MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
AREA RIVERS: DES PLAINES: Marcus Benesch: Finding some big bowfin. FOX: Pete Lamar: Fly fishing cold tributaries turned up decent smallmouth, a largemouth, tiny bluegill/pumpkinseed and a channel catfish. ILLINOIS: Pete Riedesel: Good topwater bite on upper end. Remember closures on the Dresden Island, Marseilles, Starved Rock, Peoria and LaGrange locks. KANKAKEE: George Peters: River best shape of year, virtually everything working, especially around Des Plaines SFWA. Ken “Husker” O’Malley: Very wadeable, work a Bandit 100 on current seams for smallmouth or pitch a TRD along current breaks for largemouth. Jeff Tempus: I-57 bridge “on fire” for multiple species. CHAIN: Triangle: Fishing slowed, even catfish, with cold front and water cooled to low 70s; some crappie picked up.
DELAVAN/GENEVA, WISCONSIN: DELAVAN: Dave Duwe: Algae bloom; but bluegill remain excellent once you get on a larger school; jumbo perch (hellgrammites or small worms) starting in 7-9 ft. GENEVA: Duwe: Largemouth very catchable early morning or late afternoon on topwaters in 10-13, some on weed lines; pike in 32-35; lakers near bottom in 108-112; better panfish in 15-18. LAKEFRONT: Chicago lakefront remains officially closed, but people are doing many things on lakefront, including fishing by walking or biking in. Fisherman’s parking passes are not being sold while the lakefront is officially closed. Despite all that, John Saban noted smallmouth are “phenomenal . . . on all breakwalls on tubes, Senkos and drifting large roaches.” Andy Mikos: Outstanding lakers in 115-130 with a couple coho. Capt. Bob Poteshman: Before blow, lakers “stupendous” with the occasional steelhead, coho and Chinook in 95-140, depending on the day, fishing on the bottom. Mornings better than afternoons, action deeper afternoons. Out of North Point, before the blow “had been great” for a mix of lakers, all different sizes, and some steelhead and coho and an occasional king, down 50 and deeper to the bottom in 140 and deeper. Capt. Scott Wolfe: Lakers excellent out of Waukegan, other species fair. For lakers, work 110-125; for other species, try 170 to 220 north of the harbor to state line; pike active in the harbor.
N. WISCONSIN: Kurt Justice: Cooler water slowed fishing; hope is warmer weekend will spark fishing.
NW INDIANA: Slez’s: Steelhead pushing up Trail, spinners best; before blow, boats trolling in 100-140 for mixed bag; perch slowed; boaters moving around at Willow Slough catching nice bluegill and some crappie. Stan’s: Some steelhead off piers; few perch being caught are in 40-50; inland catfish going strong.
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN: Tackle Haven: A few steelhead off pier; boaters doing OK on walleye in high and muddy river.
SHABBONA: Lakeside: Cold front slowed fishing; some crappie in deep trees; catfish along dam face or weed lines; a few walleye on drop-offs; water cooled into mid-70s.