MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
SHORELINE SALMON/TROUT: Jason “Special One” Le: Saw three Chinook caught Tuesday morning at Montrose, including his 15.5-pounder. Park Bait: Scattered catches at Horseshoe, mouth of Montrose, Diversey, Belmont; reminder that meter parking isn’t on until 8 a.m. Henry’s: At least half a dozen Chinook on Tuesday morning at Montrose and Diversey. Salmon Stop: Slowed at Waukegan, but ones caught on spoons. Slez’s: Fish starting to run up the creeks, cover lots of waters with spinners or spawn sacks. Tackle Haven: Some kings and coho caught Sunday in the turning basin at St. Joseph, Michigan; lots of coho and Chinook spotted in Berrien Springs ladder.
AREA LAKES: Dicky’s: Some slab crappie and largemouth on extra-large minnows in the western suburbs. Ken “Husker” O’Malley: Bass in between with weather, decent but smaller, best topwaters at first light, then Senkos on weed lines. AREA RIVERS: CHICAGO: Shaun Murphy: “On fire” for multiple species. Jeffrey Williams: Caught a double on a crappie rig; his brother caught a big carp. Fox: Dicky’s: Water as low as in years, catfish picking up on suckers. Illinois: Henry’s: White bass at Started Rock. Kankakee: Bob Johnson: Bite on for a variety of fish, including his best river largemouth (4.37 pounds) and a good walleye (4 pounds), on variety of lures.
BRAIDWOOD LAKE: Henry’s: Catfish doing well.
CHAIN: Triangle: White bass running, river and lakes both; some walleye shallow or in the river; some big catfish being caught shallow at night; bluegill in 5-7 feet. DELAVAN/GENEVA, WISCONSIN: Dave Duwe: Delavam: Largemouth on weed line in 12-14 feet or topwaters early; crappie above average in 30-35; bluegill average in 12-15. Geneva: Bluegill “fantastic” suspended in 25-30; smallmouth good on main lake weed points in 20-25.
GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN: Mike Norris: Big Green: Bluegill scattered with cooler water (72). Fox: Largemouth improved, squarebill crankbaits along rocky shorelines; pike and walleye on deep-diving crankbaits on outside weed line in 12-15. LAKEFRONT: NOTE: Salmon snagging is NOT open. Henry’s: Pike active around the harbors, smallmouth slowed. Park Bait: Smallmouth scattered. Capt. Bob Poteshman: Out of North Point, good deep (200-300) for steelhead and a few smaller coho in top 100; out of Chicago, in 100-160, plenty of lakers with occasional steelhead, coho or Chinook. Capt. Scott Wolfe: Out of Waukegan, lakers “outstanding” in 110-140; also some big steelhead, smaller Chinook and coho; for non-lakers, some working as deep as 200-350.
MILWAUKEE: Arden Katz: Boated two of three kings (both heavier than 20 pounds) over the weekend, saw others caught.
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Kurt Justice: Warmer than usual water making for finicky fish; but muskie (topwaters for shallow fish) and smallmouth (average fish outside weed lines, “brutes” in weeds) are good to very good.
SHABBONA: Boondocks: Some striped bass and catfish over the weekend, water holding around 80.
SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN: Slez’s: Perch in 35-45 mornings out of New Buffalo. WISCONSIN DELLS: Hook-and-line sturgeon season runs through Sept. 30. River’s Edge: No keepers registered, lots of shorts caught.