MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
PERCH: Perch fishing gets going around southern Lake Michigan. Henry’s: Shore and boat anglers catching perch at the South Side slips and up the Calumet. Slez’s: Some nice perch being caught by boat in the Cal Park area; extra-large fatheads and perch fly rigs are best. Keep moving to find active schools. Park Bait: A nice jumbo caught at Diversey by a guy trying for steelhead.
PIER PASSES: The pier pass program, which allows legal access to select piers at Chicago harbors, remains on hold.
AREA LAKES: Warmth slowed fish-catching. Cooldown should help crappie fishing. A few still trying for leftover trout. TROUT: Chicagoarea sites: Axehead, Belleau, Busse North, Green, Horsetail, Sag Quarry East and Wolf (Cook County); Rock Creek and Bird Park Quarry (Kankakee); Big Lake (Kendall); Sand Lake (Lake); Spring Grove Hatchery Pond (McHenry); Lake Strini and Van Horn Woods (Will). CHAIN: Water levels so low, use caution launching and navigating channels. Arden Katz: Work the pockets on the shoreline of Catherine and Channel for bluegills with some crappie mixed in. Triangle: White bass suspended down 8 to 12 feet over main-lake basins. For walleye, try small roaches around main-lake points or bridges.
GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN: Mike Norris: BIG GREEN: Live-bait fishing good for smallmouth. Walleye are fair. FOX: Shore anglers doing well for perch (9 to 11 inches) on minnows under a float or dead-sticked on the bottom; neckdown areas near roadways best.
KANKAKEE RIVER: Ken ‘‘Husker’’ O’Malley: Water warmed to low 50s, very clear and low. Active smallmouth in deep pools with current on minnow jerkbaits.
LAKEFRONT: Perch at top. People are biking or walking in to fish. Fishermen’s parking passes are not being sold while the lakefront remains officially closed. Park Bait: A few steelhead still being caught in harbors. Salmon Stop: Some nice lakers in 75 feet out of Waukegan between the harbor and power plant.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Howard Bass: Despite weather swings, walleye and muskie are biting in Boulder Junction area. Kurt Justice: Muskie are good to very good with suckers best, some on larger glidebaits or swimbaits. Walleye are good deep (30 to 45 feet) on jig and minnow over gravel/mud transitions. Whitefish hitting well along deep break adjacent to shallow spawning areas.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Perch at top. Slez’s: Lakers at Portage and Michigan City from boat or pier; bladebaits or jigging spoons best. You can try medium roaches, too.
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN: Tackle Haven: More and more steelhead in river. One whitefish caught Tuesday off pier.
SHABBONA: Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.