Merganzer Fishing Charters

Merganzer Fishing Charters offers full-service fishing experiences at a variety of lengths, heading onto Lake Michigan for Salmon, Trout, and Perch. The focus of each trip is to make sure everyone has a fun and productive time on the water, no matter their age or experience level. So get down to the dock, and get ready for some of the best fishing Lake Michigan has to offer!

There is no better place to enjoy the beauty of the Great Lakes than aboard Captain Daryl’s 34 Tiara cruiser. The vessel is large and spacious enough to carry 6 guests in complete comfort, and has an air-conditioned interior with a cabin, galley, enclosed head, and plenty of space to relax in the cool on a hot summer’s day.

This is not just some pleasure cruise, however, the vessel has been set up for targeting the best and biggest the lake has to offer, and comes equipped with everything from GPS and Fishfinder to outriggers and downriggers to make sure you get the best angling experience fishing for the delicious fish which inhabit the lake.

The thing that sets Merganzer Fishing Charters apart from the pack is the skill and care with which each trip is run. Captain Daryl has been fishing Lake Michigan for over 30 years, and has been running charters for almost two decades. He is joined on each trip by his energetic and experienced first mate, and the two of them will work with you from the moment you book to make sure your trip is as special as it can be.

All trips come with tackle and bait, just remember to bring your fishing license with all necessary stamps, and a big cooler to take all your catch home in at the end of the day!



Select date to see available trips and rates:

  • Private trip
    5 Hour Trip – Mon-Thu (PM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 3:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu)
    US $650
    A 5-hour, 1-3 person afternoon trip.
  • Private trip
    5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $650
    This trip is for 3 people.
  • Private trip
    5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 12:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $650
    This trip is for 3 people.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $700
    Get out on Lake Michigan and target great local species such as Salmon, Trout, and Perch.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 3
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 12:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $700
    Get out on Lake Michigan and target great local species such as Salmon, Trout, and Perch.
  • Private trip
    5 Hour Trip – Mon-Thur (PM) 4-6 Ppl
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 3:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu)
    US $750
    5 hour, 4-6 person afternoon trip
  • Private trip
    5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 4
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $750
    This trip is for 4 people.
  • Private trip
    5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 4
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 12:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $750
    This trip is for 4 people.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 4
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $800
    Get out on Lake Michigan, and target great local species such as Salmon, Trout, and Perch.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 4
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 12:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $800
    Get out on Lake Michigan, and target great local species such as Salmon, Trout, and Perch.
  • Private trip
    5 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Person (AM)
    In demand! Last booked: 3 days ago
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $850
    Get out on the water with family or friends, and fish Lake Michigan for Salmon, Trout, and Perch.
  • Private trip
    5 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Persons (PM)
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    5 Hour Trip, starts at 12:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $850
    Spend a sunny weekend afternoon fishing for Salmon, Trout, and Perch on Lake Michigan. It doesn't get any better than this!
  • Private trip
    6 Hour – Sat-Sun 5-6 Persons (PM)
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 12:00 PM
    Seasonal trip (Fri, Sat, Sun)
    US $950
    Spend the afternoon on Lake Michigan, fishing for local species such as Salmon, Trout, and Perch.
  • Private trip
    6 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Persons (AM)
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    6 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
    US $950
    Get out on Lake Michigan, and target great local species such as Salmon, Trout, and Perch.
  • Private trip
    8 Hour Trip – Fri/Sat/Sun (MAX 6)
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    8 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    Seasonal trip (Fri, Sat, Sun)
    US $1,140
    Spend the day on Lake Michigan! This 8 hour dock to dock trip will give you enough time to aim for your limits of fish and bring home some delicious Salmon.
There are 3 people looking at this charter.

FAQs about Merganzer Fishing Charters

Merganzer Fishing Charters offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $650 per group - 5 Hour Trip – Mon-Thu (PM) MAX 3 (5 hours)
  • US $650 per group - 5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 3 (5 hours)
  • US $650 per group - 5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 3 (5 hours)
  • US $700 per group - 6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 3 (6 hours)
  • US $700 per group - 6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 3 (6 hours)
  • US $750 per group - 5 Hour Trip – Mon-Thur (PM) 4-6 Ppl (5 hours)
  • US $750 per group - 5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 4 (5 hours)
  • US $750 per group - 5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 4 (5 hours)
  • US $800 per group - 6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 4 (6 hours)
  • US $800 per group - 6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 4 (6 hours)
  • US $850 per group - 5 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Person (AM) (5 hours)
  • US $850 per group - 5 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Persons (PM) (5 hours)
  • US $950 per group - 6 Hour – Sat-Sun 5-6 Persons (PM) (6 hours)
  • US $950 per group - 6 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Persons (AM) (6 hours)
  • US $1,140 per group - 8 Hour Trip – Fri/Sat/Sun (MAX 6) (8 hours)

When you book a trip with Merganzer Fishing Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • Toilet
  • GPS Ray Marine Axiom
  • Fishfinder Ray Marine Axiom
  • Bed
  • Kitchen
  • Refrigerator
  • Multimedia System
  • Outriggers
  • Ice Box
  • Radar Doppler 2 Ray Marine

Trips booked with Merganzer Fishing Charters include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Lures
  • First Mate (First mate works for tips)

Merganzer Fishing Charters offers the following type of fishing:
  • Lake Fishing

Merganzer Fishing Charters offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
  • Jigging

Top targeted fish species with Merganzer Fishing Charters include:
  • Lake Trout
  • Perch (Yellow)
  • Salmon
  • Salmon (Chinook)
  • Salmon (Coho)

Meet the Captain

Daryl Szyska
Waukegan, Illinois, United States
46 Fishing Reports
ID & license verified
76 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since May 2017
Angler's Choice
The Angler's Choice Award is given to listings that consistently deliver a high-quality service and earn great reviews from customers.
I have been living the fishing and hunting lifestyle my entire life, and have been fishing Lake Michigan for over 30 years. I want people to catch fish, so whatever we need to do to make your day both enjoyable and productive, we will get it done.

About this listing

Targeted species

Lake Trout Lake Trout
Perch (Yellow) Yellow Perch
Salmon Salmon
Salmon (Chinook) Chinook Salmon

Boat specs

Tiara (Cruiser) originally built in 1987. Powered by 2 350HP Mercury Cruiser engines, with a maximum cruising speed of 28 knots.

Length
34 ft
Capacity
6 persons

Types of fishing

Lake Fishing

Fishing techniques

Trolling
Spinning
Jigging

Amenities

Toilet
GPS
Ray Marine Axiom
Fishfinder
Ray Marine Axiom
Bed
Kitchen
Refrigerator

Trip includes

Rods, reels & tackle
Lures
First Mate
First mate works for tips

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 1 day prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 1 day before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

Listing policies

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
You Keep Catch

Payment

Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Mastercard
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 2% charge will apply.

Waukegan Fishing Calendar

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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.9 / 5
out of 5 stars from 76 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (124)
Great day and HUGE fish!
Great day and HUGE fish!
Great day and HUGE fish!
+121
Angler rating
70
2
1
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
96%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
96%
Appropriate for children
94%
Satisfied with the boat
98%
Caught fish
92%
Sort by:
Featured  
Showing:
5 of 76 reviews
Tristin M.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Monster Fish

VERIFIED   5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 3 on September 30, 2023
Captain Daryl and First Mate Erik made the experience a very memorable trip. They brought us out and found tons of fish right...
Tristin M. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Tristin M. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Andrew G.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great day and HUGE fish!

VERIFIED   5 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Persons (PM) on October 1, 2023
Me and another dad brought 4 boys under the age of 11 on their first great lakes fishing charter.  Daryl and crew delivered! ...
Andrew G. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Andrew G. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Justin S.
United States
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

6 hour afternoon trip with Daryl and Erik

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (PM) MAX 3 on August 12, 2023
Wanted to do something with my teenage boys that we would always remember as I don’t get a lot of time with them since me...
Justin S. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Justin S. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Bob D.
Sycamore, IL
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

First timers

VERIFIED   5 Hour – Sat/Sun 5-6 Persons (PM) on May 7, 2023
I took my 85 year old Dad and some 10 and 12 year old boys out for the first time on the big lake, everyone had a great time...
Bob D. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Bob D. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Morgan S.
Glenview, IL
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Experience:
Very good
4.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half Day Trip With Captain Daryl

VERIFIED   5 Hour Trip – Sat/Sun (AM) MAX 3 on August 26, 2023
We went out despite the lake being a little rough, Captain and First mate were both very knowledgeable and knew exactly where...
Morgan S. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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Morgan S. recommends Merganzer Fishing Charters
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