plastic and come in plenty of different colors. Some colors are better than others. In most cases, Green Bubble on White is going to be more likely to attract fish than the Plain Clear style.

Remember that salmon are more attracted to bright, flashing colors like most other fish. With this lure, the downside is that it is fairly expensive for one piece, but for the EChip technology, you’re getting what you paid for. 

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Hotspot Flasher

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The Hotspot Flasher has many of the same qualities as the Pro-Troll Flasher, but it doesn’t come with an EChip to stimulate movements of prey that salmon like to feed on. However, it still moves very well.

This lure can be trolled in deep water. For types of salmon you might find in deeper waters, like chinook salmon, this is the ideal lure. 

Like a spinner, the Hotspot Flasher relies on sound and color to entice salmon. This lure makes noise, and it comes in vibrant colors. You have plenty of highly metallic colors to select from, like Purple Haze UV and UV Green Moon Jelly.

When it comes to size, you can have the choice to buy either a medium or a large. No matter the type of fish, you should buy the appropriate sized lure. For larger fish, purchase a larger lure.

This lure is a solid option when it comes to fishing for salmon, and plenty of customers have had great success using this lure. If you haven’t been successful with other lures, you may want to splurge on this one to see if it does the trick.

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Acme Kastmaster

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Made from solid brass, the Acme Kastmaster is an exceptionally strong lure. This lure isn’t prone to breaking easily, so even with strong fish, your lure will stay intact.

Since the Acme Kastmaster is a heavier lure, this is an ideal lure to have while you’re fishing in deeper waters. In open water or deep lakes and rivers, the Kastmaster can be a great tool.

You can also use the Acme Kastmaster in ocean and saltwater. Even saltwater won’t corrode the lure, so it maintains its magnificent shine. 

You’ll be impressed with the Kastmaster’s casting abilities. Since this lure is small and dense, you can cast at a greater distance. The Acme Kastmaster’s balance produces a wild action to attract fish like salmon.

The Kastmaster comes in a wide range of sizes. For salmon, try using the 1/2 ounce or 1/4 ounce lure. 

This lure comes in solid colors and patterns. Some of the patterns, like brown trout, mimic other types of fish. You can experiment with different patterns to see what salmon in your area like best, or stick with a solid, shiny lures like gold and silver.

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Sougayilang Spinner Spoon 

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No matter your preferred fishing technique, these lures can handle it. These lures from Sougayilang can be cast, trolled, jigged, and drifted.

However you like to catch salmon, you can do it with the Sougayilang Spinner Spoons. You can even go ice fishing with these lures or use them while fishing for trout.

The Sougayilang Spinner Spoons move naturally in the water, so they’ll appear lifelike to salmon and other fish. The lures wobble from side to side, like other spoon lures.This is a fantastic deal on fishing lures. For $11.99, you’ll receive five lures.

Although these lures are made of brass and stainless steel, it’s always good to have some extra lures or backups in case anything breaks. Each lure is a different color, but they’re all bright and reflective.

Scales are etched onto the lure to make them slightly more realistic, along with an eye painted on the lures. These lures come with a 12 month warranty, so you can rest easy when you make this purchase. 

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Rapala Scatter Rap Jointed

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At first glance, this lure may not look like much, but it can absolutely be a great asset when salmon fishing. Since this lure is made by Rapala, you’re guaranteed to have a well-made, high-quality lure. If you’re fishing for salmon around the Great Lakes area, bring a couple of these lures with you for a successful trip. 

The Rapala Scatter Rap Jointed Lure is jointed, so it has a little more movement than non-jointed lures. If you move your fishing line around correctly, the lure will even spin around. These natural movements, as well as the minnow-like appearance, will attract salmon and other fish you’re going after.

Like some other Rapala lures, this one is made of balsa wood, which floats and moves well in the water. The lip on this lure makes its movements more frantic and erratic.

Overall, each part of the design creates a more enticing movement for salmon to strike. The Rapala Scatter Rap Jointed Lure comes in a variety of colors, some bright enough to attract fish even from a distance.

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How to Catch Salmon

Picking the right lure is one of the first steps to getting a large catch, but there are other techniques you can use to catch salmon. Trolling is a common method of catching fish like salmon, and it involves fishing from a moving boat.

Here, you’ll have to keep in mind the currents and move along with fish as they swim with the current. When you’re trolling, use a spoon like the Acme Kastmaster.

Another method of catching salmon is drift fishing, especially if there’s a strong current. When you’re drift fishing, cast your line upstream so your bait moves to a spot where there’s a high concentration of salmon.

As your line drift, begin to reel it in, and you can repeat this process until you’re happy with your catch.

You can use this technique from the shore or on a boat, as long as it’s not moving. If there’s a very slow current or no current at all, bobber fishing is a more helpful technique. Using this technique, which is also known as float fishing, you’ll hang your lure or bait at a certain depth in the water. 

Think about depth when you’re choosing your lure, especially the color of your lure. Bright colors are always better options because they’re more visible to fish, but in deeper waters, bright reds and oranges aren’t useful. Instead, choose a UV color lure or an electric green or blue.

Flashing colors are also critical because salmon typically are found in waters with less light. Although an overcast day may seem like a less beautiful time to be outside, this is a great time to catch salmon. Dawn and dusk are good times of the day to be fish for salmon.

When it comes to equipment, sharp hooks are essential. Salmon have thick, strong jaws. To keep them on the hook, a sharp, pointed edge is key. Sharpen your hooks before a fishing trip so your salmon aren’t able to slip away and back into the water.

Where to Fish for Salmon

You can find salmon in freshwater and saltwater. Although salmon are born in freshwater, salmon migrate to the ocean and spend part of their lives there before returning back to fresh rivers and streams. Since you can find salmon in freshwater and in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, there are a number of locations for successful salmon fishing.

On the East Coast, consider heading up to Maine for a fishing trip. There are plenty of Atlantic Salmon in lakes and rivers. Fishermen in the East Coast area can also drive to New York to go fishing.

On the West Coast, try states like Washington and Oregon for a heavy catch. California may be known for its beaches, but you can also spend a day outdoors salmon fishing.

Alaska is full of places to fish as well as natural land and gorgeous parks. The Kenai River and Kodiak Island are both great spots to spend a few days on the water. 

Of course, we can’t leave the Great Lakes off a list of places to fish for salmon. Great Lakes salmon fishing is a perfect way to spend some time enjoying an outdoor activity with friends and family.

Salmon have been introduced to several of the Great Lakes. Now, you can find Chinook, Coho, Atlantic, and Pink Salmon all in Michigan. You can find salmon in all of the Great Lakes, but for enormous king salmon, go to Lake Ontario.

Final Thoughts on Salmon Lures

With spinners, spoons, and more, there are many types of lures that work well for salmon fishing. Just remember to pick something that shines in the water to attract fish. Looking for new places to go fishing or the right apparel? Check out Fishmasters for anything you need before your next fishing trip.

Also consider these top selling salmon lures:

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