MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
LAKEFRONT PERCH: Holiday week was generally good at South Side slips, Calumet and Navy Pier. Quinn Wunar: Caught a 15 1/4-incher at Navy Pier. Henry’s: Fishing good at 87th, which has good access and free parking. Arden Katz: Hundreds fishing 87th; fishing good. Also caught perch (around 10 inches) on every cast over the weekend near bus turnaround at Navy Pier, but pier was tough Monday. Slez’s: 87th packed every day. Lots of perch being caught; best on crappie rigs or perch-fly rigs with fatheads, extra-large fatheads or Rosie Reds. NAVY PIER: North side open to anglers. Discounted angler parking is $9 if out by 10 a.m.
PASSES: Parking passes (Burnham and DuSable harbors) and pier passes, allowing legal access to select piers at most Chicago harbors, are sold at Henry’s Sports & Bait or Northerly Island Visitors Center. AREA LAKES: Waiting on safe ice. When ice-free, Ken ‘‘Husker’’ O’Malley noted crappie good while cruising weedlines; best on a Maki plastic under a slip float.
CHAIN: Triangle: Early next week for ice fishing.
DES PLAINES RIVER: Sean Whippo: Before the snow, pike bite ‘‘absolutely HOT.’’ Try slow-rolling husky Jerks or hard, sinking swimbaits.
DOWNSTATE: EMIQUON PRESERVE: On Wednesday, fishing goes back to sunrise to sunset. Permits required from Dickson Mounds Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. POWERTON: Bank fishing reopened Monday. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN: Mike Norris: Big Green remains largely ice-free. He targets smallmouth and walleye with live bait when weather allows. Lake Puckaway is his early-ice go-to place. Pike and walleye good now.
KANKAKEE RIVER: George Peters: Caught his Christmas smallmouth on an eighth-ounce jig in a slow backwater with a log jam. KENOSHA, WISCONSIN: Cory Yarmuth: Nice brown in the harbor on white X-Rap.
LAKEFRONT: Some lakers mixed with perch. Henry’s: Some lakers at DuSable, too (access by pier pass and parking pass). SNAGGING: Friday is the final day.
MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN: D&S: Only Cherokee Marsh has ice fishing. Should be more by weekend.
MAZONIA: Both units reopen today. Hours are 6 a.m. to sunset. NORTHERN WISCONSIN: Scott Oglanian: Good walleye last week. Kurt Justice: Snow in Minocqua area slowed fishing, but walleye (late evening through early dusk around cabbage flats in 7 to 12 feet) and pike are good to very good and crappie and bluegills are good. Ice generally 6 to 12 inches and snow 3 to 6 inches, but travel good. SHABBONA: Concessions closed. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN: Tackle Haven: Boaters catching some steelhead limits in river.
WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN: Bill Stoeger: Ice conditions improving, but stick to walking or four-wheeling.