MIDWEST FISHING REPORT
TROUT: Illinois’ fall inland season opens Saturday. The daily bag is five. Those 16 and older need a license and inland- trout stamp. Nearby sites are Axehead, Busse North Pool, Belleau, Green, Horsetail and Wolf ( Cook County); Grove, Pickerel and Silver ( DuPage); Bird Park Quarry ( Kankakee); Big Lake at Silver Springs State Park ( Kendall); Banana and Sand at Illinois Beach State Park ( Lake); Spring Grove Hatchery Pond ( McHenry); and Lake Strini and Van Horn Woods ( Will).
AREA RIVERS: FOX: Ken Gortowski: Air/ water conditions perfect. Smallmouth holding in classic fall spots: lifts and slack side of eddies. Rains might alter pattern this week, but it will return. ILLINOIS: Time on the Water Outdoors: Good sauger/ walleye on flats, especially downriver ( Senachwine) on pulling crankbaits. Spotty white bass ( will improve with cooler water). KANKAKEE: Norm Minas: Walleye in low light on suspending Rogues or Husky Jerks. Ken ‘‘ Husker’’ O’Malley: Chug Bus or Kalin grubs around slack areas and behind island for a light bite on smallmouth.
CHAIN O’LAKES: Arden Katz: ‘‘ Crappie on fire,’’ trolling 1 mph or drift- fishing in 13 to 17 feet on northern lakes with minnows. Triangle: Muskie going on live suckers or small bucktails. Walleye picking up with more current. Some white bass up the river.
DELAVAN/ GENEVA LAKES, WIS.: DELAVAN: Guide Dave Duwe: Walleye good in 24 to 28 feet. Smallmouth improving in 18 to 22 feet. Bluegills suspended in mainlake basin. GENEVA: Duwe: Smallmouth very good in shallow rocks or outside spawning flats.
KENOSHA, WISCONSIN: Harborside: Pike flowing again. Browns and kings being taken in creek and harbor.
LAKEFRONT: CHICAGO: A few kings at the harbors. WAUKEGAN: Salmon Stop: Some browns and steelhead on shrimp, spawn or frozen shad off piers. A few kings on lures. SNAGGING: Action is steady. Still some silver fish. REGS: Snagging for Chinook and coho is open only at Lincoln Park Lagoon from the Fullerton bridge south, Waukegan Harbor ( north- harbor basin only), Winnetka Power Plant discharge area and Jackson Harbor ( inner and outer harbors).
NORTHERN WISCONSIN: MINOCQUA: Island Sportshop: ‘‘ Time is now’’ for very good- to- excellent muskie. Water cooled to upper 40s/ low 50s. Crappie are very good ( deep wood along river channels in flowages). EAGLE RIVER: Chamber of Commerce: Water cooling. Walleye, pike, smallmouth and panfish are good to excellent.
NORTHWEST INDIANA: Mik- Lurch: Creeks had kings and steelhead, but rains might make it tougher. Some crappie in corn channel at Wolf.
ST. JOSEPH ( MICHIGAN) AREA: Phil Schuman, Tackle Haven: Some steelhead in river. Kings are winding down. Some perch in 70 feet on Lake Michigan.
SHABBONA LAKE: Lakeside: Some bass on topwaters over green weeds. Muskie active in no- motor zone. Crappie picking up ( peak probably two weeks away). NOTE: Last open — five crappie and five bluegills — is this weekend. WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN: Guide Bill Stoeger: White bass ( river rigs with minnows), crappie ( plastic in brush) and walleye ( river rigs or vertical- jigging) are good from Fremont to the lake.