MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
INLAND TROUT: Opens Saturday. Daily bag is five. Those 16 and older need a a fishing license and an inland- trout stamp. Nearby sites include Wolf, Green, Axehead, Belleau, Sag Quarry East and Horsetail in Cook County; Silver, Pickerel and Grove in DuPage; Bird Park Quarry and Rock Creek in Kankakee; Banana and Sand in Lake; Lake Atwood and Piscasaw Creek in McHenry; and Milliken in Will.
AREA RIVERS: FOX: Ken Gortowski: Up a tributary, good rock bass and a smallmouth on 3- inch pearl twister; nothing on crayfish imitators. ILLINOIS: Water hovers in the 40s. Sauger and walleye are going. Pete Riedesel ( Fishin Friend Guide Service) noted some white bass going, too. Joe Sanderson messaged that the winning weekend catch ( 13.15 pounds) by Chase Rockstead and Mark Actis included a 6.5- pound walleye. KANKAKEE: Walleye are in various stages of the spawn, but water remains cold in the 40s. CHAIN O’LAKES: Arden Katz: Lots of perch and crappie ( good on 1/ 64th- or 1/ 32nd- ounce jigs with white tails, spikes or minnows) in the channels, but water is so low that access is tough. Rain might help.
COOLING LAKES/ STRIP PITS: BRAIDWOOD: Rob Abouchar: Good bass on slowly worked plastics near ‘‘ newly emerging grass in mid- lake natural areas by markers 11- 16.’’ Some bass flipping holes in old grass canes. Water was 65 on the cool side and 73 in the middle of the lake. Open daily from 6 a. m. to sunset. HEIDECKE: Open daily from 6 a. m. ( 6: 30 a. m. bank fishing) to sunset. LaSALLE: Wind limited boaters. Open daily from 6 a. m. to sunset. MAZONIA: Open daily from 6 a. m. to sunset. Cold water limiting effort.
LAKEFRONT: CHICAGO: Park Bait: Lots of coho and some browns for powerliners and casters at Montrose. Nick Tarchala: Caught three smallmouth while coho fishing.
SMELT: Park District rules are no open fires, no enclosed tents, no alcoholic beverages, no parking or driving on grass or sidewalks and no destruction of property. Also, dump hot coals in appropriate receptacles. Netting begins at 7 p. m. Must be out of the park by 1 a. m. WAUKEGAN: Capt. Scott Wolfe: Pier powerliners with live or dead bait catching coho and browns.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Kurt Justice: Plenty of ice, but watch shorelines ( particularly with recent snow). Perch are very good deep on mud flats. Bluegills are good.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Coho are steady from Hammond to Michigan City in 40 feet on ThinFish, spoons, J9s or Dodgers and flies. Shoreline coho vary from great to slow on skein, crawlers, squid, shrimp or spoons. Steelhead are decent in Trail and Salt on spawn or Voodoo jigs.
SHABBONA: Lakeside: Water holds near 40. Some shoreline muskie and deep crappie. Lakeside — ( 815) 824- 2581 — is open from 6: 30 a. m. to 6: 30 p. m. ( 6 a. m.- 7 p. m. starting Monday.) Park hours 6 a. m. to 10 p. m. on Sunday.