MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
AREA LAKES: Dana Robinson: Mixed bag at Tampier, including channel catfish. Ken “Husker” O’Malley: Evenings best for largemouth; work a Texas-rigged Power Worm along deep weed lines; during last half hour of light, try a Berkley Choppo. Pete Lamar: Catching big bluegill hitting bass bugs (a few largemouth, too). AREA RIVERS: CHICAGO: Jeffrey Williams: Carp to 20 pounds. Lucas Wise (see Fish of the Week): Some decent largemouth downtown. FOX: Lamar: Good smallmouth in cooler tributaries in fast-flowing water. ILLINOIS: Remember lock closures for repairs at Dresden Island, Marseilles, Starved Rock, Peoria and LaGrange. KANKAKEE: Some of lowest, most wadeable water of the year. CHAIN: Triangle: Nice walleye, shallow early morning on Marie on jigs and crawlers or leeches; bluegill on outer, deeper weed lines (8-10 feet); catfish good on cut bait or stinkbait; smaller smallmouth in north river, better smallmouth in south river. DELAVAN/GENEVA, WIS.: DELAVAN: Dave Duwe: Largemouth on deep weed line; bluegill on weed line in 15-20 feet.; perch in 12-14 on leaf worm or hellgrammites. GENEVA: Arden Katz: Good smallmouth at night on wind-blown points in 20; some largemouth mixed in; rock bass everywhere. Duwe: Pike most consistent, in 32-35; very good walleye at night on Lindy rigs with leeches or crawlers in 14-17 on weed line; largemouth active in 10-13; lakers active in 108-112.
GREEN LAKE, WIS.: Mike Norris: BIG GREEN: Heat slowed action; try smallmouth early morning on Ned rigs, or try pike. FOX: Good alternative in heat; largemouth and pike are good close to bank and under piers on reaction baits; try Strike King Thunder Crickets. GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WIS.: Howie’s: Walleye strong trolling crankbaits or crawler harnesses; perch “up and up” — try Sturgeon Bay ship canal, Sawyer Harbor and Little Sturgeon. LAKEFRONT: Chicago lakefront remains officially closed, but people are doing lots, including fishing by walking or biking in. Fisherman’s parking passes not being sold while the lakefront remains officially closed. Andy Mikos: Caught a 15-pound king already turning color northeast of the R4 in 100. Capt. Bob Poteshman: Out of Chicago, “lakers are on fire” with occasional steelhead, coho and a rare king in 100 between R4 and “The Wreck”; out of North Point, there’s the occasional king, coho and steelhead scattered between 140 and 240 feet. Capt. Scott Wolfe: Waukegan fishing excellent mornings for limits of lakers and occasional salmon, poor in afternoons; most spread in 110-130, but some out past 200.
N. WIS.: Kurt Justice: Unstable weather made for inconsistent fishing. Pike, bluegill and largemouth were good to fair. Water in mid-70s and stable weather this week should improve fishing.
NW IND.: Slez’s: Steelhead fair to great in 38-45 at The Ditch; perch hit and miss, some east of Dunes SP east to Mt. Baldy in 30-40. Stan’s Bait: Drum good off piers on lakefront; salmon in 90-130; lakers in 100-120.
SHABBONA: Lakeside: Some bass on soft plastics, wacky worms and buzzbaits on dam face and around timber and rocks; some catfish in the no-motor zone; some crappie on minnows; water 83. SW MICH.: Slez’s: Perch good in New Buffalo.
WOLF LAKE: Stan’s: Walleye best on leeches. Robinson: Decent panfish.