Last Updated: October 23, 2026
Quick Summary
Downriggers give you the most precise depth control of the three, lead core is the simplest and most forgiving option, and copper runs deepest for the least line out. Copper reaches roughly 7 to 9 feet of depth per 30 feet of line, so 300 feet of copper fishes around 70 to 90 feet down.
- Lead core runs about 5 feet of depth per color at typical trolling speed.
- A 24-inch stainless boom and 150 lb stainless cable are the starting point on the Cannon Magnum 5.
- Cable blowback means a rigger set at 80 feet may fish 65 to 70 feet.
- Ten-pound weights suit shallow slow trolling; 12-to-15-pound weights hold depth better fast or deep.
- A standard six-rod spread runs two downriggers plus lead core or copper for the depths riggers miss.
Table of Contents
- Lead Core vs Copper vs Downriggers: The Quick Comparison
- How Each Method Gets Your Lure to Depth
- Lead Core Trolling Depth Chart: Line Out vs Running Depth
- Copper Trolling Line Depth Chart: What to Expect
- Downrigger Trolling Setup for Salmon: Rods, Reels, and Releases
- Trolling Speed for Salmon and How It Changes Actual Depth
- Which Method Should You Run? A Decision Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
Lead Core vs Copper vs Downriggers: The Quick Comparison
The quick answer: downriggers give you the most precise depth control, lead core is the simplest and most forgiving option, and copper runs deepest for the least line out.
The same question comes up every season: which of these three setups earns its space on the boat? Here's how each gets a lure to depth, what the line-out math looks like, and which we'd spool up first for your boat, crew, and conditions.
| Method | Depth Control | Line Out to Fish Deep | Handling | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead core | Good, color-counted | High | Forgiving, tangles easily | Beginners, moderate depths |
| Copper | Good, length-counted | Moderate | Temperamental but strong | Deep fish, clear water |
| Downriggers | Excellent, exact | Minimal | Demands attention | Precise depth, big crews |
How Each Method Gets Your Lure to Depth
Each method solves the same problem in a different way: getting terminal tackle down to where suspended fish are holding. Lead core and copper use the weight of the line itself. Downriggers use a separate weight and a release clip.
Lead Core: Color-Coded Depth Control
Lead core line is a braided shell wrapped around a lead wire core, and the lead drags your lure down as you let line out.
Our pick for most boats is Sufix Performance Lead Core - 10-Color Metered, a 12 lb high-density lead core with a high-tenacity polyester braid that holds up to sustained trolling.
Copper: Heavier Wire, Deeper Run
Copper line is stranded copper wire, heavier than lead core, so it fishes deeper for the same amount of line out. The trade: less line in the water, but a stiffer, less forgiving setup.
Great Lakes Angler's analysis of sinking lines describes copper as having a real niche in modern Great Lakes trolling precisely because it runs deeper than lead core.
Downriggers: Weight, Cable, and Release Clips
A downrigger is a winch-mounted boom that lowers a cannonball weight on stainless cable, with your line held in a release clip. When a fish strikes, the line pops free and you fight it on rod and reel alone.
The hardware matters more than people expect. A 24-inch stainless boom and a composite spool pre-loaded with 150 lb stainless cable is the starting point on the Cannon Magnum 5 Electric Downrigger, which retrieves at 250 feet per minute and stops the weight at the waterline automatically. Cable wears out, so keep a spare Cannon 150ft Downrigger Cable aboard.
Lead Core Trolling Depth Chart: Line Out vs Running Depth
Lead core depth is a counting exercise, not a math problem. The rule of thumb is roughly 5 feet of depth per color at typical trolling speed, so five colors puts you near 25 feet and ten colors near 50.
Three things push your actual running depth around:
Sufix 832 Advanced Lead Core - 10-Color Metered →
- Trolling speed. Faster means more lift on the line and a shallower run.
- Current. Subsurface current pushes line sideways and up, so the count drifts.
- Lure drag. Big spoons and flashers pull harder and ride higher than a light spoon.
That's why the 10-color metered design earns its keep. You repeat a depth by returning to a color, not by trusting a number on a screen.
Copper Trolling Line Depth Chart: What to Expect
Copper's depth chart is shorter and steeper than lead core's. Using the 7 to 9 feet per 30 feet of line figure from Poseidon Flies, here's roughly what different copper lengths put you at:
| Copper Line Out | Approximate Running Depth |
|---|---|
| 100 feet | 23-30 feet |
| 200 feet | 47-60 feet |
| 300 feet | 70-90 feet |
Two caveats. First, those figures assume a stated set of conditions, and speed and current will move them. Second, copper gets temperamental the deeper you run it. A Great Lakes Fisherman forum discussion on lead versus copper captures the trade-off well: copper is stronger, but less forgiving to handle. Kinks in copper wire are permanent weak points, so keep the line under tension on the retrieve and never let it slack into the spool.
Downrigger Trolling Setup for Salmon: Rods, Reels, and Releases
A downrigger setup for salmon is a system, not a single purchase: a rod with enough backbone to load against a heavy weight, a reel with line capacity and a smooth drag, a release clip set to pop on a strike, and a weight matched to your speed. Get one piece wrong and the whole rig fishes shallower or drops fish at the net.
Rod and Reel Matching
Downrigger rods are typically 8 to 9 feet with a moderate action and a soft tip. The soft tip loads against the cannonball and still telegraphs a light strike; the backbone lets you set the hook on a king with a mouth full of hardware. Pair that with a levelwind reel holding 300 yards of 20-to-30-pound braid or monofilament backing, and set the drag smooth enough that a violent head shake doesn't pop the release or straighten a hook.
A common mistake is running a stiff bass-style rod on a rigger. It won't load, won't show the strike, and pulls hooks on the first run. Match the rod to the weight you're pulling, not the fish you hope to catch.
Release Clips and Tension
Release tension is the other half of the equation. Too tight and a small fish drags the cannonball around without tripping; too loose and wave action pops the line. It's worth carrying a spare set because tension changes with line diameter and speed.
Cable, Blowback, and Actual Depth
Here's the part most setups miss: your cannonball doesn't run straight down. At trolling speed, cable blowback pushes the weight back and up, so a rigger set at 80 feet may be fishing 65 to 70 feet. Heavier weights and thinner cable reduce blowback, which is why the Cannon Magnum 5 Electric Downrigger with its 24-inch stainless boom and 150 lb stainless cable is a solid starting point, and why a spare Cannon 150ft Downrigger Cable belongs aboard.
Weight Selection and Speed
Match the cannonball to your speed and depth. Ten-pound weights are fine shallow and slow; 12-to-15-pound weights hold depth better when running fast or deep. Faster trolling increases blowback and lifts the ball, so if you speed up to trigger fish, add weight or accept a shallower presentation.
Terminal Connections and Stacking
Run a snap swivel at the ball and a clean release above it. If you stack two lines on one rigger, set the deeper release tighter and the upper release looser so a fish on the top line doesn't drag the bottom line. Keep the cable free of kinks and rinse it after every trip; a frayed cable is a lost cannonball waiting to happen.
Manual vs. Electric
A Scotty 3025 Downrigger Weight Retriever keeps the cannonball under control at the boat instead of swinging into the hull.
Trolling Speed for Salmon and How It Changes Actual Depth
Trolling speed for salmon is usually quoted as a range, and the honest answer is that it depends on the day, the water temperature, and what the fish want.
Faster speed lifts lead core and copper: the line angle steepens, the line planes up, and your lure rides shallower than the count says. Slower speed does the reverse.
Sufix 832 Advanced Lead Core - 10-Color Metered →
Which Method Should You Run? A Decision Guide
Most articles answer this with "it depends." A better answer is a seasonal and species playbook, because the right method on a July salmon pass is usually wrong on a November lake trout drop. Here's how we'd allocate space on the boat across the calendar.
Spring: Shallow Kings and Coho
Early season fish stack in the top 30 feet over structure and along temperature breaks. Lead core is the workhorse because three to five colors puts a spoon or stickbait right in the strike zone without dragging hardware. Run two lead core rods off planer boards or long lines, and keep one downrigger shallow (15 to 25 feet) with a slider spoon above the cannonball.
Summer: Deep Kings and Steelhead
Once the thermocline sets up, kings slide to 60 to 120 feet and steelhead suspend high and away from the boat. This is the three-method spread: downriggers hold the precise deep fish, copper covers the 70-to-90-foot band with the least line out, and lead core fills the 30-to-50-foot gaps. Steelhead often hit a long lead core or copper line run high and far back, so don't bury every rod deep.
Fall: Staging Kings and Lake Trout
Staging kings move shallow and tight to river mouths, so lead core and shallow downriggers win again. Lake trout are the deepest target of the year, and copper earns its keep, especially on clear-water days when fish shy away from cable and cannonball noise. A 300-foot copper setup fishing 70 to 90 feet is a standard fall laker presentation.
Species Cheat Sheet
| Target | Best Primary Method | Backup | Typical Depth Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook salmon (summer) | Downrigger | Copper | 60-120 ft |
| Chinook salmon (fall staging) | Lead core | Downrigger (shallow) | 15-40 ft |
| Coho salmon | Lead core | Downrigger | 20-50 ft |
| Steelhead | Lead core / copper (long lines) | Downrigger (high) | 20-60 ft |
| Lake trout | Copper | Downrigger | 70-120+ ft |
Boat Size, Crew Experience, and Fishing Conditions
Boat size decides a lot of this. A small boat with limited stern space and one or two anglers is better off with lead core and a single manual rigger than a four-rigger electric spread.
Crew experience matters just as much. Downriggers reward attention and punish distraction, and a tangled copper line on a crowded deck is a bad afternoon.
Conditions finish the decision. Clear water and deep fish favor copper and downriggers. Stained water and suspended fish at moderate depth favor lead core. Wind and current favor downriggers, because the weight holds depth when the line angle goes sideways.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between lead core and copper trolling line?
Lead core is a lead wire wrapped in a braided shell, and it runs shallower per foot of line out. Copper is stranded wire that is heavier than lead core and fishes deeper at the same line-out length. Lead core is easier to handle and repeat because the 10-color metered sequence marks 10-yard segments, so you can return to a productive depth. Copper reaches deeper zones but is described by anglers as more temperamental to deploy and retrieve. Many spreads run both, alongside downriggers, rather than choosing one.
Is lead core or copper better for Great Lakes salmon trolling?
It depends on the depth you need to reach. A published estimate puts copper at roughly 7 to 9 feet of depth per 30 feet of line, so 300 feet of copper fishes about 70 to 90 feet down. Lead core is the better choice when fish are shallower or when you want simple, repeatable depth control from the color changes. Copper earns its place when salmon are holding deep. A standard six-rod spread often uses two downriggers plus one lead-core or copper line, so the methods work together.
When should you use a downrigger instead of lead core or copper?
Use a downrigger when you want exact, repeatable depth and a clean release. The weight takes your line straight down on a cable, a release clip holds the line until a fish strikes, and then the line is free to fight. That makes downriggers the most precise option for deep salmon and lake trout. Lead core and copper are better when you want long, shallow-to-mid lines behind the boat without managing weights and cables, especially with a smaller crew.
What is the best trolling speed for catching salmon?
Boat speed changes the actual running depth of every method. Push too fast and lead core and copper lift in the water, so your lure runs shallower than the chart suggests. Speed also sets lure action: spoons and spinners need enough speed to wobble or rotate. Watch rod tips and line angle as your real depth gauge, and adjust throttle until the spread looks right. Current at the surface and down at the weight can differ, so check the presentation rather than trusting the throttle setting alone.
How deep does lead core line run while trolling?
Lead core depth depends on line out, boat speed, and current. The 10-color metered design marks each color at 10 yards, which lets you count colors and repeat a depth that produced fish. Sufix Performance Lead Core uses a high-density lead center for fast, consistent depth penetration, while Sufix 832 Advanced Lead Core sinks 30% deeper than conventional lead core. Start with a known color count, then fine-tune based on what your sonar and rod tips show.
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