MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
PERCH: Perch closed through June 15 on Illinois waters of Lake Michigan and Chicago River. AREA LAKES: Henry’s: Give bass a break during spawn. Crappie and bluegills going. AREA RIVERS: CALUMET: BoRabb Williams: Crappie, catfish, largemouth and smallmouth ‘‘ are everywhere in Calumet Lake.’’
CHICAGO: Capt. Pat Harrison: Water holding in low 50s. When it warms this week, fishing should pick up. FOX: Ken Gortowski: High and fast. Fish tight to shore or venture up the creeks. ILLINOIS: B& B: High but fishable ( will crest under flood). Catfish and scattered white bass. KANKAKEE: Best shape of local rivers. Catfish best.
CHAIN O’LAKES: No- wake from Algonquin dam to Wisconsin line. Check fox waterway. state. il. us or call ( 847) 587- 8540. Triangle: With high, fast water, walleye going around bridges and current; best trolling smaller Flicker Shads. Bluegills shallow. White and yellow bass variable.
COOLING LAKES/ STRIP PITS: HEIDECKE: Ken ‘‘ Husker’’ O’Malley: Water hit magic mid- 60s. Bass on crankbaits along riprap. White bass decent on jig and Gulp! Worm. Walleye ( smaller) on Flicker Shads. MAZONIA: Should be prime as water warms through 60s.
LaSALLE: Darryl Turner: Suspects blues are spawning but still catching smaller ones. BRAIDWOOD: Rob Abouchar: Water warming through 70s. Bass best flipping into tight grass pockets.
DELAVAN, WISCONSIN: Dave Duwe: Crappie ‘‘ awesome’’ tight to weed line in 10 to 15 feet. Good shallow fishing for bluegills and bass. Some smallmouth on deep weed lines.
DOWNSTATE: SHELBYVILLE: Ken Wilson: Crappie ‘‘ on fire.’’ A few walleye shallow on crankbaits. White bass on ledges on slab spoons. Water is 74 degrees, down 3 feet. HENNEPIN- HOPPER: Will be open on Memorial Day. LAKE OF EGYPT: Jason Johns: Crappie, to 17 inches, deep spiderwiring. Bass pretty much everywhere on anything. REND: Johns: Some crappie shallow spawning, some deeper on sets. Bass shallow on variety of baits. Catfish on rocks.
KINKAID: Johns: Bass on topwaters early. Crappie in 5 to 15 feet, grass or wood. CARLYLE: Dale Bowman: Crappie loaded with eggs, just off the riprap. Water warming through 70s.
GENEVA LAKE, WISCONSIN: Arden Katz: Good pumpkinseeds in Geneva Bay. Water hovering around 50 degrees. Duwe: Cool water means shallow; find warm water. GREEN/ STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN: Howie’s: Smallmouth ‘‘ fantastic.’’ Walleye great late and into night. Pike excellent.
LAKEFRONT: Park Bait: A few steelhead and coho around Montrose. Capt. Bob Poteshman: Lakers good off Chicago. Some coho in shallow eating alewives. Coho and lakers in variable depths out of North Point. Capt. Scott Wolfe: Good coho with occasional Chinook, lakers and steelhead in shallow water ( 15 to 35 feet) between the power plants. NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Muskie ( north zone) opens Saturday. EAGLE RIVER: Chamber of Commerce: Walleye mostly spawned out from 4 to 30 feet. Crappie staging in warmer lakes. MINOCQUA: Kurt Justice: Walleye ( green weeds key), crappie ( bedding shallow), pike, largemouth and bluegills ( stacking shallow) are very good.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Slez’s: Good steelhead off Michigan City pier. Lakers in 80 to 100 feet out of Burns Ditch and MC. Lots of coho in 175 to 250 feet. Good bluegills and crappie at Potato Creek, Pine and Stone. Shop on summer hours ( 5 a. m.- 8 p. m.).
SHABBONA: Lakeside: Walleye picked up on leeches and crawlers. Decent muskie ( to 44 inches). Crappie done spawning. A few catfish and hybrids. Water around 70 degrees.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN: FREMONT: Bill Stoeger: White bass ( mostly males) fair; best around Rat River on river rigs. Walleye decent but variable around Partridge/ Fremont.